The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-07
FlkEMENA kE bUOI
Called Out Three Times in
Frfgid Cold.
Most Serious Blaze in the Walter
Bates Home.
CAUSED BY GAS STOVE
Trouble Experienced Because Of
Few Water Plugs.
Upper Part of the House Is
Burned Off.
CAUSED BY GAS STOVE

Things come in punches at the sta
tions OF the Topeka fire department.
Since nine O'Clock last evening the To-
peka fire department has made three
long runs and all of them have been
for the prevention of dangerous fires
The most disastrous fire of the four
was the partial destruction of the big
home owned and occupied by Walter
Bates at 1881 Part avenue west in Pot
win The whole roof and a small part
of the second floor were burned in this
fire. Loss 81, eco. The fire was caused
by the huctuatiou of the gas pressure
and started in the attic of the house
The servant who lived in the finished
attic of the house had one Of the small
gas stoves and it was not connected
with the regular flue of the house but
the small pipe ran through the wood
partition and out nuder the roof The
servant left the fire burning last even
ing and about ten O'Clock when the gas
pressure regained its normal height
after days depth the fire in the little
stove which had been turned wide open
Jared up and in few minutes had
heated the wooden partition to an in
dammable heat and the ire started II
was not discovered until it had eaten
its way through the partition to the dry
roof and then with muffled roar it
broke out into ttfea cold night air and
lighted up the district for blocks Be
fore the dremen could get to the scene
burning fierceIy- 1t looked as though
the building was doomed, especially
when the firemen found that there was
not a fire plug within a number OF
stretched to the scene the fire was en-
veIoping the whole roof and the fur-
nfture was being carried out of the
house by friends and neighborS- This
one line Of hose was all the ire COM
panies could get to the scene and by
first lighting from the outside. then the
inside and then from the edges they
finally managed to get it under control
after fighting for over an hour 1t was
necessary to scale the big house with
ladders from all sides and divide the
time of the hose from one side of the |
houSR to the other Whenever the nFe |
would break out in new and danger
Gus place the hose would have to be I
changed and much time lost 1t was a /
strenuous fight on the part Of Ch1er 1
Wflmarth and his companies of hre-
men, The wind and oeIoW,zero
weather made the battle a frigld one
The roof of the house was completely 1
burned to the top of the second story /
and in a number of places the nre had
eaten down through the floor of the
attic into the second story. But the
damage from fire on this floor was
slight In the first two stories all or
the damage resulted from the down
pour Of water which soaked the Lur-
nishings and carpets. Much of the fur
niture was carried out OF the mouse
during the fire
The first call last night was TO the
rome of E W. Hughes. at 7Z3 Taylor
'treet where a chimney was burning
,ut and the neighbors and family De
anne frightened. However, the NO. z
did not regret the hre call
because they had chance to make
nm out on the new pavement on Sixth
first time they have MADE
run on this street for many moons
snce the new pavement has been Iald
long this thoroughfare they have been
FAST time was last night and the
Iremen have -ehed their approval to
he work of tne city engineer
Esrtv This morning still alarm was
l1rued in from the home of Mrs PARK
iced. 614 Tyler street The furnace mad
cen on a tear all night and this morn
lg the fiue caps in the parior ana N
Their parts of the house were turning
Tovvr and threatened to make a blaze
! thes house. The family kept their
erve, however and simply sent tele-
hone call TO the headquarters asking
Dr. a little advice and assistance IN
,rfetfug the furnace The dremen gave
lis free of charge, were thanked Tor
lefr kindness by the hostess and made
blood tingIing trial run to the station
little after : O'Clock this morning g
1other. call came from this part OF the I
~ when a barn occupied by Roy Cain,
peanut vender. at 1925 Topeka avenue, I
a. given a black eye by having the
1rner charred and ruined 1t was
,usad by a gas stove being too near a
artftion-a repetition of the Bates ire Z
hen the peanut and popcorn man
oE<e he found his quarters IN names l
vervthfng was in good condition IN
" minutes after the Wilmarth braves
al arrived and a little patching. re-
wing and paperfng Will make the barn
, GOOD as new. The loss viii PROBABLY +
mount to SIS if everything Is taken
to consideration
This is all the fires that had happen s
M TO press time this afternoon but
- freuen expect more this evening
his kind of weather everyone opens up
- stoves full blast and the furnaces :
. kept on a rage all night long It is
noticeable fact that gas stoves are
using more fires than coal stoves ever
-aaued Of People are too careless o
i'm their gas stoves There are thou a
'rds OF little stoves in the city that
= NOT properly connected and there are e
hers that have no connection what
ar with the fiues OF the house They
-nrIv carry the gas out of the room s.
To the attic or a vacant room Of some
nd This is against the law but peo-
> have little use for the law if it in "
IN /