The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-12
BIG BUILDING A WRECK.
Continued from Fac one.l


the entire force was at work almost
simultaneously with the city depart
ment. The Santa Fe was a potent
factor in saving the surrounding
properties and building.
The Loss Is Heavy.
The loss on the stock of mer-
chandise owned by Parkhurst-DaVls
amounted to 100000. OF this amount
$4,000 was covered by insurance.
The building, which is a total loss,
was owned by Joab Mulvane and was
valued at $4,000, and carried $780,
insurance. This would make the to-
tai loss over and above the insur-
ance $125,000.
The damage to the surrounding
buildings was light. The Topeka Cold
Storage Ice & Fuel company's plant
was damaged to the extent of $500.
The International Harvester com
pany's plant in the Sells building
which Joined the Inflated building on
the north entaiIed a loss of about
$500 to the building while the stock
was injured by the falling water to
the extent of $500. The Santa Fe had
a box car a short distance northwest
from the fire which was slightly
burned. A car load of baled cotton
was stacked on the ground near the
Santa FEES car and this was burned.
Crowd Was Large.
From the time the alarm became
general until the last roar of the fall
ing walls had died away, and until
the last blaze became a glowing
ember, the crowd constantly gather
ing. crowded close to the lines
the great spectacle, the counterpart
of which many of them had witnessed
five years previous 1t would be i'm
possible to estimate the number of
from all parts of the city. Residents
in every section as soon as they were
Informed of the location of the fire
thronged the corner of First and
Kansas avenue. AS Tar as the human
eye could see in any direction with
the light of the burning building, peo-
pie crowded in to watch the destruc-
ton of the large building. The Rock
Island depot was taxed to capacity.
People thronged the upstair windows
Probably during the evening 10000
witnessed the great fire..
Mr.. Davis DisconsoIate.
W. H. Davis, when seen by a State
Journal reporter during the fire after
the building was known to be total
loss, was in no frame of mind to make
a prediction for the future. He talked
but little when questioned by friends,
while standing near the spot where
Munson met his death, unconscious
that the ruined building had taken one
life with it.
az do not know how the fire start
ed said Mr.. Davis. cit was in the
of the building, and even at
the time 1 got there had not spread
over the entire house. 1 could see,
from the sudden spurts of the flames
that the gas was feeding the blaze,
and I Immediately requested the gas
company to shut off the supply.
was told that the gas company would
do nothing of the kind. Some men
were sent down here to cut off the
supply at the building, and one of
them was killed by the collapse of
that wall. I understand that the gas
supply can be cut off by districts, in
the city, and that is what I wanted
them to do. Under the circumstances, !
think it would have been nothing
more than right for the company to
cut off the entire city for a few min
utes and give these fremen a chance"
While Mr.. Davis was talking, four
streams of water were playing on the
fire in the part of the building near
him. but the gas blaze was in no way
This was after the fire, |
fed by the escaping gas, had been
more than two hours, ana I'M
known to the spectators, who crowded
about by thousands, John Munson lay
dead upon a pile of red hot brick
'tI do not know yet that we will re-
build said Mr. Davis, while sorrow
fully rejecting On the loss of two large
building on the same site, 1--WE did not
keep a night Waterman. We had one
at the time of our fire five years ago
and he did no good. Since we have re-
built we have employed the special
night policeman, Anderson. It was he