The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-14
TURNER'S ON FIRE.
Hall of German Social Society
Is Much Damaged.
Officers Say 1t Will Be Rebuilt
at Once.
CREMATORY DID LII.
Also Set Fire to Nine Houses In
NeighbOrhOOd.
City May Be Liable for Damages
in Consequence.

Turner
nc - ,yare damaged by fire
., l'lllo - 10 o'clock this morning
when burning embers from Tue -
ney of the city garbage plant Ae1 nI,sns - eaie
neighborhood of First anu
streets. -. 1obn
The fire was discovered py 'olih
c,or+right. a Rock Island sWlIchLldh'
1,,bo saw the flames on the root OIL tiie
hall while riding on top OF d PsisSii1S
switch train He tagged the engineer
i,rnned from the car and ran to the
building, Inside he touno tIe heePei'
I!I1! DIiiulnS 1Iartuan. busy in the gym
naSium unaware VI lhO A-
above his head. -, -
fore the roof falls in on YOU Eeleo
Cortright - 49,
80 ooverine the middle section of the
ban In flames A fire alarm was
tnrned in but before the companies
could arrive from nearby stations the
roof over the structure was burning
fiercely With steamer on Two lines
md three other lines on the fire the
firemen were able to save the club
room norton of the hall from burning
conpIetelv. The bowling alley was
saved also. The gymnasium is a total
loss with the exception of the outside
brick and stone walls.
The huge grapevine which overhangs
the whole rear yard of Turner hall,
estimated to be rs years old and plant
ed bv the Indians, was damaged slight
". This used to be the old beer gar
den before prohibition times. The main
vine and the roots of the big arbor
vine were not damaged.
The houses damaged were two story
frame buildings on Van Buren, street
between First and Crane streets. The
embers from the crematory started a
fire in the roof of the nine houses
nearly at the same time, it is claimed.
Chemical engines of the fire depart.
ment extinguished these fires before
they had gained much headway. The
loss on the houses will be small.
City May Be Liable.
The cause Of the fires has been
placed upon the city crematory. After
the fires were discovered burning
pieces of pasteboard were flying over
that section of'the city and people were
out doors and on their roofs watching
and guarding against them.
The high wind from the east carried
these embers over into the residence
section just west of the garbage plant
The crematOry was burning this
morning large number of egg cases
with the inside egg paper layers. The
screen at tho foot of the big 150-foot
chimney is one and three-quarters
inches mesh and the swift draft to-
eether with the wind drew these paste
board sections through the screen while
they were still burning.
They issued from the chimney in
this manner and fell upon the roof
tops below.
Mayor Billiard investigate the Gre
matory afterwards and discovered
what was supposed to be the cause.
After conference with Superintend-
ent Butterfly of the crematory and
Charles G.. Overmeyer. directly in
charge, it was decided to close down
the crematory for the next two days
that the screen might be replaced with
one of narrower mesh and that the
CRATES may be cleaned thoroughly. The
people of the city have been asked to
hold their garbage for this length of
time.
w. w. Webb, head of the Topeka in
surance patrol, who was on the scene
of the fire, refused to make a state
ment in regard to the liability of the
city in this matter. He admitted that
the insurance companies involved
might take the matter up with the
city, but he would give no opinion on
the outcome
Mayor Billiard said the plant was
new, and to the best of the city's
knowledge, there was no danger from
fire. He could not see how the in
surance companies could lay a claim to
the city in an accident of this kind
Club With a History
The Topeka Turner club was or
ganized by ten Germans in this citv
about forty-five years ago. Two of the
original members are now living
Philip Moeser and Andrew Burkhardt
both in this city.
The Turner'S were organized for the
purpose of giving educational and
physical instruction to the children of
the German families in this city and
vicinity.
In 1882 the present hall was built.
1t was built at cost of about $4,000
and equipped with club rooms, bowling
alleys and big gymnasium At this
time there are 240 mem bers of the
club and physical culture classes are
held in the hall mornings, afternoons
and evenings. Almost every dav the
instructor is busy with German class
es.
The club members stated this after
noon that the hall probably would be
rebuilt at once.
I'VE must have place for our gyn-
nasium work" said Otto Kuehne ''I
think that we will make arrangeme
to rebuilt on the old site as soon as
possible
The insurance on the hall was IS, 900
for the building and contents.
The damage to the nine frame houses
will aggregate loss of abcut $1,000.
The house occupied by J. w. Will
liams at 123 North Van Buren, street
was burned in the roof.
House occupied by Julia Harris at
III North Van Buren, street was dam
aged in the roof.
The washing hanging on the line
belonging to Emm Lindsr at 1872 North
Van Buren was burned and the barn
was destroyed.
Holes were burned in the roofs of
the following houses: Occupied by
Mike Ncvak mt 12S North Van Buren,
occupied by Hattie Lewis at 124 North
Van Buren, street, occupied by j. w.