The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-04-05
SPECTACULAR SCENE AT
TRACTS MANY THOUSANDS
Flames Spread Rapidly Among the
Large Wholesale Plants.

Kansas City, Mo-, April 5.-Con-
tronted by a loss which might ex-
tend beyond the first conservative
estimates of $5O00,OO0. Kansas City
wholesale district, situated in what
is known as the west bottoms, at
the confluence of the Kaw and Mis-
souri, rivers, today began to take
stock OF the damage wrought by
Gre ot unknown origin which last
night destroyed three city blocks of
buildings and damanged many
others.
Early today there were no est-
mates OF what the total damage will
be, and it was believed it would be
several days before accurate figures
could be compiled. Buildings occu-
pied by eight business concerns
were burned
Chief OF Police Thomas P. Fla
hive, who with fire officials, at first
secuted the idea that the first was
Of incendiary origin, lated said that
reports to him indicated that the fire
had started in several places at the
same time and said that he would
make an investigation. He said he
had no positive information that in
cendiaries were responsible.
Firemen Injured, Child Killed.
SIX tiremen we're injured, five OF
them when a wall fell and the other
being cut on the hands by falling
glass. Nichols Stefel, 10 years old,
was run down by a fire department
automobile going to the fire and
died later in hospital.
The first alarm was sent in from
the Ridcnour-Baker Grocery Com
pany where someone saw the Aber
nathy Furniture Company ware
house in flames. This building is at
the corner OF st. Louis avenue and
Santa Fe street. From there the fire
spread to the Brite-Mawnin Gro
Gerry Company. Both buildings were
ablaze before fremen could turn
stream Of water on them.
Sparks carried the fire across the
street to the Thompson Munro-Rob-
ins Chemical Company, and down to
/ Ninth street one block north, ignit-
ing the building of the American
Steel and Wire Company. Then the
fire spread south and west, and it
was three hours and a half before
the fire department, with more than
thirty companies in action, could
bring it under control. Kansas
City, Kan, was called upon for help
and sent five companies.
To Other Big Buildings
From the Brite- -Mawnin Company
building the flames moved to the
Haysler Iron Company, Illinois
Glass Company, Ridenour-Baker
Box Company and several empty
warehouses. 1t leaped across Mul-
berry street to destroy the Astot
House, a famous hotel at the time
when the Union Station was in the
west bottoms. The Ham Brewing
Company branch and the Lowe
Bros. Paint Company were the next
buildings to catch and for a time
the efforts Of the hremen to check
the flames were futile.
After the 6erceness of the FIRE
finally died down, the seven-storv
building of the Ridenour-Baker Gro
Gerry Company lowered high above
the ruins, the only structure in the
burned area that withstood the
flames. 1t was believed, however
that the damage to contents valued
at %5O,O00 would be considerable
from water and heat.
The fire was not checked until i
reached the Kansas Moline Plov
Company's freproof wall on tn,
south. On the east the hreproo
Brokers Office and warehouse build
ing prevented progress in that di
lrection.