The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-21
FLAMES menace
MASONIC T-M'lE


from the Third street side of the Ms
sonic building.
Macklin turned in an alarm from
box No. 2S1, State and Myrtle streets,
District companies responded. Fire
Chief Kinder personally took charge of
the fremen and directed them to try
to eon6ne the fire to the paper store.
This was mass of flames when the
engines arrived, the heat having al
ready broken the windows out on the
Myrtle street side.
Four chemical streams and one plug
stream We're turned into the store and
the fire seemed to De under control,
when Assistant Fire Chief Halbert, ON
an inspection trip to the second floor,
found blaze under the floor in the
hallway hole WAS cut in the floor
and chemical streams turned in
Fire Reaches Second Floor
The FIRE then spread to the Office of
DIR. c. F.. Keim, dentist, which was brok-
en- open by the iremeI, and to two
other offices across the hallway, those
of Walter Johns, manufacturer s
agent, and +. \. Kent, agent for the
Cosmopolitan Industrial Insurance
COMPANY. Damage was done in all
three offices
1t was between Kent s Office and the
hallway that the fire erept up in the
PARTITION to height of four feet above
the second floor. The flames were
stepped there by two heavy wooden
supports for pipes in the partition.
Smoke had poured into all of the
Offices and the lodge rooms in the
building. it being SO thick in the ban
quet hall. on the top floor that it was
difficult to see. Mayor Royal and City
Electrician Dehl, who are prominent
Nasons, led a number of lodge mem
bers to the third and fourth floors,
where the Harrisburg lodges are housed
and despite the almost suffocating
smoke, carried the valuable books and
papers and other belongings of the
lodges TO place of safety nearby.
Men with offices in the second floor
also took safety precautions in remov-
ing valuable belongings. James w
Barker, manager of the Harrisburg
Feed and Grain Company, placed most
of his valuebles in the safe and then
made his way TO the street. The smoke
was 50 strong outside his office door
that he had to put wet handkerchief
over his face to make the stairway.
Extraordinary precautions were
taken by Fire Chief Kinder TO see
that no fire was left smouldering be-
fore he ordered the fremen back TO
quarters. This included a visit to every
floor of the building. For a time il
was thought that the fire would break
out on the third floor on the Myrtle
street side in one of the lodge rooms.
as smoke kept pouring from under the
window sill.
Hunt Blaze on Third Floor
Larger holes were cut there bv the
axmen, but no flames were found and
L was decided not to damage the upper
floor by cutting into the partitions.
After the tiremen had been in service
IN hour Fire Chief Kinder sent all the
apparatus home save the Hope chemical
engine.
a below freezing temperature hamp-
cred the iremen somewhat. IS the water
from the hose froze on the sidewalks
and on the coats of the smoke,eaters.
In the third and fourth floors of the
Masonic Temple are quarters of Perse.
veranee Lodge No. 81. Robert Burns
Lodge No. AGA, Harrisburg Lodge No.
629; Perseverance Chapter No. 81, Pill,
grim Commandery. knights Templar,
No. IL. and Harrisburg Council No, -.
On the top, or fifth, floor is the ban,
quet hall, the kitchen. china closets
ard pantrieS. Whether any of the fur
nishings or paraphernalia were dam
aged by smoke could not be learned
this morning, but it is not thought like
ly. Some of the members of tine
Knights Templar Commandery took
home their uniforms during the blaze.