Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-03


tinctly heard all over the city. Millcrs uni
formly attribute the explosion to the -four
dust which was distributed through the atmos-
phere Of the closed rooms, and the milling APP
paratus caught from contact with the fame, or
from friction. The principal force of the e1-
plosion appears to have been from the Wash
bum mill towards the Diamond and Zenith
mills. The second explosion probably occurred
in one of these.
The Milwaukee & st. Paul round house in
front Of these was half demolished by the
concussion while the RAILROAD shops lcoa as if
they had been bombarded. The Centennial
block, on Washington avenue had all its heavy
plate windows broken except one store, which
was open. The glass was broken into fire
pieces, as if run through stamp mill.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
A miller standing near the window of the
old Washburn MILL was startled by the first
explosion and had one glance, in when he saw
the walls of the big mill spreading outward,
roofs falling, and flames flashing up. The
next moment he was on the floor blown half
way across the mill by the conclusion.
Fred George, of the Zenith
mill, was not killed, but
escaped by jumping from the window into the
canal. It was rumored that he went through
the fume into the river, but the rurnor was in
correct. He escaped with severe but not fatal
injuries.
WILD EXCITEMENT
For hours the excitement here was naturally
great ,.and the widest rumors prevailed. Even
a. g, I :. l ~.
garding any detail. Among the Wild rumo-s
was one accounting for the great force of the
explosion, by attributing it to nitro-glycerine,
of which it was said carload had been Trans
ferred during tho day in the immediate neigh
borhood of the mills. Railroad men, however,
assert that no kind of explosive material what
ever was in any car in the vicinity,
and that no nitro-glycerine or other explosive
is brought into the city.
In oil the mills notices were pasted prohibit
ing the uss Of open lights.
CAUSE OF TIE EXPLOSION.
Millers say that -four dust in the quantities
in which it existed in the big
mill would explode with force enough
to account for all the destruction worked.
Besides the explosion was Immediately follow
ed by hot flames enveloping all the ruins and
shutting in the air. This millers regard rs
proof positive that the explosion was Of -four
[ dust
great roof Of the big mill was
! lifted hundreds Of feet in the
! air, when fragments few out in every
direction, and one roof seemed to melt in TIE
! air surrounded by flames.
A SHOCKING SCENE.
One body was seen in the blazing ruins IF
TIC Diamond mill, apparently on the roof. 1t
lay on the back, arms extended, hands burned
/ off, skull bare,, and trunk incandescent. When
the flames Hubdued, the body had die
appeared, perhaps entirely consumed.
INSURANCE.
The losses Of the insurance companies repre-
sented by Gale & Co. are as follows:
&C. Washbnrn, Washburn CA mill; Hart
ford-,nill $500: machinery, s1,eOo. Atlantic,
/ \. Y.--,nills $3.50; machinery, $1,700. Home,
Ohio-mill. $500; machinery, $1,000.
J. A. Christian 4 Co., stock in warehouse
"a mill, North American, $4,000,
Petit, Robinson & Co.'S. mill-North British,
h Mercantile, MILL $4,000; machinery, $4,000
Hartford, stock, 5000, mill, $1,000; rhoni.
Of New York, stock, $4,000, machinery, $4,000
Lancashire, Eng, machinery, $4,000; Atlantic,
; New York, machinery, $4,000
A. ?. Anl1eny, Galaxy -four mill:-Phonix
n. Y, mill $1,000, machinery, $1,000. NORTH
J American, mill $1,000, machinery 91,500 Ian
cashire Eng, machinery $4,000. Atlantic. j:
v. machinery $4,000.
Oahill, Ankeny& Co., stock in GALAXY Rou
mill:-.North British a. Mercantile, 80, 800
Hartford 49, 500.
Bull, Newton & Co., Humboldt Mill Mort,
British !, Mercantile, machinery $1,000; stock
50, 500. Phoenix, mill, $500; stock. g 500
Hartford, mill $500: machinery, 81 500. ~
antic, mac hinery, $1,000.
: Minneapolis Mill Co., elevator building =
t North British and mercantile, So 00D, Lanca
shire, $4,000, on wheat in Minneapolis eli
vator.
Croker. Fiske & CO. North British an
Mercantile, $4,000; Hartford, So, 900.
G. 4. Pillsbury & Co.:-Hartford $4,000
North American, $2500.
D. r. Barber & son:-North American
y $500.
Q Petit, Robinson Co., on lumber:-Har
g ford, 90, 800; North American, $1,000.
Losses in companies represented by E.
) Ames:
Humboldt mill-Shawmut, al,5OO Traders
:, :, $4,000. Total, $500.
~ Elevator--German American, $4,000; FL
{ Assurance, $4,000; American, $500; Firemen
< Fund, $4,000; Royal, $4,000; Liverpool, Londe
and Globe, $1,000. Total, $4,000.
is Washburn ''A'' mill-Manhattan, $500
81 Commercial Union, $4,000; Royal, $1,000
80 Scottish Commercial, $4,000. Total, $40, 800,
Diamond mill--German American, $500
Royal, $4,000; British American, $1,000; Sec
fish Commercial $4,000. Total, $4,000.
Petit, Robinson & Co.'S mill-Frankl
$4,000. German American, $4,000. Mani,
tan, $4,000. Traders, $1,000. Commerci
Union. $4,000. Royal, $4,000. Iiverpo
London & Globe, $4,000. Scottish Commerci
70 $4,000. Total, $2l, 1000.
.. Another Description.
- M1NsEApoI1s May 8, l A. M.-The Clio
- special, which left st. Paul by private C
veyance was forty minutes later crossing |
no iron bridge that spans the Mississippi in |
%. immediate vicinity of the great fire. Here n