The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-22
MYSTERY IN FIRE
Blaze at the Mutual Laundry
Caused $4,000 Damage.
Damage to Other Laundries In.
dicates Act of Insane Person.

An unknown man or woman who
has been a source of concern to laun-
dries in Topeka for months is thought
to have started the fire that PRACTICAL
ly destroyed the Mutual laundry al
Third and Quincy streets at an early
hour this morning, causing damage
of $4,000.
The fire was burning in three diff
ferent places when the firemen brese
into the plant. Machinery, clothing
and the building were badly damageE
An incendiary blaze was discovered
at the City Hand laundry a short time
ago. Later at the White Star laundry
an unknown person broke into the
building at night and threw clothing
into the alley. Only few months ago
some one entered the Mutual laundry
at night and soiIed and mixed up the.
clothing.
When the firemen arrived this
morning the laundry was on fire in
the west, east and north ends. 1t was
feared at first that explosives had
been planted in the building.
The roof and floor of the building
were destroyed. The expensive ma
chinery was ruined and clothing is
mixed, burned and soiled. The loss is
only partially covered by insurance,
C. H. Matthews. manager and owner
of the plant, has opened temporary
office across the street at Third and
Quincy. Other laundries in the city
will take care of his work until his
plant can be repaired.
Defective Wiring-AEartin
T. w. Martin. city electrical inspec-
tor, while admitting that the fire
might have been incendiary, declared
today that it is more possible that it
was due to defective wiring.
After inspecting the building sub
sequent TO the fire 1 would not be at
all surprised if the origin was due to
defective electric wiring. Defective
wires would have started the blaze
in just such a manner"
/ Martin took occasion to issue a
warning against defective wires
Unless the people in general learn
the necessity of reinspection of cleo
trical equipment there is likely to be
more of these fires.
considering the actual amount of
/ defective wiring IN this city and the
lnfrequency of positively known cleo
trlcaI fires, one would almost be in
clined to think that users of electric
1ty possess the special favor of the
gods; for surely nothing but a kind,
continuous miracle can be preserving
many of our electrically equipped
buildings from prompt destruction.
Il refer to old installations put in
years ago before there was an in
spector and installations which were
inspected and then changed by anyone
who had nothing else to do.
Flexible cords, dry, brittle and
nearly broken are put in by employees
and strung up on hooks, nails and
! metal staples; refused plugs. fuses
heavy enough to carry half the cur
rent, branch lighting circuits, cabi-
nets without doors, oily waste around
motors, and sagging wires against
pipes are only a few of the dangers
we have, and yet when an inspector
goes to an old building to inspect
wires he is told that the wiring has
been in service for years and is all
right.
The remedy for this is regular re-
inspection. The indifference of the
public is the cause of equipment de-
caying day by day and no one cares
until it is too late.
THE question may arise as to
whether reinspection pays. No better
answer can be presented than the
! fact that all first class plants spare
no time and money to see that their
| equipment is in first class shape. 1t
pays them in big dividends and will
pay the small consumer as well.
Topeka should have one man with
nothing to do but look after reinspec-
ton. The one man the city now keeps
on the job has the most of his time
taken up by looking after new jobs
and theaters. When the reinspection
| policy is observed there will be less
fires cause unknown "