The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-28
WAS A BAD RISK.
Insurance Men Testify About
Central Hotel.
The Rate Was Raised Because OF
Trash in Areaway.
OWNER DIDN'T KNOW
NJ. Snattinger Ignorant About
the Blind Rooms.
COroner's Inquiry Into the Lat-
est Hotel Disaster.


The effort of the coroner's jury, whlch
is today hearing testimony relative 10
the Central hotel fire. in which loul
men lost their lives, is being dlrecFeu
principally toward any clue which VIII
place the responsibility. With all the
expert testimony in, they are stll IN
the dark this afternoon The gas cofh-
pany declares, through one OF lts eA-
perts that the fire could not nave oeeIi
caused by an explosion Of gas T. 1
Jordan. electrical contractor VINO re
Gently rewired the building, ana nlli mn
self an expert on electrical work, teSl-
6ed that he had wired the building ac-
Cording to the requirements OF the uh
derWriters and used the best OF hld.
terial. In his opinion. ii was almost
impossible. under the system py WnLcn
che house was wired. for any sholt .-i.,, ~
Heuit to take place which would cause
q fire.
Didn't Know About Blind Rooms
The first witness was NJ. Snattlnger'
owner of the building. He testlned lhdI
the building had been used as hole, I
since 1881, and had been occupied anu
remodeIed three or four times since
Iben bv d.fferent proprietors. He pro
duced a contract with Campbell tne
proprietor at the time OF the hre'
whereby Campbell was TO receive
three-year lease on the building as SOON
as he had complied with requirements;
The requirements were that "a lam ,'.iI
should put in not less than SlOou Wolth
OF permanent improvement. Snattlnser
said that Campbell had not done inns
and the contract, which EXPIRED JanI .a
arv 1 of this year, was therefore Nolo.
Campbell has been renting from mohth
TO month for $125 per month.
In regard to the fact that the rooms
on the south side of the buliding "ere
without windows Mr.. Snattinger sta
ted that he had not made thorough
inspection of the building during the
mast IS years, and was not famlilar
with the arrangements, but knew tHas
the Webb building, on the south' hdu
cut off the windows of several rooms.
He said that he had never inyestlga-
ted the wire glass window at the rear
of the hotel. which was placed tnere
at his expense by Webb While the lat
ter's building was in course OF con-
w. W. Webb also testified concern
ting the manner in which the south
windows of the hotel were cut of by
the construction of his builpng, ana
that the south wall of the hotel was a
party wall, owned by both properties
AS an insurance expert, Mr.. webb
stated that the rate had been raised
on the personal property in the Cen
trail hotel building on the grounds of
defective wiring.
Paid High Insurance Rate.
Howard Campbell, building inspec-
tor for the Eldridge Insurance rating
company, testified that he last inspect
ed the building in August, 1907, and
raised the rate on account of trash in
the rear areaway and defective wiring.
This rate was still in effect, because
the building had not been reported
upon since 1t was rewired last fall by
Jordan. 1t was then demonstrated by
comparisons Of rating, that the burn
ed hotel was rated as a greater risk
than any building in the block with
the exception of the Durein and Bran
ner buildings, which are wooden struc
lures. w. H. Eastman, insurance
agent testified that a hotel was al
ways considered a greater risk, and
that a higher rate was charged to in
sure hotel fixtures.
w. w. Webb then testified to the
amount of insurance upon the fur
nishings of the hotel. He stated that
these furnishings were insured in
three companies for $1,000 each, and
:. that the rate charged was $1.60 per
thousand.
Found No Gas Leak.
G. J. Swan, superintendent of the
gas company testified that he had in
spected the plumbing of the building
since the fire, and found no breaks in
any of the supply pipes except over
the front door, where large arc light
had been torn down. either by falling
debris or by a stream of water
thrown by firemen. He gave it as his
expert opinion that the fire was not
caused by a leakage of natural gas
l.. p. Jordan, electrical contractor
was instructed by the coroner to make
full examination of the wiring of the
building and report to the jury this
afternoon. This is for the purpose of
comparing facts with possibilities.
Jordan had testified that had the cleo
trio circuit in the rear of the build
ing been short circuited. all the lights
on that circuit would have been extin-
guished instantly. He is instructed to
find out. by personal inspection and
conference with his foreman, whether
or not the kitchen lights were on a
rear circuit. The facts are that when
Coroner Keith reached the building,
which was then a mass of flames. the
kitchen electric lights were still burn
ing. The fire is supposed to have start
cd in the vicinity of the kitchen. and
the two facts combined will give the
electric wiring a clean bill of health
This afternoon the testimony of the
hotel employees who were awake when
the fire started. and of Campbell. the
proprietor. viii be taken. The case
will consume the entire afternoon. as
little progress toward proof of the
blame for the fire, has been made.
County Attorney John Schenck is
conducting the investigation