Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-23
MASONIC HOME AT
WICHITA is BURNED
Five Persons Are Missing and
Several of Aged Inmates
Are Badly Injured.
LOSS is QUARTER MILLION

Wichita, Kan, Dec. 22.--At least
FIVE persons were missing and several
were suffering from injuries as the
result OF a fire that destroyed the
main building OF the Kansas Masonic
home early today. In addition scores
of old men and women and children
were exposed to the effects of the
flames and blizzard weather. Many
were rescued with difficulty and sew.
eral, made unconscious by the smoke
and fire or overcome by the intense
cold as they fed from the burning
structure in their night clothes, were
taken to hospitals and private homes.
Joseph Deck, who was believed to
have been burned under a bed, where
he was seen by hrGnan, was later
found at a nearby residence.
The home was the property of the
Masonic lodge of Kansas. The chapel,
valued at $4,000, and the hospital,
valued at $4,000, were the only build
ings saved. The loss was estimated
at $250,000. 1 B..
The fire started in the boiler room
and had gained great Roadway before
being discovered by a passerby.
Two bodies, one that of man,
later were found in the ruins of.the
home. Both were SO badly burned
as to make Identification impossible.
Two More Bodies Found.
Shortly before noon two more
bodies were found, making total Of
four that had been taken from the
ruins. All the bodies were those OF
adults, but it was impossible to iden-
tify them. -t,.
The bodies we're in the basement
in eighteen inches of water. They
were. found directly under rooms
which had been occupied~by Mr.. and
Mrs. Jesse T. Brown of Wichita and
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Ferris Of Atchi-
son, Kan, all of whom are unac-
counted for. Gertrude Weigle, 20
years old, of Burden, Kan, still was
missing. ~ q
Ninety-l Wo In buuQng.
There were ninety-two inmates in
the home, large, three-story, brick
building in the form of key. Most
of the number we're rescued by the
fremen, but there are several still
unaccounted for. A boy sleeping in
the basement Of the building discov-
cred the flames and in his efforts to
sound the alarm shut off the lights.
When the firemen arrived the flames
had gained great Roadway and their
efforts toward suppressing the blaze
were hampered by frozen water
plugs, the thermometer being about
s degrees above zero.
Finding it impossible to get suffi-
cient water to throw on the flames,
the iremen directed their efforts
toward rescuing the inmates. These
were taken down ladders in that por-
ton of the building where the flames
had made more rapid Roadway and
were carried down the stairways
where these were available.
Colonel Thomas G.. Fitch. member
Ol Lie DOdlu Vi lluStSSS vi tHS HUNK,
said this morning he believed there
were no bodies in the ruins. 4
"All the children have been ac-
counted for" he said, "and we believe
there was no loss of life among the
aged. Some Of them were taken to
distant places, however, and we have
not checked up accurately"
Built Twenty Years Ago.
The Kansas Masonic home was es-
tablished by the grand lodge of Kan
sas in 1896 Since that time 100000
has been spent in buildings alone. The
home is maintained by per capita
tax of 50 cents per annum from the
grand lodge of Kansas and 10 cents
per annum from the Order of the
Eastern Star of Kansas.
The benehciaries of the home are
aged master Masons, their wives or
widows and children of the members
of the Order of the Earstern Star. 1t
has given shelter to more than 200 of
these needy old people and helpless
children since its foundation. There
were l02 inmates i'll the home.