The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-22
Property Loss Is Estimated at
$I,25O,OOO.
Fire Was in Morris Beef House
at the Yards.

fifty, listing being difficult because
they were rushed in a1nbulances and
private automobiles to hospitals and
homes in many sections of the city.
Seven bodies have been recovered.
At 1 p. m. the fire had been hedged
in and its spread has been checked,
but efforts to save any of the buildings
originally attacked by the flames were
in vain. The buildings destroyed in
clude two warehouses full of dressed
meat hemp, ETC., a talloW house and
other structures.
The known Dead.
JAMES HORAN, fire marshal.
J. BURROUGHS. assistant marshal.
PATRICK E. COLLINS. engine cap
tain.
DENNIS DOYLE, engine captain.
JOSEPH MURAWESKI, pipeman.
CHARLES MOORE, truckman.
The Missing.
Thomas O'Connor, pipeman.
james Foster, pipeman.
Jos. Osborne. driver.
J. II. Behrens, driver.
Nicholas Crane, truckman.
Frank Waters, pipeman.
Two entire fire companies, the names
being:
CHARLES BERKERY, lieutenant
CHARLES SWEENIE.
WILLIAM J. DALEY.
PETER ]. KILL.
WILLIAM 7. WEBER.
JOHN F. DUBACH. lieutenant.
c. COONEY.
JOHN G.. LINK.
JOSEPH P. MULHERN.
FRANCIS P. EAGAN.
JOHN ]. McCLARY.
JAMES J. BRANNON.
JOHN HELFERT.
WILLIM T. MURPHY.
The known Injured.
j. P. Kassenkaek, pipeman, possibly
fatally.
Edward Oehler, pipeman, fatally.
John O'Leary, pipeman, fatally.
Martin J. Fitzgerald, pipeman,
fatally.
Antoine Heiland, fireman, not fatally.
John Carney, pipeman, seriously.
A. D. Lannon, captain engine COM
pany, slightly.
JOS Mackey. driver, leg broken.
James McGrath, captain engine COM
pany, leg broken.
John Miller, pipe man, seriously.
Lieutenant NJ. Bollman, crushed.
Eugene Miller, pipe man, burned and
crushed.
NJ J. Sanders, policeman. overcome
by fumes and rescued by firemen.
James Hendricks, policeman, over
come by fumes and rescued by firemen.
A wall fell crushing an overhanging
wooden canopy on the beef house of
Morris & Co. where the fire started
Beneath the canopy were two compan-
les of firemen and the chief. These
men were crushed to death. The debris
made furnace into which firemen were
unable to dig for several hours.
Assistant Chief William Burroughs
and Lieutenant Fitzgerald were with
the marshal under the canopy, receiv-
ing orders for directing the fight
against the spreading flames in other
quarters and they went down to their
death with Horan.
Other firemen witnesses of the dis
aster for a brief time deserted the 9TH
er parts of the blazing structure and
sought with their bare hands to drag
apart the glowing debris to bring out
the body of their chief and his COM
panions. Finding this vain effort they
obeyed again the direction of Assist
ant Marshal Seyferlich and redoubled
of the flames.
Fire Spread Quickly.
The blaze was discovered about 4
o'clock by a watchman in the Morris
beef house at Forty-third and Loomis
streets. An ammonia pipe, bursting,
started combustion that spread so
quickly the Watchman barely had turn
ed in the alarm before the flames be-
gan bursting from the building. Fire
Marshal Horan at his home on the
west side, heard the second call for ap-
paratus and went to the stock yards
arrival his assistants had abandoned
the effort to save the beef house and
were endeavoring to head off the rush
of fire toward other buildings. Flames
were coming from several structures
nearby.
The awning which later became the
destroyer of a score of lives seemed
to offer a shelter from the flames. I'm
der this the crews fed for shelter, led
by Horan, Burroughs and Fitzgerald.
On top of the canopy another group
of hremen played streams of water into
the heart of the fire. Suddenly Lieut..
Joseph Mackey, leader of the band
above, felt the wall going and shout
ed a warning to those below. He jump
ed with his men and escaped death. But
below, the canopy found victims.
Ffremen Driven Back.
Meanwhile, firemen who knew nothing
of this, and augmented by constantly
arriving aids, were standing in the path
of the flames. They stood their grounds
at building after building only to be
driven back
Assistant Marshal Seyferlich, who
now was in command, realizing the fu-
tility of saving property then ablaze
drew all the men back.
The assistant marshal acknowledged
at 10:15 a. m. that the whole stock
yards district was in danger.
We've got no water here, and we
can do nothing effectively" he said
The thing really is beyond our control
right now
Captain H. H. F'uchas. of engine COM
pany 20. who had just left Marshal