The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-24


few moments, the two events worked
together in stopping the fire. The de-
partment had the fire well nigh eX-
tinguished by O'Clock this morning,
although it was necessary to keep a
portion of the men on hand with the
apparatus on account of the presence
of number of glowing embers in va
rious parts of the hotel. The depart
Inent rendered some splendid assist
ance
Damage to Buildins-$6,OOO
The building in which the Central
hotel was located is the individual
property of Nj. Snattinger. Mr.. Snat-
finger this morning said that he val
ued the property at $4,000. although
he would probably have refused TO
sell for that amount should he have
received an offer before the fire. The
loss to the building will amount to
about $4,000. The walls are still in
good condition and will easily stand
an inspection test for rebuilding. The
interior finishings suffered. and it will
be necessary to tear down all the in
terror structure before the building
can be rebuilt. The entire interior
was of frame construction while the
outer walls were built of stone. Il
have owned this building for over
thirty years." said Mr.. Snattinger this
morning, but L have never been wor-
ried about fire for some reason or
other, and I don't believe that have
over $4,000 worth of insurance on the |
entire property"
Loss 10 Furniture.
The furnishings of the hotel were |
the individual property of Mr.. Camp |
bell, the proprietor. He probably had
$4,000 worth of furniture in the hotel |
which was insured to the value of 81,
900. The loss to Mr.. Campbell will
be proportionally smaller than to Mr.. |
Snattinger.
Campbell Is Frustrated.
F. L. Campbell, proprietor of the
destroyed hotel, lies in state of nerv-
Gus chill and exhaustion in room
over the Wilson cafe in the same
block with the ruins of the building.
wife of but two weeks was the south |
west corner room on the second floor
with quick access to the street below
and from which they escaped clad
only in night clothes by means of the
street window and a ladder.
Mr.. Campbell, when Sergeant Ross
of the police force was asking about
the lost money and watch, said:
''They tell me to stay here. 1 guess
it's only a nervous chill 1 got when
we rushed into the cold morning air
with only night clothes on. 1 don't
know just what the matter is but I'm
all in Who did you say was killed,
Stratton? Why he had not come in
when 1 went to bed at L o'clock; oh,
why did he come" and the man turn
over to hide his anguish; but the
an American telephone representative
who always stopped at the Central on
his visits and not the lad who was
suffocated.
Then he turned again to ask: "And
the Sippeys did you say? Those boys
had room No. 16, believe, and that
one has window out onto the roof.
Why couldn't they have gotten out
there? Oh it's awful! And Erick-
son? Yes. / remember the name. He
registered yesterday and from Clay
Center. / remember. to. he limped
little. perhaps he did have a wooden
limb. as you say. though 1 did not
think it so serious: He: too. Dear
me, what a night" and again the
proprietor of the fated hotel turned
his face to the wall.
The sergeant asked about the watch
and money. "Oh, the watch was left
in my pants pocket. 1 had no time to
take my clothes. The smoke in the
corridor was suffocating and I could
hear the cracking on the burning
wood We did not lose a second in
getting to the window. There were
two pocketbooks. one fiat book and
contained a draft, the other had
money in it and was fiat one, clasp
purse. There is the chain from the
watch which some one brought up
here.
The watch had been torn off from
the chain leaving on opened ring. The
police state that no one but firemen
and police were in the building after
the fire was discovered but still there
is a possibility that some one was in
the building and that the watch was
stolen. About 1920 the chief of po-
lice in searching the room with others
found the purse spoken of in the
charred dresser. 1t contSSned but
S1.75. and that is likely to be all it
stated by Mr.. Campbell. A careful
search for the watch on the floor and
the bed. and in the debris. failed to
reveal the timepiece. The water soak
nd n
and looked through but it was no
longer in the pocket.
Died While Praying.
L. r. Stratton, the dishwasher was
first found by Chief Wilmarth and his
men on his knees close to the bed with
his arms crossed and his head buried
in them on the side of the bed He
was in an attitude of prayer when
found. but life had long since passed
His clothes were still clinging to him
and his face was one showing s1fer-
ing and agony.
Natural Gas the Cause.
There are many reasons for think
ing that the fire this morning was
caused from natural gas. In the first
place after the truck from No . had
arrived and the truckman had turn
ed off the gas from the sidewalk the
firemen took the fire under control at
once The roaring sound ceased and
the flames began to eat their way up
wards instead of blowing and rolling
out into the street. Another thing
the night cook, Charles Summers. dis
covered the fire in the rear of the no.
tel downstairs. He ran through the
main floor of the restaurant with all
haste and skipping up the front stairs
he kicked and knocked in the doors
on the second floor. He had only sue
ceeded in awakening three men before
the fire and smoke rushed through
the Railways and drove him from the
building. The building is dry and of
f1imsy construction. but nothing but