The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-12


| been stopped and the combat between
the deadly gas and the firemen would
have ended in favor of the fire fighters
When these two men walked to the
valve shielding their faces from the
| intense heat of the burning structure
and the splitting gas flame there was a
GREATNESS suspense on the part of the
thousands OF people who were watch
ing every movement made by the men.
! Then the fremen closed in behind
them covering them with sheets of
water and helping them in every way
possible to do their periIous duty
Munson reached the valve first and
lying on his stomach he crawled to the
edge of the tracks which run along
beside the platform closely followed
by Jones. The two men had reached
in under the platform and had sue
ceeded in giving the valve one turn
to the right. Jones was crouching on
one knee and Munson was lying with
arms outStretched.
Suddenly a lightning like crack ap-
peared in the hot wall. the inside
floors and rafters broke loose from
shook the very river bottom, two
stories, the third and the fourth, broke
loose from the dizzy heights and came
down with a deafening roar. followed
by volcanic eruption of flames,
sparks, burning timbers and smoke.
For a second the awe stricken thou
sands stood breathless with wonder
and the smoke and debris hid the fire
up man was lying across the Rock
Island tracks twenty-five feet away
from the heated ruins stunned and un-
conscious. Amid the uproar he was
carried in the depot nearby and given
fresh aid and water, This man was
H. P. Jones, the foreman of the gas
plant, who had accompanied his
Waterman to the fatal valve. In the
and the scattering of f1remen, hose and
fire lines John Munson was forgotten
me hremen were the only ones who
were aware of his work near the plat
form as the spectators behind the DO
lice fire ropes had lost sight of him
when the f1remen had closed behind
him with the hose and water In the
strengthening of the hose lines and the
recovering of their equilibrium the
fire fighters had forgotten the two men
and the work of quenching the flames
was continued. The hot walls had
fallen in a mass crushing the steel
covered platform to the basement and
piling high the debris-it had fallen
in such manner that the first track
near the building was covered with
brick and steel The roar of the tons
of brick could be heard all over the
city and the earth shook like a minfa-
ture earthquake. And when the mass
OF onlookers commented on the sure
death of anyone who might be under
such an avalanche they little imagined
that John Munson was a maryland
was under those white heated bricks
bleeding and burning-nobody knows
he suffered or whether he was
knocked unconscious and his life ebbed
away without his knowledge In fact
the unfortunate man was not found to
be missing until his companion who
had been carried to the Rock island
depot was revived. When ZONES re
gained consciousness he jumped to hts
feet and with his eyes wild with horror
he gaSped:
Missed by Jones.
my God. men, where is John?-have
you found him-did he get out of it-Oh
God, men lind him quick and he fell
into the arms of his rescuers in a faint
spell. The alarm was spread at once
and under the orders of Chief of Police
Eaton four policemen and five firemen
rlsked their lives beneath the tottering
walls, clearing away the heated bricks
with their bare hands, frantically
hunting for the man who was buried
under the debris. The search lasted
Tor over haf hour, the men working
until their hands bled from the sharp
bricks and the cutting steel At 90
minutes of 1 fireman who was work
ing by himself just west of the blaz-
ing gas furnace Jumped back with a
cry of horror and turning his baked
face to the brave men working at his
side he gasped:
Here he is, boys, here he is"
And he stood looking at the blood pain |
ed face Of John Munson,. peerfne ghost |
like out of the mass of brick. his black |
hair smeared with blood and dirt and
his mouth drawn up in pain The work
erS stood for a few seconds stunned nv |
the chastity fearful sight and then as |
a man they tore away the bricks and
timbers and felt of his BODY. still warm
with the rapidly flowing blood and the
heat of his fiery grave. His left hand |
was burned until nothing was left but |
stub to the crouch of the thumb ON /
his head was an ugly cash and his
skull was fractured. It was from this |
blow that he received his death. I'M
1oubtedly. His blue overalls and his |
boots were not burned or even scorch
Ter his head, filled with blood and cut
nto number of .slits by the falling
prick.
Carried Into the Depot.
He was carried to the Rock Island
iepot by the officers while the police
orced passageway through the hor-
'or-stricken crowd. The doors of the
iepot were locked and the coroner, Dr.
Keith was called. Meanwhile a frantic |
appeal for a physician was made /
through the vast crowds and taken I'D
Town Kansas avenue and even down in
o the Rock Island yards. There did
lot seem to be a doctor in the big
'roWd and While the men were each try
ng TO test the poor mans pulse, Ray
K Unord, a medical student from the
and bending over the mans
body he placed his ear to the still heart.
Not throb was felt and other tests
we're used but with no avail. The few
)ff1cers and f1remen who stood around
he body waited in silence for the YER
lict of the young student and when he
1nally completed his examination and
~ n is III