Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-11
FIRE in ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
The Immense Wholesale Dry Goods House OF
Auerbach, Finch, Culbertsen & Co. Totally
DESTROYED March 9Th

Fifteen minutes after five o'clock, Sun
day, March Z, a confagratiOn occurred in the
building occupied by Auerbach, Finch, Cul-
bertson & Co., on the corner of Fourth and
Jackson streets, St. Paul, Mimi, which soon
made itself manifest by copious discharges of
smoke from the windows In the rear of the
establishment, between jackson and Sibley
streets. The fire, whatever it was, caused but
little alarm, yet the fire department prepared
to combat it, and in a very short space OF
time stream was directed from the roof OF
Cooks livery stable into the windows of the
fourth floor of the establishment, where the
fire seemed to have originated. 1t shortly ap-
peared that the efforts of the fire department
had been misdirected, for instead of decreasing
the volume OF smoke increased.
About twenty minutes after 6 o'clock, the
firm memb ers, who had hoped that the build
ing might be saved, concluded that discretion
would be the best part they could pursue.
They accordingly set about the task of
removing the goods stored In the low
er part of the establishment, impress
ing large number of the bystanders in
to the service. At first the work was conduct
ed in a very decorous manner. The goods
were boxed up and transported to places of
safety. But as the fire waXed hot all forms
were dispensed with, and men and boys car
ried off on their shoulders the first lot of goods
that could be siezed.( A piece of the cornice
on Fourth street front fell, and this was the
signal for an indescriminate rush to and fro
The windows on the jackson street side were
broken out, and goods were pitched out on
the street, running with the refuse of the en-
gines and gathered up by horde Of industri-
GUS gamins and eager friends of the firm.
anxious to save as much as posi-
BILE from what by this time had come
to be regarded as an inevitable wreck
The most valuable portion of the goods
silks, velvets, and other expensive fabrics
were generally boxed up previous to their de-
livery upon the streets, and for the most part
have escaped serious injury. The linens, do
| mestics, shawls, and many lines of hosiery and
dress goods were not as well provided for, and
| therefore suffered considerably from damage
by water, not only from leakage from the
| floors above but from the injury they received
in their hasty transfer from the store the street
and subsequently by their removal to the i'm
provised houses of refuge provided. The scene
was indescribable. There was general scram-
BILE among people of all classes to save the
goods from destruction. The falling embers
| from the fast consuming cornIces fell unheed.
ed to the right and left of t.. ose who sought to
save the goods from the destroying element.
They paid no more attention to blocks of Gin
ders than to so many fakes of snow. A brand
from the roof that fastened upon block of
dry goods was stamped out, and the
goods carried off on the shoul-
ders of the coEqueror In triumph
Great tongues of flame shot out, reaching half
way across the street and seeming to be anx
ious to lick up all that m.erfered with their pro-
gress. Scarcely moment elapsed before an
other crash and the shattering of glass gave
evidence that the flames had made an exit on
| the jackson street front, and look in that
direction showed that the flames were pouring
out in great streams driving people from the
streets by their intensity, and lighting up the
whole city with lurid radience. About this
time, shortly after o'clock, the gigantic clock
that has for many years seemed to keep watch
and ward over that section of the city from its
perch in the attic of the building, fell with
deafening crash to the floor below, carrying
with it the embers that were to complete ithe
destruction of the magnificent edifice that has
long been pride to our city. From this point
| the fire on the second floor rapidly
spread, meeting midway of the building the
spreading flames that had descended from the
upper floor in the rear Of the building. But
| few moments were required to envelope the
whole floor In perfect whirlwind of flame,
which was screening in Its effect, splin-
tering the windows, and threatening
| to break down the walls by their violence.
The carpet department., northward Of the main
| building of the fire, from which 1t is divided
by fire-proof wall, showed signs OF ignition,
and by the time the second floor had become
fairly ablaze there were unmistakle evidences
that tne whole structure would go down.
Good Judgment had prevailed, however, and
the main stock of this department had been
removed, in damaged condition, to the store
on the corner OF Fifth and jackson streets. A
few lots of goods of small value were aban-
| doned, but the most valuable goods consisting
| of Administer, Brussels and Belgian carpets
were in the mainrescued. The fire made but
slow progress In this department OF the house,
but 1t ragged with such Aerceness that all ef
forts OF the fire department failed to make
any perceptible effect upon 1t. Protected