The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14

cape from death in the flames and at
the last moment dropped two stories to
the roof of the dining room. He is.
battered and bruised and suffering
from numerous pains. ], must nave
struck a railing of some kind when l
dropped, said Mr.. Rich; for rolled
over and over and was unable to get
up. Some one hollered, Lookout, l.
out of the way and moment later one
of the largest men have seen in many
a year dropped right where had been
lying. Billy Morgan passed me and
asked me to assist him in getting his
wife, who had a broken ankle, down
off of the roof, but I had to decline,
and little later / was helped off OF
the roof of the building
Harvey ShannOn's Escape.
Harvey Shannon, an orphan lad
who has been with Col. Gordon for
several years was one of the first to
escape by jumping onto his clothes
was in the rear of the building where
the fire started He smelled smoke
and thought it came from a chimney
across the alley, but finding fire shoot
for the fire escape which was already
crowded. With his arms full of
clothing he climbed to the second
story landing where the rush was
frantic. He was forced to jump and
throwing his clothes ahead of him
threw himself to the pavement. As
he landed on his back in the pile of
goods a wagon, he says, few out OF
the alley and ran over his leg. No
bones were broken but Harvey could
hardly walk from bruises.
Ganse One of Last to Leave.
Senator H. E. Ganse OF burlington occu
pied a room on the second floor of the
hotel in the west end and was one of
the last to leave that part. of the build
ing: II suppose that Twas sleeping sound
Il d
fight was in progress in the hall and
met NV ewes was terrifying. Women and
men were rushing heller SHELTER about the
hall screaming and attempting to flnd
means of exit. 1t was an awful scene and
the wonder to me is that more people were
not burned to death or injured"
Dell Travis of Pratt, state game warden,
and C. T. Warren of the same place occu-
pied rooms the fourth floor of the
of their belongings I'VE were awakened
about o'clock by the cry of fire" said
was filled with smoke and flames and |
that escape was cut off from this quar-
and climbed down the fire escape and the
more I think of it the more miraculous !
seems the escape of the guests of the
T. S. Cough of Kansas City was a guest
at the Copeland last night and used the |
life. You. have the story" said Mr.;
Cough, land all that 1 want to say is that |
the negro policeman on duty on that beat
is a real hero and deserving of a Car /
negie medal The officer referred to is
fire department for SIX years.
Click First to Register at Hotel
Former Governor G. w. Click of Atchi-
son. one of the guests at the Copeland
who was driven out by the fire this morn
ing. was the first guest to register at the
hotel Immediately after it was finished
and opened for business in 1888.
Wilmarth Slightly Hurt.
Fire Chief Wilmarth was injured about
SIS by falling through the burning floor
ntO the basement near the front entrance
IF the hotel He struck on his head and
a severe scalp wound and some i
bad bruises. Half dozen firemen diVed /
nto the basement after him and he was T.
Copeland County drug store, across Ninth |.
street; where his injuries were dressed by
DR.. H. H. Keith. The chief was sent /
1ome but declared that he would return
is soon as he could get dry clothing.
Water Pressure Kept Up.
he me sto city Watgr department ob1ecTS to
hat the water pressure was low during Il
he Copeland fire. The automatic chart is
nent show that at 3:35 the time of the
alarm the pressure was IS pounds At
Jumped to 10 pounds and was held at
hat point for 10 minutes. Then the heavy
pressure down to IS. where it remained
or IS minutes. An extra exertion was
works, and the pressure rose to so, where
heId, with slight variations, until 4:45
T n6 lit 1t dropped Pr to 30 pounds an instant
NAMED during the rest of the fire.
While the gauge of the water company
hows an excellent pressure spectators
ire at a loss to understand why the
streams of water with the exception of
me stream connected with engine, did
lot rise above the second story of the
building during the early part of the fire
Y. Nj. G. A. Men Do Good Work.
j. F. Dee and H. Abrahams, two
1t the Y. NJ. G. A. were among the first |
outsiders to discover the fire and arrive
hey could to assist policemen and early
fremen in the work of rescue. Their room,
building. is not far from the rear end of
he hotel. and they were Weakened by the
dressed hastily and arrived at the hotel
With the first division of the fire depart
nent Seeing a man on the third floor
Dee and a policeman hoisted a heavy lad
Ter to his window, but before they reached
passed to him by colored fireman on one
II the escapes. An attempt was then
NEW the location of Mr.. and Mrs w. Y
Morgan. to get ladders to them, but in
placed on the roof of the annex, and Mrs
1organ was injured in falling to the first
Pinkston's Good Work.
The guests of the burned hoteI are
oud in their praise of the action of tn
hight clerk and the promptness with
which he investigated the first alarm
If fire. Had it not been for his
of action the loss of life
would have undoubtedly been much
greater than it was. Policeman Pink
ton. who for six years was a member
# the Topeka fire department, did
specially efficient work in rescuing the
quests of the hotel
Referring to his work of rescue Of
icer Pinkston said: It only did my
luty last night. 1t is what / am paid
or doing and my training with the To-
)aEa fire danartrnanf |