Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-07

ing on the northwest corner of Third and
Sibley streets, that formerly belonged to
Messrs. Nicols Il Dean, but was recently
sold by them to a gentleman in Pennsyl-
Yania.
THE STRUCTURE.
The building is about sixty feet front on
Third street, runs back to an alley, and is
three stories in height. The front is Sauk
Rapids granite backed with lime stone,
While the Sibley street side is yellow brick.
It was occupied wholly by Messrs. Nicols
d Dean as an iron and wagon furnishing
store, except about thirty feet
square on the first floor of the
corner which was occupied by
the st. Louis. Minneapolis 81 st. Paul
road as an Office. This road sub-let desk
room to the st. Paul & Manitoba road
for a city ticket-of1ice, and to B. Gault
for g freight busin ess and to j. B. Cook
for an omnibus. After the new arrange
ment of the Rock Island road with the st.
Louis, Minneapolis & st. Paul road, the
whole office was in the hands of what is
known as the ''Albert Lea route people.
HOW THE FIRE STARTED.
The railroad office in the corner was
made BY running double board partition
across from Sibley street, parallel with
Third street, and about thirty feet from
the latter street. The space in front of
this partition was occupied by railroad
people. The space in the rear of the par
tition was occupied by Messrs. Nicols &
Dean. On the Nicols & Dean side of the
partition, close to and about the middle of
it, was located coal stove. How the fire
first communicated to tho wood
work is not known, but ii
was first seen in that
partition close to the store. Mr.. Nicols
says that when they first saw it, it had the
appearance of being located in the parti-
tion, that is, between the two lines of
boards that formed the partition. It burst
out all at once and burned with great fury,
and as the building outside of the Office,
being used for iron purposes, was not plas-
tered, the flames shot up through to the
third story, where most people supposed
The fire originated.
HOW THE FIRE PROGRESSED.
1t was long time before the steamers
got there. A man was sent to box twenty
four, corner Of Third and jackson streets,
and pulled 1t, but it was not in order, or
was out Of the circuit, OF was SICK or some
thing or other, nobody could learn inst
what, At any rate it did not operate, and
a man was sent down to Minnehaha en-
gine house, on Wacouta street, to notify
the fremen. By tie time the steamer got
there and was got ready to work, nearly
half an hour had passed, a half hour
that will cost good many thousand dol
lars. Mr.. Dean, who had stood on the
street waiting for the steamer all this time,
directed the men where to put the stream,
and they very soon put an end to the fire
on the first floor. It had, however, by this
time climbed TO the third floor, and as
there was no plastering. and the timber all
being dry and in the rough, the flames
scattered and spread throughout the
whole upper story. By the time the
steamers got upon the ground and had
made their connections with the hydrants
and got into working order, the whole third
floor was in blaze, and dense volumes of
smoke rolled out from all the third story
windows, while the fierce flames curled and
cracked, and flashed out here and there
from behind the immense billows of smoke.
The new hook and ladder was stationed on
Sibley street and the ladder was speedily
run up into one of the side windows about
the middle of the block, where it proved to
be very serviceable. The men found great
difficulty in working it for the reason that
the water fell upon the iron and steel part
of it and there froze solid, the day being
very cold and windy. Of course the men
could not keep the water off the machinery.
The result was that the ladder could not be
handled to much advantage. It was how
ever placed in one position where it served
a good purpose. At the same time ladders
were placed in the rear and
in the front of the building
and streams were put in upon the flames.
The fire burned, however, with great fury,
and so continued till it got up through the
roof, most of which was burned Off, The
substance Of the whole matter is that the
whole of the contents of the third story.
consisting Of wagon and carriage materi-
ais, such as whiffietrees, neck yokes, ,spokes
and all other articles used in the construc.
tion of carriages and wagons, and located
in that part of the building were destroyed
The stock stored in the second story was moi
injured. This consisted of FORCES, billow.
and other similar articles. This stock wa.
mostly stored in the rear of this story o.
the building. Much of this stock wa,
more or less injured by the water, and ss
was the sheet iron and other lighter irons
. the first floor. Most of the water wa,
put into the third story, and ran dowr
through in torrents to the first floor ant
into the street.
THH LOSSES.
1t is impossible, in such fire
to form anything like evsl
an approximating estimate o
tho loss that will be of much value. Messrs
N1cols & Dean think tho loss to their stool
will run from $25,OOO to $4,000, and tina
the damage to the building will be from
$4,000 to $4,000. The losses to other par
ties are not very great, consisting princi
pally of injury to furniture and stationery
from removal, and to loss of tickets, cou
DOus. etc.