Meade County news., 1909-01-21
FAMOUS TOPEKA HOTEL COM
PLETELY DESTROYED
BY FIRE.
ONE KILLED AND "a INJURED
Body of Ex-District Attorney Lambert
Found in Ruins-None of
Injured in Dangerous
Condition.

DIdckened Dy smoke, bulgrng to
danger point and threatening to cave
in at any time on an interior of utter
ruin, all that remains of the Copeland
hotel Thursday night, the rallying
point of the Republican party of Kan
sas, for years, is mere hulk of
building
The body Of I. E. Lambert, United
States district attorney for Kansas,
was found in the ruins Thursday night
with the head and arms and legs
burned off. The body was found in
the northeast corner of the building.
Lambert's room was on the fourth
floor directly above. Fourteen of tthe
guests were more or less seriously
hurt.
The dead:
Isaac E. Lambert, Emporia.
The injured:
! A. w. Smith, Mcpherson, broken
ankle, broken arm and cuts.
Mrs. w. Y. Morgan, Hutchinson,
broken ankle.
Tom A. Hubbard, Rome, cuts on the
arm.
/ w. A. Howland, Mcpherson, three
ribs broken, arms cut
j Robert c. M. Murray, Kansas City.
Kan, ankle fractured
8. c. Westcott, Galena, foot
sprained
Chief G. O. Wilmarth, head cut.
Colonel T. B Murdock. right leg in
jured, knee twisted, ankle sprained.
]. w. Davis, Greensburg, overcome
by smoke.
Mrs. B. L. Thompson, Herington,
back hurt.
Paul Rich, Coolidge, back, side and
wrist sprained.
w. A. Elstin, Moline, sprains and
bruises
H. c. Bowman, Newton, ankle and
back sprained.
G. H. Lamb, Yates Center, back in
jured
The fire was discovered by F. A.
Schoenleber, veterinarian of the Kan
sas State Agricultural college, who
notified the Office by telephone.
The fire department had been
called at 3:40 o'clock. Two full com
panies had only two blocks to go, but
when they arrived the flames were
pouring out of every window on the
j south and east sides of the third and
fourth floors of the hotel. The fire
spread like prairie blaze before q
strong wind. In ten minutes after
the first flames were discovered the
two upper floors were a mass of fire.
In five minutes more the third floor
had fallen in, sending the flames into
the first floor and a few minutes later
into the basement.
The fire apparently started on the
south sde of the second floor, probably
In the hall along the east wing of the
building. The flames first broke
through in the hall leading to the
alley fire escape at the east end of the
building. The fire evidently had been
/ burning for some time. The building
did not have a piece of steel in it.
except the elvator machinery, engines
and kitchen outfit. 1t was four-story
brick building, trimmed with stone
but the floors and partitions were all
wood, and there was not even fire
wall through the building. The timber
was old and burned like tinder, and
all the water that could be pumped
through the Topeka water system
: could not have checked the flames.
Men and women in their night
clothing and in bare feet ran through
the snow-covered streets to the Y. M
C.. A. building. diagonally across the
street from the hotel; and two men
and three women ran barefoot through
four inches of snow and ice down
Kansas avenue two blocks to the Ma.
tional hotel.
That so many of the guests escaped
is regarded as remarkable.
Ex-GOv. Click, of Atchison had a
room on the third floor of the hotel
Some of his friends rushed to his
: room and carried him down a ladder
to the Y. M. c. A building. These
friends lost all of their clothing and
valuables in aiding the ex-governor
as they were unable to return to their
rooms. Gov. Click is 80 years old
There were many other narrow es
capes and many acts of heroism on
) the part of guests and firemen.
The hotel is a complete loss, esti
mated at $4,000. Insurance was
carried to the amount of 41,00O. A
) cursory view of the building reveals
, little of the excitement that reigned
there during the early hours of Thurs
day morning. The porticos are intact
: and the front of the building was not
burned out. But inside is complete
ruin, all four of the floors having
caved in. An attempt was made
. Thursday night to wreck the walls
with a stream of water but it proved
fruitleSS
None Of the injured are considered
. in a dangerous condition. A. w
Smith of Mcpherson, who was the
;. most seriously injured, is Thursday
night considered out of immediate
. danger. DR.. Keith, coroner, says his