New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-05-08
GREAT FIRE AT MINNEAPOLIS.
A sudden Explosion Of the In.
aammable Gases in the
Washburn MIL.
Five Mills and Other valuable
Buildings a Complete Ruin.
Sixteen Persons Killed and Many
Wounded.
Losses Sustained Estimated at
$1,500.OO0-- -One Million to
the Milling Interests.

We clip the following editorial in
regard to the disaster, from the St.
Paul PIONEER Press:
A terrible calamity has befallen
our noble and beautiful city Of Min
neapolis. At nearly seven O'Clock
last evening tremendous explosion,
followed in quick succession by an
other shock, rocked and stunned the
city like violent earthquake, with
sudden and awful crash that spread
dismay throughout the city. The
instructive apprehension ofsome aw-
full disaster was Instantly realized in
the portentous spectacle Of a huge
column Of smoke shooting up from
the great Washburn -four mill, All
the city hurried in the wake Of the
fire engines to the scene. The great
structure, one Of the largest -four
mills in the world, had been torn to
pieces by a terrible explosion Of the
gases generated in the milling pro-
cesses, the huge roof had been lifted
high in the air, scattering its debris
far and wide, and crushing and
wrecking the great adjacent mills,
while the flames bursting from the
wild chaos enveloped the ruins of 5
great mills. Seventeen persons were
burned in the sudden and awful ru-
in. In few moments all that mag
nifcent group of great mills-which
were the pride of Minneapolis, were
ruin of shattered masonry,
wrapped in fire. The loss Of life
was at first greatly exaggerated by
rumor, but though not a quarter Of
the number persisted at first supposed
THE list of killed and wounded
lends a CHASTITY gloom Of tragedy to
the catastrophe. The property
which was anlihilated in this sud-
den and awful disaster, is estimated
at 100000 dollars. Nor was
the loss confined only to the To-
cality Of the explosion. The burn
ing debris, shingles and tarred paper
! were borne on the winds far from
| the central scene and scattered over
all the southern portion of the city,
and several ealanitous fires resulted.
The burning shingles and tarred
paper were borne as far as st. Paul
in six minutes af,er the explosion,
! which was distinctly heard in two
!. distinct reverberations at St. Paul,
4 which shook with the vibrations Of
the shock asif by an earthquake.
Many hundreds Of men hurried by
rail and team from st. Paul to the
4 scene of the conf tion, whose ex-
4 tent was indicated by the vast col
umn Of lurid smoke and fame which
lowered above the western horizon.
q st. Paul responded as speedily as
q possible to the summon OF Mime
4 apolis for aid, and sent her fire en-.
gines as fast as cars could be got to
|scarrys them. It was at one
time thought that the fire
department would be unable
to stay the confagration, and that
all Of southern Minneapolis would
be swept away But happily these
J fears were not realized. Many in.
cipient fires were. extinguished by
individual effort. The fire depart
ment did noble work, and by il o
clock the work of destruction was
arrested. Full and graphic particu.
!, lars Of this great disaster are gwen
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