The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-01
Fire and Leaking Gas Scared
Many Guests.
OUT IN THEIR NIGHTCLOTHES
Occupants Crowded Out Into
the Cold Air.
Fire Department Stopped Blaze
in Basement.

Only through quick and timely
work by the Topeka fire department
Is the Throop hotel standing at Fourth
and Kansas avenue today. This morn
ing at 4:3O o'clock fire was discov
cred in the basement. The fire was
augmented by leaking gas and Off
GERS of the fire department believe
that alarm a few minutes later
would have been too late to avoid a
heavy loss to the building.
All of the guests of the hotel
and most of the rooms were filled
were awakened and warned in time to
prevent a loss of life had the fire
gone beyond the control of the fire
{ 4npdnies. For nearly an hour the
fremen tore out woodwork ana IRON
ceiling in the basement OF tne ne as pas
hotel and fought back the flames.
The smoke was dense and made IT al
most impossible for the firenlen 10
get at the origin of the fire.
It is believed by officers of the fire
department that the fire was caused
by combination of defective electric
wiring and leaking gas. When the
flames first were found by the firemen
they shot from space between the
floors and the iron ceiling of the base
ment until the entire room was hIled
with fire. The fire blazed out fed by
the gas between the joists and the
was turned from the building was it
possible to combat with the flames
Discovered on Third Floor.
The fire was discovered on the
third floor. The first alarm to the nre
department came from the third floor.
Here smoke was issuing from the
opening around the radiators and 1t
was thought that the fire was under
the floor in this part of the building
Leading fire companies rushed to
~. nd q a
flooring was torn up before 1T was
learned that the smoke came from the
flames in the basement Then the cap
tains led their men to this part OF the
hotel and fire was found between the
steel ceiling and the floor. 1t was
being fed by leaking gas
In many places firemen found IL
inch -joists burned. The fire was Civ
en- enough headway to eat away these
immense wooden planks. A few min
uteS more and it would have found It's
way up into the walls of the building
and the loss would have been great.
When the fire companies arrived
the Throop hotel office was filled
with smoke. The upper floors We're
dense and suffocating and guests
were piling down the stairs and eleva-
tors in their night clothes. All OF
them were Juggling their bags with
them and what clothes they did not
have on their backs they were grab
bling under their arms and in their
hands.
Guests Were Orderly.
But it was an orderly. crowd. The
hotel management had warned every
guest and assisted the persons from
their rooms. The alarm had been Civ
en- in time to allow the guests to dress
if they were calm enough for the
wait Very few of them cared to wait
in their rooms until they had arranged
their clothing
The only time the guests feared be-
ing thrown out in the snow was after
the firemen had torn up the floor in
the third floor and had found 10 TIRE.
IT was feared then that the fire was
sDreading over the building and would
have to be fought from all floors
when the flames were found in the
basement and a dozen streams OF Wa
fer under steamer pressure were ready
To throw into the place, the guests
knew that the danger was past
The fire department was prepared
for the worst Companies from all
down town stations and few outly-
ing stations were ready to fight the
DANES Extension ladders were In
reaf5iness and all fire escapes were
rTI,e loss to the building will not be
more than $1,000. All covered by in
surance.