The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-14
FIRE DAMAGE
OF $4,000 To
THREE FIRMS
Buildings From 2O4 to 21O Kan
sas Avenue Damaged.
Matches and Rats Supposed to
Have Caused 1t.
nrRnRPn lRs n m HHH pNn1U nuaF-
STARTED IN BANANA EXCHANGE
Owl Grocery, Topeka Grocery,
Banana Exchange Losers.
Smoke and Water Cause Much
Damage to Stocks.

Fire which caused at least $4,000
in damage to buildings, stocks and
equipment, was discovered this morn
ing in the buildings from 204 Kansas
avenue to 210 Kansas avenue, occu-
pied by the Owl Grocery company's
headquarters, the Topeka Wholesale
Grocery company, and the Banana Car
rier Exchange which is managed by
T. J. Murphy, fruit and produce
broker.
The fire was discovered in the ele-
vator shaft of the Banana Carrier Ex-
change, shortly after o'clock this
morning, by Murphy. The blaze
seemed insignificant to him. and tho
he called the fire department, he did
not realize the seriousness of the af
fair, until the flames swept up the
elevator shaft, and spreading among
the 5000 carriers and crates of flimsy
and inflammable material, shortly
endangered the entire building.
Matches in Crates.
Murphy believes that there had been
left in some Of the crates. which~a are
shipped back and forth about the
country in the distribution of bananas,
some matches, and that rats in the
basement, which were numerous,
gnawed the matches and set them
alight.
There had been no one in the base
ment where the fire started, today.
Murphy said. ...
The fire proved stubborn. after
reaching the loft of the, building
which is owned by Hugh Mcfarland,
and spread rapidly thruout the struc-
ture. 1t was not fully under control
until $3.50 o'clock.
Destroyed All. Records
The chief damage to the Banana
Carrier Exchange, Murphy said, was
the destruction of all his office rec
ords of shipments and. transactions.
which he did not have time to remove
after the flames started to spread
from the elevator shaft. The 5000
carriers which were stored in the,
building were partially covered by
Insurance, and were valued at about
$4,000. The Banana Carrier Ex-
change is a branch of a central ex-
change with headquarters at Streater,.
Ill. .
The damage in the storehouse of
the Topeka Wholesale Grocery COM
pany was due chiefly to smoke and
water. Members of the company were
unable to state exactly the value of
the stock which they had on hand.
1t was estimated that there was some
$4,000 worth of groceries in the
building, and $4,000 to $25.000 worth
stored in the upper story. where the
damage was the heaviest.
Water Did Much Damage.
There was also a large amount of
stock stored in the Easement, and the
water which was used in fighting the
flames in the loft ran down thru both
stories to collect there.
The members of the Topeka Whole
sale Grocery company are "A. E. Baur-
line, Joseph Fritton, C. T. Wilcox and
Frank Durein. The three first named
are actively engaged in the work of
the company, with Fritton as mana
ger. Fritton stated that the stock was
covered to a certain extent by insur-
snce. but he could not state the total
amount carried.
Loss Covered by Insurance.
The Owl Grocery companys head
quarters suffered damage only thru
water and smoke.
One of the partners in the Owl COM
pany estimated the value of the stock
on hand at the time of the fire as
around $4,000. The building which
is occupied by the company is nearly
new, having been occupied by the Owl
company for the past four years. 1t
is owned by the same persons who
make up the Owl Grocery company,
three brothers, H. R., W. H, and G. A.
Whittlesey and their sister, Miss S. r.
Whittlesey. There are seven
branches of the Owl Grocery company
in Topeka.
Their loss at the headquarters is
covered by Insurance. pretty fully.
Continued on Page Sixl