The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-03
Loss Aggregates One Hundred
Twenty Five Thousand.
INSURANCE is SMALL.
Only Fifteen Thousand Dollars
Was Carried.
Joseph BrOmich, the Proprietor,
Built Up Business.
Largest Boiler Manufacturing
Plant in Kansas.


The Topeka Steam Boiler Works
which occupy several lots on Jeffer-
son street between First and Second,
and which are owned by Joseph
Bromich, were almost totally de-
stroyed by fire last night. the fire
breaking out before 8 o'clock
According to Mr.. Bromich the loss
will aggregate $125,OOO. of which SIS
600 only is covered by insurance.
The loss consists of $4,000 to the
stock and about SOS, 200 to the build
ing and machinery.
Shortly after 1880 last night, Joseph
Bromich, the proprietor of the build
ing who lived two doors north of the
plant, noticed the absence of the usual
hum of the machinery. which is kept
up all night. He went across the
street and called his son, Walter
Bromich, who is also interested in the
plant, and the two made an investiga-
ton of the building.
The furnace was kept fired all night
as 1t takes a long time to heat up
the plant The furnace was located
in the south end of the building. In
order to keep all the gas burning in
the furnace, it was necessary to have
an electric fan which kept up a good
supply of oxygen. The cause of the
fire resulted from the fuse in the fan
blowing out and the consequent fail
ure of all the gas to be burned in the
furnace. The gas escaped from the
furnace and filled the entire second
story of the building. Mr.. Bromich
and his son, Walter. entered the
building. Walter Bromich carried a
lantern in order to light up the
building SO that the two might in
vestigate the cause of the machinery
stopping.
Walter Bromich Burned.
AS soon as the two men reached the
air shaft the gas ignited from the
light in Walter Bromichs lantern and
the building was almost instantly
| mass of flames
The explosion attendant upon the
| ignition of the gas. caught the younger
Mr.. Bromich in the face. and caused
him some severe burns in this part
of his body, also on the neck and
wrists. The burns, however, were not
serious
The two men left the building i'm
mediately, Walter Bromich trying to
find means of stopping the pain of his
burns, while the elder Mr.. Bromich ran
down Jefferson street to summon the
firemen from the fire department which
is located between Third and Fourth
streets on Jefferson, q distance of near
ly two blocks
Biames Fire Department.
According to Mr.. Bromich, it was
some time before the fire alarm became
general and the uptown company at
the Auditorium was slow in getting to
the fire After the general alarm was
turned in all the fire departments re-
sponded, including the Santa Fe de-
partment which as usual did splendid
work.
The city fire department, in the esti-
nation of Mr.. Bromich, did not use the
best of Judgment at the outset OF the
fire. The colored department, he and
Walter Bromich directed to the room in
which the fire had broken out But tho
remainder of the fire department re-
fused to throw the streams on the cen
tral portion of the fire but scattered
the streams around the entire building.
1t wasn't long until the entire roof
was burning, and the flames lighted up
the section of town which lies Just
north of the plant The interior was
all ablaze as well and It wasn't long
until it could be seen that the build
ing would be consumed and most of
the machinery ruined.
Six Lines Of Hose.
Six lines of hose were turned into
the building and even with the good
pressure that was maintained it was
nearly o'clock before the fire was
under control and for another three
quarters of an hour there was an oc-
casional blaze broke out over the
building. The new steamer was at
tached to one Of the fire plugs and
helped swell the pressure. The build
ing was only two stories in height SO
that with any kind Of pressure what
ever the fremen could have done good
work.
1t was reported that during the fire
an explosion occurred. There were
two barrels of oil inside the building
near the east end which were reached
by the fire and they popped like a
cannon. but the explosion did no ma
terial damage.
On the north end of the building
was giant portable crane which
weighed rs tons and which was in
stalled at a cost of $4,000. This fell
early in the fire carrying a good sized
section of the north wall with it, and
resulting in a big crash.
Office Records Saved.
All the office records were saved as
well as the safe. Early in the fire
some of the employees of the plant
came to the assistance of Mr. Bromich
and rendered valuable assistance In
saving these valuables. The office Is
located in the east side of the build
ing in about the central portion OF
the side. All the books, filing cases.
and valuable papers were taken out
and afterwards carried to Mr.
Bromich's home. The men were just
beginning to carry off the safe when
the floor began to sink. and MI
Broinich valueing human life higher
than the contents of the safe ordered
the men out. The safe however by
this time had been carried away from
the reach of the flames and outside
of having water fall on 1t, is in good
condition and its contents safe. Very
little money however was in the safe.
All the goods which were ruined
were stored in the south end of the
building near where the fire broke