The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-22

than an hour, the flames leaving "a
their wake a path from one to three
blocks wide.
A total of twenty-seven blocks COM
prise the burned area in the residence
district. Telephon, girls were forced
to flee from their osts in danger of
being swept into the flames. The chief
operator of one telephone company
risked her life to go back into the
burning exchange 20 rescue the C an
pany's books and records.
Flames Now Under Control.
With the outside assistance and the
laying of the wind early today the
fire was considered practically under
control. Fires were burning at isolated
points but it is believed unless the
wind should rise again, the flames
can be controlled.
The suffering among the homeless
during the night was not believed to
have been great as the weather was
summerlike and few persons gave
food or sleep but slight thought. Every
able bodied citizen worked through
out the night hours in bucket brigades
and otherwise assisting firemen.
Texas's Most Disastrous Fire.
The fire was generally believed 20
nave been among the most disastrous
if not the greatest in the history of
Texas. The fire started from an y
known cause in "a storage warehouse
belonging to S. ]. At the foot of South
Eighteenth street adjoining the Texas
& Pacific railway tracks. In less than
two hours the fire had laid desolate
waste extending from Eighteenth TO
TWenty-f1fth street in width and along
several blocks of the Texas & Pacific
right of way
With nothing to check their prog
ress the flames after reaching the city
square rapidly enveloped the business
district and thirty blocks of blackened
ruins now tell the story of great odds
offered by the wind-fanned flames
which the fire fighters were unable to
overcome.
Business Section in Ruins.
Among the most prominent build
ings destroyed was the six story Gil
braltar hotel, the Merrick hotel, two
national and one state banks, -hree
churches, the Paris Daily Advocate
(evening newspaper, the Paris Morn
ing News, the 100000 postoffice
building. the old federal building the
city hall, county court house, county
Jail, every dry goods store, every drug
store and almost every retail grocery
store in the city. Not hotel or res
taurant was saved.
Fire fighting apparatus arrived
from Dallas. Sherman, Greenville and
Bonham, Tex, and Hugo, Ok, 5ut
they were practically helpless as the
water service SoCn was crippled.
Burns Fire Station.
The Paris water supply is drawn
from storage lake six miles west of
the city and is pumped by electrically
driven engines. The electric power
plant having been consumed early in
the evening and all telephone wires
put out of commission, there was no
way the engineer at the storage lake
could be communicated with to start
the emergency pumps. The central
fire station also burned, together with
most of the city's fire hose.
The last of the neighboring fire ap-
paratus to reach the city was a chem
ical engine and twelve firemen from
Dallas with nine hundred feet of hose.
Third of City Left.
Two-thirds of the town has been
laid in ruins The remaining third
was the refuge last night and early
today of those whose homes had been
swept away. Such as remained of the
| cityS public buildings were crowded
with women and children until day
break. Railroad stations. a few stores
and often the open air became sleep
/ ing places for those whose homes had
been shattered.
But few of the male population
slept last night. Most of the men
worked, trying to stop the flames
others who gave up. exhausted, found
rest on the lawns of parks and secure
places in the residence district.
! Citizens Clear Debris.
Work of clearing the streets by an
| orga nized force under the direction
of Mayor McCuistion was started to-
| day about s o'clock, although the task
doomed almost impossible. Rich men
and laboring men willingly Joined in
| the squads which had made good
! progress in Kidding the business sec
ton of ashes. charred timbers and
| crumbled brick walls. A several days
| job faced them, but they went at it
| diligently.
/ Volunteer workers from other cities
were eagerly given places in the bri-
gade. The food situation was further
seriously menaced today by the arrival
of hundreds of sight seers from towns
near by, who We're attracted to Paris
by the bright glow in the heavens
| which lasted most of the night and
which could be seen from twenty to
thirty miles.
Trains Bringing Food.
Railroad service is unhampered
| Trains arriving on four roads today
brought food and clothing, but accord
ing to those in charge of the quickly
organized relief committees not
enough to supply the thousands OF
stricken people.
Due to the fact that all wires are
down entering the fire swept district
of the Gushing field. definite details
concerning the fire loss is unobtain-
able today. However, it is estimated
that the loss will total at least one
million dollars The fire was still
raging up until noon but slowly burn
| ing itself out due to the change in the
direction of the wind. All Tulsa oil
companies interested sent representa-
tives to the field early today
"A FEMININE BLOCKADE