The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-08
IH1 BnVEWHAN
SEVERAL DAYS
Church Knew of SmOuldering
But Didn't Send Alarm.
Chief HanlOn Says He Was Not
Notified of Danger.
-FOUR fIREMEN ARE INJURED
Chief Also Overcome by Smoke,
But Stuck to Post.
Pipe Organ, Valued at $4,000,
Wrecked by Big Blaze.
Walls and Part of Sunday
School Room, Only Remains.
ONLY INSURED FOR S68, 900
This Amount Increased Only a
Short Time Ago.
Spectators Rush in Burning
Building to Save Records. 4
Entire Fire Department and 21
Lines of Hose on Blaze.
ONLY INSURED FOR S68, 900
This Amount Increased Only a
Short Time Ago.
Spectators Rush in Burning
Building to Save Records.
Entire Fire Department and 21
Lines of Hose on Blaze.

Fire has left only blackened and
cracked stone walls standing on the
site of the First Methodist church,
Sixth and Harrison streets. valued at
least at $15O,O0O. Spontaneous COM
bustion of forty tons of coal in the
basement of the church is responsible
for the disaster. The fire. one of the
worst in the history of the city, was
discovered about Z o'clock this morn
ing and by $3.50 o'clock the church was
almost totally destroyed. The first
flremen to reach the scene realized the
hopelessness of saving the building,
with the smoke and flames bursting
from all doors and windows. Several
firemen. including Chief Hanlon, were
injured or overcome by smoke. The
injuries were not serious.
The fire means a great loss, as it
was protected by only $6S.000 insur-
ance, and the valuation of the church
is estimated to be between $150,000
and 100000. The s6S.O0O insurance
represents the doubling of insurance
recently by the church trustees.
Fighting Fire Several Days.
Apparently the fire was caused by
negligence on the part of the care
takers of the church. This was the
only solution as outlined by Fire Chief
Hanlon this afternoon.
In the first place. the church knew
the coal bin had been burning" Chief
Hanlon said. The coal was on fire
several DAYS ago and it was ex-
tinguished by the church force and
some Of the coal was shoveled to one
side. This was all done without the
knowledge of the fire department
The department should have been
notified Immediately. If we had been
told of this condition there would have
been a church standing intact at the
corner of Sixth and Harrison streets
today"
Chief Hanlon also was told that
smoke was smelled in the church dur
ing the services Sunday.
"They told me that a hole had been
burned in one of the bin partitions
the chief said
The first alarm was a still" sent to
headquarters company After the
company reached the church the men
saw the danger at once and more COM
panIes were called. When Chief Han
lon arrived he turned in, a general
alarm for all companies without a
moment delay.
NO man could live inside that
church when reached it, the chief
said. "It was full of smoke. gas and
fire. 1t was a furnace and I feel
proud of the manner in which it was
controlled"
seventy Eight Firemen Present.
Seventy eight fire fighters. repre-
senting all the six companies in the
city. and dozens of volunteers spent
their efforts in vain to save the
church. A part of the interior of the
west wing Of the church. that used
for Sunday school purposes. is all that
IS salvaged except the stone walls
which are cracked and likely to crum-
Bile.
The courage and efficiency of the
fire department, with its scores of
fighters, twenty-one lines of hose. and
tren endous city water pressure. were
of no avail in the face of the terrific
fire. Neiehboring property was sue
cessfully protected thru their efforts
however.
Z Just before o'clock this morning,
Mrs ]. NJ. Wallace, SIS Harrison
street, saw smoke pouring from the
basement of the church. Her son-in-
law, ]. D. Strickler sent in the alarm.
then went to the church and MANAGED
to open it before the fire department
arrived.
BY 9 o'clock the west steeple of the
church had falleh the main audito-
rum of the building was a huge shell
and the main steeple was cracked and
surrounded with licking flames
Many Persons Witnessed Fire.
Crowds of persons on their way to
their employment choked the streets