Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-11
MINNEAPOLISN
THE ANCHOR MILL FIRE.

N~~>
Remortn0 the Debris-The Cause of the
F5re-NW to be Rebuilt at Once--Ho7tor
to the F2remen-Tte Premataercs.
The firemen remained at their post keep,
ing streams on the ruins of the Anchor mill
until between l and o'clock yesterday
morning. BY that time the flames of the
early ninht were reduced to a mass of
smonldering embers, and charred and smok-
ing timbers tumbled together promiscuously
at the bottom of the mill. Four men, with
rs many links of hose, were then left as
body guard to the wreck, and all the other
ftemen and citizens sought their homes.
GLOBE reporter sought the ruins in the
forenoon and again in the afternoon, find
ing corps Of workmen engaged in clearing
away the rubbish, while from the basement
steamed up great clouds of smoke and steam.
1t is thought by those best competent to
Judge that most of the twelve run of mill
stones will remain serviceable, when the de-
bris shall have been cleared away from
above them, but of course this is nero sup
position as they must have been surrounded
by an intense heat, while being submerged
with oceans of water from the hose.
A visit to Mr.. G. A. PilIsbury, the senior
and active member of the firm, found him
IN good spirits and full of business in look
ing after the interests of the other three
mills operated by the firm. He stated that
no meeting of the firm had taken place for
the purpose of considering the propriety of
rebuilding the MILL but he had no doubt that
they would proceed to rebuild at once, and
in much better and more modern shape than
before. He expressed the conviction that
the walls of the burned structure were suf-
ficiently preserved to make reconstruction of
them unnecessary.
And then Charley turned the conversation
on to O. subject entirely foreign to the sub
ject of mill explosions and 100000 fires,
and rebuilding mills and all that sort of non
sense, and began to elaborate the merits of
his bran new twin boys. The GLOBE man
dropped the pursuit Of news and listened in
terested, because twenty-five pounds of boys
at one effort is no slouch Of an affair, and
mill burning is an entirely secondary con-
sideration when e subject of that kind is
broached--
Some little growing was indulged in yes
terday by the milling fraternity in Minneap-
oils, because the GLOBE announced the true
cause of the fire, they claiming that there
was no evidence to show that there was any
explosion preceded the fire; and, in fact,
that the cause of the fire was entirely shroud-
ed in mystery.
After a careful and fair denomination of
the subject, the GLOBE is prepared to reaa-
sert in the strongest terms that all the avail
able evidence goes to prove that the fire
originated in o -four dust explosion pre-
cisely similar in character to that OF last
spring, and that the explosion Of the mill
itself was only due to the fact that the entire
building was not completely charged with
-four dust as was the case with the Wash
burn GAP mill.
What is the use of ignoring stubborn
facts? Since the new process of making
-four has been introduced, the hazard of
milling has greatly increased. Wise men
will look the truth squarely in the face, and
then turn to discovering means OF rectifying
the evil instead of closing themselves up in
the hard shell of lie and allowing these dis
astrous fires and explosions to wreck great
industry. 1t is the ostrich which buries it's
head in the sand and fondly inagines that
it's whole body is hidden from sight.
Do not growl at newspapers for telling I'M
pleasant truths, gentlemen, but strive to cor
rect the evil.
The GLOBE joins it's voice to that of the
entire public in congratuating the Minneap
oils fire department on their courage
and endurance. 1t was the pluck
of the boys that saved a most disastrous
corhagration. But for their efforts the
Washburn "B" mill and the North Star
wooden mill would have been destroyed, and
if ever the flames had reached either of those
immense structures the entire manufacture
ing heart of the city would probably have
ceased to throb for another year. All honor
to the boys and their able leader, Chief En-
gineer Bracket.
The new connpany-the Prematules- were
very effectually baptized, and demonstrated
that they could throw full stream on to
fire as we'll as into building that had never
been introduced to fire. When the Pre-
natures get their hands in they will do
nObly.