The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-01

they did last night. All through the
fighting period of the fire their work
bordered on the heroic. Several or the
men were injured. Lloyd Davis, color
ed, of fire department No. 3. was one
of the first men to be injured. The
first party of which Davis was mem
Der rushed to the top floor of the build
ing. There they found 1t too hot TO
fight and descended to the second floor
wnere they had a better chance to fight
the fire However the nozzle of the hose
in making the descent struck two or
three of the firemen and sent them roll
ing down two flights of stairs. Davis
was one of the men who was knocked
down and he fell to the frst moor. his
right leg was broken at the knee and
his mouth was badly cut by the fall.
He was taken to the Chesterfield phar-
macy where his wounds were dressed by
DR.. H. H. Keith.
A back draught hurled the fremen
back while fighting the flames in the
attic with a line of hose says FIRE
Chief G. o. Wilmarth. Chief VIII
marth was directing squad OF men
from hose company number 3 on the
top floor when the first meeting with
the back draught occurred: Chier
Wilmarth forcing his shoulders
against a door on the top floor in or.
der to wedge his way to the base OF
the fire, was followed closely by the
hosemen carrying line or nose When
the strong gust of the back draught
caught the men and bowled them ov-
err like ten pins Chief Wilmarth in
being hurled to the floor had his right
wrist badly gashed. A second time
the company tried to force Its way
back, only to be met with seVerer
backdraught than before, which
threw the men with such force that
number of them were rolled and
thrown down the stairways to lower
floors. In each instance the hose was
recovered and a stand made.
Lloyd Davis, colored, a member OF
No. 8 company was i 1pu "a. h MnSn
draught. His one leg was fractured
lust above the knee and his mouth
badly cut. He was taken to the
Chesterfield pharmacy, Where ms
wounds were dressed by DR.. H. ID.
Keith.
Captain A. M. Robinson, of the fire
department, and one of the oldest men
in the service, having been on the
local force for twenty-three years,
was one of the men who were injured
in the onfagration. He was directing
the laying of a line Of hose when
large piece of slate rom the roof
fell to the ground striking him in the
cheek and inf1icting a deep cash. His
shoulder was also injured. His
wounds were cared for by DR.. Eva
Harding. Several years ago Mr.. Rob
suited in the breaking of his arm.
The Injured.
Lloyd Davis, a colored fireman of
No. station, sustained a broken leg
and a severe cut on the face.
Capt A. M. Robinson, of No. 2 fire
station, was cut severely on the cheek
and his shoulder badly bruised, by
pieces of slate roofing.
Fire Chief G.. o. Wilmarth, was cut
badly on the wrist by a fall on the ice.
w. H. Ready, night depot master,
was badly burned on the hands. He
was removed to Stormont hospital for
treatment.
So quickly did the fire spread that
the telegraph operators, who occupy
quarters on the northwest corner of
the third floor were forced to make
their exit from the building by means
of the fire escapes. Miss G. M.
Brown, one of the operators, was car
ried down a fire escape by F. H. Kahl,
who, breaking out windows led the
force of employees to a place of safety
Miss G. NJ. Brown, the telegraph
operator who made her escape from
the third floor, down the fire escape,
told her experiences to a State Jour
nal reporter this morning. 1--WE did
MT realize the danger in which we
were situated until 1t was too late to
do anything but make our getaway
and did not even think of trying to
escape was a pretty cold job and had
had to go another floor 1 believe
that I would have frozen. The rungs
OF the fire escape were cold and COW
cred with ice. I wasn't carried down
as has been reported, but the men in
the office were very kind to me-" z
George B. Hetherington, chief clerk
in the Office of General superintendent
A. E. Sweet. this morning stated that
the loss to the building would not ex-
coed over $1,000 while the loss to the
contents of the building would not
amount to over ten or fifteen thou
sand. The office of the general super
Davis building for few days. The
second floor for the most part, except
in the west wing, will be saved. The
damage to this portion of the build
ing was done chiefly bv the water. A
EN- norary roof will be nlaced over the