Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-23
KANSAS MASONIC HOME
IS DESTROYED BY FIRE
Critical Condition Of Three Causes
Fear That Death List May
Exceed Five.
o. IN BUILDING AT THE TIME
Impossible Yet to Search Thorough
ly Ruins OF Huge Building, From
Which -Four Charrcd Bodies Al
ready Have Been Recovered.
IL Associated Press

WICHITA. KANS., December e2.-The
critical condition of three persons in
jured in the Kansas Masonic Home fire
early to-day caused fears tonight that
the death list ci i've would b" in
creased.
Two of the injured are children. All
were overcome by smoke before they
could be rescued from the burning
building. and were revived with dini-
Guilty.
1t has been Impossible We, 20 search
building from which four charred
bodies were recovered to-day. but
hope virtually was abandoned for n
fifth person. q young woman.
Probably twenty-five of the rescued
are under the care OF physicians.
Scores OF old men and women
and children suffered from smoke
or exposure In a temperature of
S above zero. Several. made un-
conscious 10y smoke or overcome by
cold as they ncd from tho burning
structure in their night clothes. were
taken TO hospitals.
Two bodies, So badly burned thai
Identification was impossible, were
taken from the ruins before noon.
The home was the property of the
Masonic Lodge Of Kansas. The chapel
and tho hospital were the only build
inrs saved.
The fire started IN the boilor-roon.
and had gained great Roadway before
being discovered by q passer-hy.
Two more bodies were found. MALI
ing a total OF four taken from the
ruins 1t was impossible to identify
them.
IL - - ,,at, 200 y -, t1,n
building when the fire broke out, and
fircmon directed their efforts to res
cuinE them. The fire, which originated
in the furnace-room got beyond con-
troll before water could he turned on
il, due to frozen water mains. the tenn
peraturc being s above zero.
FIRE DISCOVERED by BOY
SLEEPING IN EASEMENT
The homo was thrown In darkness
when the fire was first discovered by
a boy sleeping in the basement. who
pulled a switch to shut off the supply
OF fuel oil to the furnace.
ON the third floor OF the structure.
built in the form of a key. the chill
dren were sleeping. Their rooms were
filled with smoke, and tircrncn found
many unconscious The rcscucrs wcrc
driven out by flames.
The fire started under one Of the
wings, and worked its way orw-ard
to the main building, leapinG across
the court and taking the other wing.
Flying sparks settled on a number of
udjoinine houses, the roofs Of which
We're covered by snow. II was due to
this, tircmcn believe, that a large num-
Der of buildings were saved from
burning.
The main building was of three
stories. and the two wings that en-
tended to the west were two stories.
The north wing was the womcn's de-
partmcnt, and IL was under this that
tho fire started.
III the men were saved.
Rescued men, women and children
werc taken to nearby homes for the
night. The children and aged women
some OF whom were past ninety. SUIT
fcred the most.
The records OF the home were de-
st-oyed. and r. p. Burdick. superintcn-
dent, stated ne had no way OF check
iu- the list OF survivors with the reg-
lister Of inmates. Ten of the inmates
w"r. taken TO q hospital, suffering
from exposure. burns and the effects
OF inha!ing smoke.
The property loss VII! reach $4,000.
partly covered BY it<urantc. Thomas q.
Fitch, = menber'-o The board of con
troll. who aided in the rescue work,
stated