The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14
COPELAND HOTEL
DESTROYED BY FIRE
CONTINUED from Fac Ones
Little Thought of Property.

A number of travelling men were
congregated at the Y M. c. A. at an
carly hour invoicing their wardrobes
one had only a night shirt and his
suit, another had no socks nor collar.
another needed shoes, hat, shirt and
collar. Others had saved their grips
and these more fortunate ones took
the rest into a side room and soon
fully armored Knights of the Grip
came smiling out And to think you
mad a IL collar. one was saying as
he shook another's hand. compliment
ing him on the way some of his own
clothes were looking on him.
There was little thought of saving
property for more than an hour, but
party headed by w. w Webb were
carrying armfuls of women's clothing.
Jewels and treasures from the nearly
demolished building late as $50
o'clock. A great pile of these articles
had accumulated in the 7. NJ. c. A.
when the women were notified and
began searching for their lost treas
ures. Jewel cases, toilet articles,
purses, strings of pearls, silks. satins
and evening hats We're thrown in a
great pile with clothing of all sorts.
Dropped From Fire Escape.
r. c. McMurray of Kansas City.
who was injured, said: My room was
on the third floor in the rear of the
building. When I heard the cries of
fire 1 ran to the door and the cor
ridors were already filled with smoke.
smoke was pouring from the windows
overhead and beside mine in the rear.
I got to the fire escape at the end of
the hall but it was crowded. I chung
to the escape for a while. but was
forced to wait or drop. so L dropped,
sustaining this fracture of the ankle.
No. I could save nothing except what
] have on McMurray was carried
to the Y NJ. c. A. where his injured
ankle was hastily dressed and later
he was taken to a hospital.
Freeman
had rooms on the second floor but
made their way down the stairs before
the fire reached the front portion of the
building and saved a portion of their
belongings.
s. c. Wescott of Cherokee county
found himself hemmed in by smoke
and flames on the third floor of the
building, jumped to the roof of the din
ing ROOM two stories below. II guess
that I was the second to try the jump
in this part of the building" said Mr.
Wescott. ct had no more than landed
when / heard some one cry out Get
that man out of the way for I am going
to drop I looked up and saw Senator
Lamb coming down a sheet of ropes
and a moment later he dropped to the
roof of the building and received in
but I guess they are not serious"
Senator Lambs Escape.
Ex-senator G.. H. Lamb had perhaps
one of the most thrilling escapes of the
night which was crowded with so
many terrible experiences. When he
was awakened by the cries of fire he
found all avenues of escape cut off and
no fire escape within reach of his win
dow. The hall was filled with smoke
and flames and the shrek of the terri
fed guests told him that the fire was
close upon him. He constructed a rope
of sheets and it failed to reach below
the second story, for he was was on
the fourth floor.
s1,s.1 ife hH- fx-iT7 n -
blankets to it and started to make the
descent He is man past the
meridian of life and weighs consider
able more than 200 pounds and when
within fifteen or twenty feet of the
ground lost his hold and dropped His
Injuries consist of a sprained back and
and bruises about his body.
Before I decided to risk my life on
my sheet rope 1 waited in the hopes
that ladders would appear on my side
of the building. It seemed to me
that L waited for half an hour and all
the time the flames were creeping
ing more pronounced. Then it was
that I tried my own fire escape and
it worked until my strength gave out
and / dropped
Senator Carey of Hutchinson had a
room on the fourth floor and man
aged to escape with all of his belong
ings. when I heard the cry of fire
was not greatly alarmed said the |
senator, for l could neither see the
flames nor smell the smoke l packed
my trunk and grip so that in case of
an emergency L could make a hurried |
exit.
Il threw my trunk and grip out of !
the window and saved all of my cloth |
ing, and then found that the flames
mad cut off my escape by means of the |
stairs and I was compelIede to |
climb down a fire escape which for |
tunately passed close to a window in |
my room
Mr.. Bakers Escape.
l.. X. Baker, government meat in j
spector OF Kansas City: 1T was awak- |
ened at fifteen minutes before |
Schoenleber of Manhattan. saw
him leave the room and when he |
came back he said, 7 smell smoke and |
guess We had better make arrange |
out into the hall again and said that |
he would investigate. A moment or
SO later he rushed back and said. It's i
getting thicker and we had better get !
ready to move
Il then stepped to the telephone |
and asked the clerk if the building |
was on fire and he said that he guess |
ed not. but would investigate We |
made a hurried preparation for de- |
parture and a few moments later |
heard men running down the hall
beating on doors and crying fire |
want to say that the porters and bell |
boys at that hotel deserve credit for |
saving the lives of many people by
their brave and prompt work.
Mr.. Wiley's Statement
". w. Wiley, night clerk on duty at |
the time of the fire said 1.-The first in |
timation 1 had that there was a fire |
was when L. r. Baker, a guest called |
and said he sme1led smoke I irnme-
diately sent bell boys and porters to |
and it seemed to me but a |
few seconds later that I heard cries
Of fire from the boys on the second |
and third floors. 1 immediately turn |
ed in an alarm and had hardly done |
so when guests poured through the