The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-05
SWEPT BY FIRE.
Continued from Page one.)

| Continued from Page One.)
hooked up their hose with the nearest
| fre plugs, supposing of course there
was plenty of wafer. They had to I'M
| couple all this hose and make a con-
nectlon $500 feet long from the cistern
/ al. Tenth street AMI Kansas avenue ali
use the fire engine there with which to
pump the water. This work was done
in marvelously short time. When this
| connection was made they turned the
| hose on the brick fiat on Tyler street,
which was ablaze by this time, and sue
ceeded in saving the fiat.
f. w. Packard, the proprietor of the
milk depot, declared that the work of
| the firemen in saving his building
without water was most remarkable
effort. He had expected of course to
| be burned out as the heat was intense
| and the fire only few feet from the
side of his building. He had to leave
his building because of the heat and
smoke and watched the f1remen from
a distance. Mrs. Packard was loud in
| her praise of the great work of the
| firemen and she gave them milk to
drink after the fire had subsidized a lit
| tie.
Chemicals and buckets are of use only
in extinguishing a small Place, but they
| had to be put in commission at this
| fire. Had the water not been cut off
| there is not the slightest doubt what
| ever IQdI LnlS costly DIdZe WOulu nave
been confined to the small shed and the
stable in the alley. Had there been a
high wind this morning it is impossible
to estimate the damage that would
lisely have rescited by fire because of
the failure of the city water supply.
Ii. Il. Golden a Heavy Loser.
The major portion of the property
destroyed by this mornings fire was
| owned by B. F. Golden as far as
buildings are concerned. He owned
l Il ~NI1 fr1rr a-fT
as we'll as the Stamey livery stable
and is sure that the fire was the re-
suit of a spite which some one has
against him. He has suffered from
five fires within the past few years, all
of which seemed to have been of an
incendiary nature as was the one this
morning.
The first fire alarm was turned in at
$40 and was followed half an hour
later by a general alarm when the
water pressure gave out suddenly. The
big steamer was taken to the inter-
section of Tenth and Kansas avenue
and a string of hose $500 feet in
length laid to the scene of the fire
and this quick action saved the Kahr
flats. The north fiat was completely
Quilted and much of the contents on
the second floor was destroyed be-
fore it could be removed from the
burning building. A fire wall be-
tween the first and second fiat stayed
the IlTe LOT a TIME Out lHS
Tapped around the rear of the build
ing and by means of a shed kitchen
were communicated to the second fiat
which was occupied by w. S. Chap
man.
The third fiat was occupied by H. G.
Larimer and Charles Skinner and
nearly all of the contents of these
rooms were moved across the street
and received only such damaged as
was occasioned by rough handling
Miss Matte Kahr, who owned the
flats and occupied the one which was
destroyed this morning. has charge of
the dressmaking department at Cros-
by Brothers.
Her loss on the contents of the fiat
in which she resided will be at least
fifty per cent, though it Is covered
by insurance. There is a sufficient
amount of insurance on the flats to
again rebuild the destroyed portion.
The Stanley barn was a large two
story building extending from Tenth
avenue to the alley in the rear and
but $500 in insurance was carried
on account of the high rate. This
property was owned by Mr.. Golden and
his loss will be heavy on this prop
erty.
The break in the water main is said
to have occurred in Auburndale, and 1t
is thought that perhaps 1t was tam
pered with If the fire was OF incendlary
origin. as it is supposed to have been
Had the break not occurred until ten
minutes later the fire would have been
out and the loss would not have
amounted to 800, as it was under con-
troll when the break occurred.
Bell Telephones Out.
Three two hundred wire cables be-
longing to the Bell Telephone company
were put out of commission by the
burning in two of heavy cables in the
alley containing the wires. All of the
telephones west of Topeka avenue and
south of Tenth avenue are out A force
of men were on the ground within hall
an hour after the cables went down
and service will be restored by tomor-
row evening.
The Independent telephone service
fire, as nearly all of the wires in this
part of the city are under ground. A
small cable containing twelve pairs of
wires was melted by the heat, but
General Manager Hemphill said that
two hours work would place the sys-
tenn in as good shape as before the
fire occurred.
The loss on the Covell grocery stock il;
complete and there is but 1,500 in in
surance on the stock, which would have
invoiced double that amount. When
the fire started there was a ten-mile
an hour wind from the southeast, and
for a time the entire block was threat
ened with destruction and household
goods in the buildings in the danger
zone were removed across the street.