100 years ago: Fire destroys barn in 900 block of Tennessee

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 19, 1915:

“In a $300 blaze of unknown origin a barn belonging to A. E. Robinson at 928 Tennessee street was completely destroyed at 10:30 o’clock Saturday night. If the burns of a valuable horse belonging to Chester Robinson prove fatal the loss will amount to $500, for Mr. Robinson says that his son valued the animal at $200. All of the family were away from home when the alarm was turned in by neighbors, and only the quick work of the fire department kept the flames from spreading to Ecke’s garage which stands near the barn…. The injured animal was tied in the stall when the fire broke out and in some way managed to escape just as the fire wagon was pulling up…. ‘The cause of the flames is not understood,’ Mr. Robinson says, and the fact that the wiring was all in good shape and no lights on leads him to believe that the blame cannot be placed on the electricity. A buggy in the barn was saved but hay, harness and other stored articles were completely destroyed. This is the first serious fire in the city since the burning of the abandoned school house on Delaware street about a month ago.”

“More than an inch of rain has fallen on the average each day for the last week. In the seven days ending at 9 o’clock this morning 7.31 inches…. Besides having the great amount of water fall, the last week had the hottest day so far this year. The maximum temperature yesterday was 93 and the minimum was 65.”

“A queer freak of the severe lightning which accompanied the storm yesterday afternoon, came near causing a fire at the home of J. R. Holmes, 1043 Tennessee street and gave the family a scare which they will not soon forget. Whether the lightning struck the house or came in on the electric light wires Mr. Holmes does not know, but he is sure that it did get into the house some way. A big chandelier in the dining room was completely shattered by the bolt and the gas pipes broken and the gas set afire…. The fixture was a combination for both gas and electricity and the lightning bolt coming in tore the heavy brass light loose and completely ruined it. The gas connections were wrenched free and the gas set on fire by the lightning. Miss Mattie Stevenson, who lives next door to the Holmes, says that she saw a blue bolt of flame which blinded her but cannot tell what the lightning struck. The light fixtures were a complete loss but were covered by insurance.”

“The Kaw river was about stationary this morning but Carl Rarick, office manager for the Bowersock Mills & Power Co., expects the river to raise by tomorrow to the stage where it was Saturday night. He says that the rains west were general, but light, and that the stage of the river is 18.2 at Lawrence and 22 feet at Topeka. The Wakarusa river rose this morning about six feet at the Dutton bridge, but A. L. Holcomb says there is no danger of it overflowing at this point.”

“Incredible as it may seem, the city of Winfield and some of the nearest adjacent territory is suffering from drouth…. As a matter of fact it has not rained in Winfield for four weeks.”

“Dorman O’Leary, a student in the University and a son of Professor R. D. O’Leary of the department of English at the school, received a telegram from Charley Griesa and Ray Folks, two students who are at work in the harvest near Colby, this morning. The telegram is for more men and says that the long harvest near Colby needs 300 more workers and that salaries of $3 a day will be paid. Griesa is a son of T. E. Griesa of this city, and has been in the harvest for several weeks. Folks, who is a basketball player on the University team, is getting into condition for the winter athletic season.”

“Kelsey Beveridge, a student in the University last year and clerk in Shaler’s drug store, writes from his home near Russell, Kansas, that he is working on the farm of his father and eating fried chicken three times a day.”

“Scores of farmers have reported to the Journal-World in the past few weeks their inability to find a single live chinch bug. If this means that the pest has been wiped out for the time being in this locality the losses of this year will be more than made up in the years to come.”