Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-27
REFORM SCHOOL FIRE.
Tho Engine Building 10 Destroyed, To-
gether With . Considerable Quantity Of
Wood-Loss About 81 900.

Ano Engine DuiId1ng IL Destroyed, To.
gether With Considerable Quantity Of
Wood-Loss About a, 900.
While the boys at the Reform school
were at supper last night some of them
saw fire in the roof of the engine house,
and of course everybody rushed out,
when it was found that the engine
house, a one story building about 30x4O,
was all on fire. How the fire was started
no one can tell. The engineer left the
building just before the fire was discev-
cred, and he says there were no signs of
ire or any chance, so far as he knows,
for one to be started when he left. All
the machinery was in shape and every
thing was left just as is usual at
that time of the day. Neither he
or MIR. Riheldaffer, the superintendent,
can give any explanation Of how the fire
caught. This engine house is located
several hundred feet to the south of the
main building and $50 or 200 feet west of
one OF the three. story buildings. Be-
tween the engine house and the last.
named brick building was piled
large quantity of dry, hard maple
wood. To the west and south of the en-
glne house was also piled a quantity of
wood. AS soon as the fire was discovered
the officers telephoned into ST. Paul for
a steamer, but it took long time to get
the message in here. AS soon as possible
after 1t was received steamer No. 5 was
sent out, but by the time the
engine got there the engine
house was totally destroyed and all that
was In 1t. Nothing was left standing ex-
cept the west wall, which was nothing
but single brick wall, the building be.
ing simply veneered one. The fire was
communicated to the wood on the west
and south of the engine house, and also
to the pile between the engine house and
the three story brick to the east. The.
great point then was for the
steamer to save the three story brick,
and this she accomplished very cleverly,
but not without the hardest kind of work
on the part of the firemen, as the wind
was blowing quartering towards the
building and the wood was all burning
furlously. The large cistern. containing
thousand barrels of water could not be
reached and so the steamer was set to
work at small cistern which it pumped
dry in a short time. 1t was then moved to
another small cistern some distance off,
and again commenced fighting the fire
In the wood pile nearest the three-stOry
building. There was great fear that
this cistern would give out before the
ire could be got under control, and to
avoid this she worked down just as low
as she could and throw any stream
at all, Chief Engineer Strong
thinking it absolutely neces-
sary to do this, in order
to economic the water. The firemen
mounted the pile and stood as close to
the fire as possible, and even right over
it, an poured the water perpendicularly
down upon the fire part of the time.
At the same time bucket brigade was
formed, and all the water that could
be was poured directly upon the dan
gerous point. was certainly one of the
most obstinate fires the department was
ever called upon to fight. City Attorney
Murray who is one of the directors of the
Reform school, was present, and in con-
slant consultation with Mr.. Riheldaffer.
While the firemen were on the pile of
wood fighting the flames, and the bucket
brigade were engaged, the hook and lad
der men were also employed with their
hooks pulling the wood pile apart, while
as many men and boys as could be en-
gagged were industriously at work remov-
ing the wood. For three hours this kind
of work was Increasingly kept up and at
last the men got the best of the fire.
In the meantime Mr.. Rihel-
daffer and Mr.. Murray had a hole
drilled through the wall to the big els
tern, so that if it became necessary the
steamer could get water from it. This
satisfied everybody that there was no
more real danger. In fact, there would
not at any time have been any danger
of the three-story building go
ing but from the fear of the
water giving out About IL O'Clock
the firemen accomplished their object
and saved for the state the three-story
brick building, and in doing this they
are entitled to the thanks of the people
of the whole state. For a long time it
was very doubtful about their succeeding,
but hard, patient work and good judy
ment did it. Nothing could be learned
about the insurance except in a general
way that there is an insurance on the
whole property, but not precisely what
amount there is upon this one building
that was destroyed.