The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14
One Leg and One Arm Broken by Fal
on the Sidewalk
Many Thrilling Escapes From the
Burning Building.
Property Loss Is Estimated at One
Hundred Thousand Dollars.

ing that there was a tight drew his re-
volver and rushed to the building
where he was met by cloud of smoke
which poured from the windows.
Guests were already leaving their
rooms and gathering on the sidewalk
in front of the building. Half dressed
people rushed back and forth shouting
and calling for assistance.
The alarm of fire was first communi-
Gated to the night clerk, w. W. Wiley,
by DR.. F. S. SchoenIeber of Manhattan
who with L. r. Baker of Kansas City
occupied room 126 on the second floor.
DR.. Schoenleber was awakened and de-
tected an odor of smoke. He called the
office and asked the clerk if the build
ing was on fire. In a few minutes he
heard the alarm and awakening Mr..
Baker the two men dressed and hurried
to the office. The clerk appeared ex-
cited and said that he would call the
guests and turned to the telephone
board, but the alarms could not be
sounded for the wire connections were
destroyed.
Firemen in Rescue Work.
The fremen arrived within five min
utes from the time the fire was discov-
cred. When they arrived there were
white and scared faces at nearly every
window and ladders were quickly hoist
ed to rescue the guests before any at
tention was paid to the fire itself. The
fire escapes were filed with the fright
ened inmates of the rooms. Ex-senator
Fitzpatrick who occupied room on the
third floor threw his grips out of the
window and ]. E. B. Gates of Independ-
ence, who occupied the room with him
- -
dressed. When he was awakened in his
room on the west side of the building
the walls of his room were already hot.
Sheets Used for Ropes.
Some of the guests twisted sheets to-
gether and using them for ropes slid
down and dropped to the ground. Mrs.
w. Y. Morgan and A. w. Smith were
hurt in this way.
Mr.. Lambert Missing.
Isaac e. Lambert, of Emporia, who
is missing, was one of the most
prominent politicians in Kansas. He
was formerly United States district at
torney. He occupied room BAL on the
top floor on the north side of the
building and intended to go to Kansas
City this morning. Soon after the fire.
men arrived they saw a man, now be-
lieved to have been Lambert, at a win
dow. He was shouting directions to the
f1remen about raising the ladders. One
of the bystanders shouted to him that he
could leave by the front way and he dis
appeared and has not been seen since.
Captain Joe Hanley. of the hook and
ladder department, said: I'VE made ev-
cry effort to reach Mr.. Lambert's win
dow on the top floor, and did reach it
with the ladder. but Mr. Lambert,
whom 1 presume was the man at the
window, had disappeared. The room
was flaming furnace. No fireman had
shouted to the man to go back and
down the front way; it was impossible
for anyone to go back
An effort is being made to ascertain
if any other guests are missing but so
far as known Mr.. Lambert is the only
one unaccounted for.
Fireman Woody Saw Man FAN.
W. Woody. a fireman on truck No. 2,
who is supposed to have been the last
man to see I. E. Lambert alive said:
I'VE were attracted by the cries of a
man on the third floor of the building