The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-01
DEPOT DAMAGED.
Roof Burned Off the Rock Island
Station.
Fire Starts i'm Tower Probably
From Electric Wires.
HELD WELL In CHECh.
Firemen Do Heroic Work ana
Save the Building.
Loss Is Estimated at Fifteen
Thousand Dollars.
Repairs on Building Will be
Made at Once.


Fire which resulted presumably from
defective electric wiring in the watch
tower of the Rock Island depot last
night at 11:30 and which was famed by
q high northwestern wind surging from
the vacant space between the depot and
the Parkhurst-Davis store building,
partially destroyed the interior of the
station, entailing loss which at the
greatest will not exceed $4,000. The
loss 1t is thought will be fully covered
by insurance. That the building was
not further destroyed is largely due to
the efficient work of the Topeka fire
men who struggled for three hours
against terrific odds before the fire was
finally under control. At first it was
thought that the damage would be
much greater as the building was en-
veloped with heat and smoke which
made it impossible for any one to get
inside the building after the fire had
got we'll started.
In one corner of the depot this morn
ing few of the ruins were still smoi-
dering Preparations were Immediate
~ made to house the different depart
ments which previous to the fire had
occupied apartments in different parts
of the building
The fire last night started at 11:30
The cause was presumably defective
wiring, although the depot cleo
trician made an inspection trip
through the building only
few days ago and in his report to A.
E Sweet, general superintendent, pro-
nounced the wiring of the building as
all right. 1t is possible that combus
ton of a spontaneous order might have
taken place and caused the fire. This
latter opinion is held by many of the
officials in view of the raDOrt made bV
the wire inspector.
The fire broke out in the attic near
the watch tower towards the northeast
ern corner of the building. This part
of the attic is used as a store room
for the records of the various depart
ments which are. more than one year
old. The fire was well under Roadway
before it was discovered as everything
in this section of the building was high
~ combustible By the time the fire
was discovered it had burnt it's way
through the roof and was blazing.
Mr.. Ready Found the Fire.
The first man to notice the fire was
w. H. Ready, night depot master.
While making his rounds of the build
ing Mr.. Ready detected the odor of
burning paper. He at once reported
his discovery to the ticket office and
asked Dick Collins, night ticket agent.
whether he had been burning paper or
sealing letters in his office When he
received a negative reply Mr.. Ready
made an inspection of the second
floor of the building and as he de-
tected nothing further, he was almost
persuaded to give up his search.
However, as he emerged from the
office of the law department, he found
the hallway entirely clouded with
smoke and fumes of the burning pa
per.
He continued his search going to
the third floor. He went to the room
of the telegraph department on the
west side of the third floor and tried
to locate the fumes of the burning
paper. At this point a gust of
wind carried cloud of smoke down
from the attic. Ready continued his
search for the fire by trying to force
his way into the garnet. In this he
encountered the hottest part of the
flames and was so badly burned that
he was carried away by firemen. who
had just reached the scene of the fire.
Ready's wounds were dressed and he
was at once back again to the scene of
the fire, doing all he could do to allay
the impending destruction of the
building. His was a noteworthy case
Of loyalty to employer. Throughout
could be seen running to and fro in
the midst Of the fire fighters, giving
directions as to the best means IF
combating the flames in a manner
somewhat suggestive of delirium
Damage Greatly Overestimated.
The damage to the building was at
first greatly overestimated. 1t will
not exceed fifteen thousand at the
furthest instead of one hundred thou
sand as was first reported. The first
and second floors of the building are
but slightly damaged except that
there is a great deal of water around
the floor. In but two or three nIsces
on a i
ter fall off the walls in large ouantI-
ties The only real damage excen+
the destruction Of the roof on ton Of
the building occurred in the rooms of
the telegraph department on the
west end of the third floor. This bie
room is total wreck. Ice, snow
rocks, brick, slate and even splinters
of timber lie around this room a foot
deep on the floor The ceiling was
entirely destroyed and it viii tals
some time for this to be remedied
The claims department which occn-
pied a suite of rooms on the third
floor along the north side of the
building were badly destroyed but the
loss here is not nearly as great as in
the telegraph room. In the north
east room, over which the fire broke
out the walls and ceiling are badIv
shattered. However, ali the dam,
age of any consequence is confined to
the third floor.
Valuable Law Library Saved.
The law library of NJ. A Low. gen.
era1 attorney for the Rock Island
which was reported destroyed at a
loss of thirty thousand dollars is stil
intact and the only damage will be a
little matter of a few dollars worth
which was confined to the cases. a
small piece of plaster fell from the
ceiling of these rooms, but the dam
age is very slight. In the general SUI
perintendent's office there was about
as much damage done as in any of
the rooms on the second floor. Out