From the Lawrence Daily World for Feb. 19, 1911:

“The destruction of the Opera House was told in the Journal and the World but in the rush and excitement it was not possible to tell the whole story. There is no way of knowing how the fire started. It was discovered under the stage of the Opera house. The fire department was at once summoned and the fight to save the building was one of the most heroic ever witnessed in this city. The fire fighters worked like demons, reckless of themselves, but careful for life and property. The water pressure was unfortunately very weak and this hurt but no amount of water could have saved that department. The building was doomed from the start.

“The Journal also suffered a complete loss, nothing being saved but the books. The fire came so rapidly…. The fire caught the Journal in an unprepared condition as fires have a way of doing. The presses were running and they continued to run until the power went off. The linotype was run during the first part of the fire but it was abandoned and was also a wreck. The Journal was insured for $10,000. The publisher of the Journal at once ordered a new Model 5 linotype and it ought to be here in a couple of weeks. The type houses were also summoned and sent representatives quickly.”