Kansas City, MO Western Newspaper Union Fire, Mar 1895

FIRE AT KANSAS CITY

Property to the Value of $300,000 or $350,000 Go Up in the Flames.

WAS AIDED BY A HIGH WIND.

In One Hour Nothing but Walls and Burning Debris Remained to Mark the Place Where the Building Stood--Western Newspaper Union and the Western Type Foundry Principal Sufferers.

KANSAS CITY, March 14. -- Fire destroyed between $300,000 and $350,000 worth of property at Fourth and Broadway last evening. At about 5:30 flames burst out of the windows of the big 4-story building at 410 West Fifth street, occupied by the English Supply company, dealers in engine supplies and wrought iron materials, and spread with great rapipity [sic]. One hour after it started only walls and a mass of debris were left to mark the place where the big building had stood. The wind was blowing a gale when the fire broke out, and the flames were carried to the top of the 5-story brick building north of the English building, occupied by the Western Newspaper union and the Great Western Type Foundry. Within half an hour the walls of the Western Newspaper union building began falling and all hopes of saving it were abandoned. An hour later it was a smouldering mass. In it were a great quantity of type and type material, besides six cylinder presses.

The Western Newspaper company printed patent insides for 200 western newspapers and worked a big force. The loss of this building alone will exceed $175,000. The English building was owned by Kersey Coates estate, and the destruction of the building and contents involves a loss of about $250,000, $75,000 of which is on the English Supply company's stock. The latter company carries an insurance of $60,000.

Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, IN 14 Mar 1895
__________________

Transcribed by Jackie Harral. Thanks Jackie!