The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-29
Fire Believed To BE Result Of
Lighting Stroke.
LOSS ESTIMATED At S2OO,OO0
)ne Man Killed and -Four
Others Slightly Injured.
Rex r. Tanner Wrapped About
by . Live Wire.

-
Tanner. principal OF the high school
at Weir. Kan, was killed and 1ouP
other mon received slight injuries -
result Of . firo that destroyed tho
main building Of the PittsbuFg state
normal school here today.
The property loss was estimated at
100000. Mr.. Tanner. who was =
student at the summer session Of tho
school, was standing near the buru-
ing building when . broken eloctr1e
wire swung around him. killing him
instantly.
The origin Of the flre In not Known
positively, but It is believed It etnrtod
when lightning struck the building.
There are moro than 1.z6o students
attending the summer seanaou. Ar.
rangements are being made BY W. 4.
Brandenburg, president Of the school.
to hold school in public school buila-
ings down town.
The death Of Tanner threw tragedy
into the disaster. Tanner was one o1
the most prominent students the nor
NAL ever had. graduating two years
ago. He had participated in an
school activities and was the nchool'o
yell master. For the past two yoaxu
he had been principal Of the WeaP
nigh school and had intended return
ing to the position this fall with q
bride.
Miss Hattie Farmer of Erie. q chflA-
hood sweetheart, his f1ancee, also =
student at the summer session ana
was with Mr.. Tanner in the regular
trated when told of the traesdy.
which occurred q Ehort distance non
where she had been watching the f1ro
from her rooming house.
With Harry Geminer. another stu
dent. and George SparkA . youne
man. Tanner was standing near thS
burning building. Suddenly q wire
used to connect wireless 0tat1ouD On
two buildings was severed by the
famss and dropped. It came into
over TANNER and his two companioss
and also over C1yd6 1Giles and
Sears, firemen, sad q f1rS eWnGon
horse. Tanner was killed Instantly.
Gemincr and Sparks were slightly In
Jured Miles suffered . severe burn
on his hand and Sears was shocko6.
The horse was killed.
School WIN Go On.
The building cost 100000 ana origapa1
equipment &69000. Equipment alnce ed0od
Glasses will meet tomorrow at the usual
time but In unusual places. This was de-
cided before noon today after the ochOua
school % buldin9e and the the 1Ss ssSo % ne essy
tees had offered the use Of the big church
which IL about completed. The school
ments were announced at q meeting oe
students In theater this morning.
GovernsIr Hodges to Pittsburx.
Governor Hodges, accompanied BY
Harrison Parkman. state fire marshai:
d. w. Bowen. secretary Of the educa-
tional administration board, and A. W.
Ross, assistant state architect, left this
afternoon for Pittsburg. They will in
vestigate the loss and make arrange
ments for continuing the summer nor
NAL school. il possible. The attend
ance at the normal IL now 1850, the
largest in the history Of the school
and all buildings have been crowded
to capacity.
The building destroyed today Wa
erected by Leeper Z Smith OF Topeka
in 1903 and was the first building -
the Pittsburg Manual Training school
~. In the Dutiding was housed the school
library and the school exhibits ana di1-
plays A telephone message to Gov
ernor Hodges today stated that an con-
tents OF the building were destroyed,
When the building was erected By
the state. 1t was supposed to be an Il,
most fireproof structure. accordine -
a statement by Secretary. Bowen. for
mer principal Of the school Ite 1ou
means that the education work NJ fl,a
Pittsburg school will be crippled unfil
tne iee1slafure appropriates funds for
new structures.
Governor Hodges stated that he
work could be continued without caIl-
ing a special session Of the legioIafr1re.
Aatner tnat call tho legislature to-
gether IN special session. 1t - probab.o
that the state will Temporarily suspend
certain branches of work that can b
handled at other schools and win han-
die only such classes az can be cared
for until the 1915 legislature takes ac-
tion.
State Property Loss o450,ooo.
The property loss at P1ttnburg =
placed by Governor Hodges 1t 9loo.-
900.
Since the beginning of the Hodges
administration, fire losses At state IN
stttuttonS have tOtnlled $4,000. The
fire at the state penitentiary in April.
1913, caused q loM Of $3.50, 900. with
the loss at Pfttsburg today. the states
fire loss for Is months will total near
~ half million dollars.
No insurance II carried by the state
on any Of its property.
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