The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-26
ID. E. Rose Trunk Factory Is
Completely Destroyed.
Only Portions of Walls Are
Standing Today.
WELL COVERED BY INSURANCE
Factory viii Be Rebuilt, Says
President Rose.
Insurance Amounts to $21S,000
on Building and Contents.

! Fire of unknown origin destroyed
the D. e. Rose Trunk factory. corner
! of First and Jackson streets. late Sat-
urday afternoon. The factory and its
| contents valued at close to $500, 1000.
, are total loss, two-thirds of which
/ is covered by insurance. only portions
of the walls are standing today and
/ they are Threatening to fall at any
/ time.
/ Discovered at ) O'clock.
/ The fire was discovered about
| o'clock by employees of the Topeka Ice
company. From across the street
/ where they were working they sa-
/ smoke pouring from the windows on
/ the south side of the building. They
/ spread the alarm but despite a quick
and maximum effort upon the part OF
| the city fire department the destruc-
| ton was complete within an hour.
Altho the outside walls of the butld-
ing were brick, the interior was large
J ly wood. as was also most of the con-
/ tents. and the flames licked their way
/ thru the structure in a furious manner.
| At one time it was thought that wall
thru the center of the building would
confine the flames to the east end but
only for a moment.
Kept Fire From Spreading.
The Lest the firemen could. do was
| to Keep the fire from spreading which
they did, altho the Chesterfield hotel
to the east and other adjoining build
ings were afire at different times. The
alley between the trunk factory and
| the hotel was like furnace and dam
age to the hotel will amount to con-
| siderable. A small store building be-
| longing to the Schicl9 Mattress factory,
| to the south. was partially destroyed
by Il falling wall. 1t was only by hard
! work on the part of firemen and vol
unteers that the mattress factory was
saved.
Company VIII Rebuild.
d E Rose. president of the com
t pany. announced this morning that
the factory would be replaced inme-
dately with a modern, fireproof struc-
ture on the same site Work on the
new building will be started just -as
soon as the ruins can be cleared away
Land the company will be turning out
trunks again by spring. he said.
Rose was out of the city at the tins
of the fire and dir not return Until
Sunday night. He had not yet visited
the scene of the fire when interviewed
this morning but said from what he
understood it would be necessary to
/ remove the walls left standing. Even
if parts of the walls are unharmed he
said they probably would not do for
the new structure which he says will
be strictly fireproof.
Valued at S29O,00O.
! According to Rose the building and
it's contents were invoiced last spring
at S29O.OOg, and insurance was car
ried to the amount of approximately
S21S, 900, he said. The company also
| carried use and occupancy insurance
| to the maximum amount of $4,000,
payable at the rate of $3.50 per day
for one year or until such time as the
company can again be running at no.
| NAL capacity. If the company can re-
! build by spring not all Of the use and
occupancy insurance will be drawn
and Rose estimates that the net loss
will amount to about $4,000.
I'm placing the net loss at $4,000
I am allowing something for the busi
| ness we will lose in the meantime
said Roce I'VE also have about
eignty-five employees whom we expect
to look after in some manner"
Cause Is Unknown.
The fire originated in the southeast
corner Of the building. either in the
! shipping or varnish room. but how X
started is not yet known The factory
closed at noon Saturday, as was the
usual practice. and few If any persons
were about The regular watchman
was not scheduled to go on duty until
6 o'clock and the flames had made
much headway before being dfscov-
! cred.
John j. Boyle Injured.
/ Despite the biting cold. the firemen
made d heroic effort to save the build
ing and then fought desperately to
save adjoining structures. They were
joined by many volunteers but de-
spite the danger of falling walls and
grounded Iectric wires only one per-
son was reported hurt. John J. Boyle.
who lives 1T the oxford hotel. cams
in contact with a live" wire while
| assisting the firemen and for a time
was thought to be seriously injured.
Upon reaching StorTnont hospital.
however, ne had recovered from the
/ effects OF the shock and was imme-
| diately released.
Thousands of persons surged about
the burning building regardless Of the
fact that the fallen wires made Il ez-
tremely dangerous. Falling walls
brought down a mess OF sputterin-s
I tangled wires in the alley back of the
/ Chesterfield hotel and west Of the
Rock Island station. A steel pole sup
snapped under the strain, allowing
some of the wires to form a cir
cult with automobile tenders and the
railroad tracks in front of the depot.
Move Rock Island Train.
Rock Island passenger train.
waiting TO leave for St Joe moved
several blocks west to get out Of this
path Of smoke and fire brands, and
and several freight cars on a switch
running south on Jackson street were
4 pushed away by hand to places et
safety. sprinkler system was used
to good effect at the Schick Mattress
This is the second fire for the Rose
/ Trunk company It burned out in
Il 1916 while located at SO Kansas ave-
nue.. At that time a. o. HOssfield vas
president and the concern was known
! as the Hossfield Trunk. Bag & Suit
case Manufacturing company. D. p.
/ Rose was vice pres n enf-