Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-11-08
FIRE DESTROYS.
N. {. CHURCH
Starts in Garage and Came
Near Wiping Out Busi-
ness SectiOn-Galena
and Joplin Help


Front garage q total loss.
F. o. Reese, the second cook Of the
Empire Cafe, fell from the top OF
a 24-foot ladder and was slightly in
jured.
Bill Campbell overcome with smoke.
Carol Hardwick, q Galena fireman,
had his clothes and hand burned with
acid.
Pat Embree was also slightly burn
ed with acid.
These are the results of the tire
which started in the second story Of
the Glass Front garage presumably
by the explosion of an oil stove. But
Baxter Springs would have had diff
ferent story to tell had it not been
for the splendid work Of the Galena
department which arrived and was at
work 20 minutes after the alarm was
given.
The garage was owned by W. T.
Walker and Mr.. Wagner. Mr.. Walk
er came from Commerce and Mr..
Wagner from Columbus. The sec
ond story was occupied by the Walk
er family and two sisters, Misses
Lena Moore and Etherl Turner, who
are working at the Moore's cafe. The
occupants lost all they possessed.
The two sisters had been working
hard and they had just furnished a
room for themselves and had paid
out $50 in furniture. All six rooms
of the house were furnished.
Mrs. Walker was getting dinner
and Mr.. Walker had taken some OF
his friends to the station. He had
asked his wife to answer the calls
that came to the garage. upon hear
ing footsteps she had gone down to
see what was wanted and when she
returned she found the room so full
Of smoke that she could not get in.
Meanwhile the neighbors had seen the
smoke and flames and they all rush.
ed to the scene. Men entered the
garage and got out all the cars, bar
rel of gasoline and all the tools.
When the Baxter fire department
arrived on the scene it was too late
for its chemicals to do any good.
There seemed no one among the fire.
men who could determine what was
needed to be done and do it effect
lively. The fire chief, W. W. Wyatt,
was attending the funeral Of Grover
Taylor. Confusion reigned and con-
sequently what should have been done
was not done and what should not
have been done was done. They were
all willing to work, no one was
shirker, but there was hardly any
concentrated effort to check the fire.
There was q time that the Methodist
church could have been saved, but
the city had neither hooks, nor any
other fire fighting tools to do effect
i've work. Had they had long hooks
they could have torn down the north
wall Of the second story of the ga
rage and controlled the fire. The need
of fire plugs on the streets made it
self felt very strongly and had 1t
not been for the only plug installed
in front of the water plant by DR..
Jones, even the Galena men could
have done very little to save the
town.
When the flames were raging un-
chrecked, it was noticed that the roof
of the Schloeman barn had caught
fire and in trying to climb up F. o.
Reese fell from the top Of a 24-fOot
ladder and hurt himself slightly. He
was put in charge Of DR.. Boswell.
Everyone was glad to do what he or
she could to try and check the flames.
It. took Mr.. Plummer Of the Plum
mer-Adams construction company,
who is building the sewers Of this
city, sometime to get people to help
move out the piano from the church,
but when the people saw the need
they all fell in and helped.
When the Methodist church caught
fire the far reaching danger was real
lied by many. Someone suggested
a bucket brigade to flood the roofs
of the lumber yard and the cOlOred
Masonic hall. With wet sacks the
boys did their best. They were able
10 put out every trace Of fire from the
roofs and the lumber yard. Then it
was noticed that the roof Of the
Christian church, a block distant, was
affre. Nearly q dozen places were
burning. There was no ladder long
enough 10 enable any one TO climb up
on the roof. When = ladder was found
)tNns found that there was no water.