St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-02-25
GONE UP IN SMOKE.
A Very Lively Blaze in Lower
Town Yesterday
Afternoon.
A Mammoth Warehouse With All
It's Contents Con-
Sumed.
The Loss Approximating S135,OOO; More
Than Half Insured.

The alarm of fire from box No. 26 at 2:20
O'Clock yesterday afternoon called upon the
fire department to wrestle with by far the
most disastrous confagration that has taken
place in st. Panl during the present winter,
noted for the great number Of large and de-
structive fires. The alarm was turned in
from the corner of Pine and Prince streets,
and the occasion was the discovery Of flames
in the four story building corner of Third
and Broadway streets. The west end
of the building was occupied by
Mast Buford Barwell & Co., dealers in ag-
ricultural implements, the west and center
of the structure being occupied by the office
of the st. Paul Harvester works, the stove
concern Of Brand 81 Co., and the store
rooms of Glidden, Griggs & Co., the whole
sale grocers, the latter firm also having a
large stock of goods stored in the basement
THE ORIGIN.
The origin of the fire is mystery, but it
was first discovered by Owen Reddington,
the private watchman of the st. Paul, Mime
apolis 81 Manitoba Railroad com
pany, who turned in the alarm.
The department responded promptly enough,
but the old difficulty was experienced of pro-
curing sufficient water supply, the plugs
being too far away in most instances to be of
much service, while some Of the mains were
found to be frozen.
The excitement during the fire was intense,
and had it occurred during the night time the
illumination would have been magnificent
The building, an immense structure, covered
on the outside with sheet-iron and supposed
to have been fire-proof, burned like bomb,
and no department or apparatus on
earth could have stayed its progress. I'm
mense clouds of smoke lifted over the burn
ing mass, and at one time it was not safe to
be within a block of the fire, so intense was
the heat. In less than thirty minutes after
the alarm had been sounded the east end of
the building fell in. This episode was pre-
ceded by an explosion, supposed to have
emanated from gas engine employed to
run the elevator. The shock was very pro-
nounced, and caused great CONSERVATION in
the crowd, which did not stand upon the or
der of its going
The department directed its efforts to
saving the west end Of the building, but it
was soon apparent that the task was hopeless.
entire structure was soon a mass of flames.
About an hour after the fire started the west
end of the building fell in with a loud crash,
and several persons in the vicinity had a
narrow escape from death
The rather stiff westerly wind that prevail
ed, blew the flames in the direction of the
Northern Pacific general offices, and it was
feared that the fire would communicate to
this building. A shower of live embers fell
on the roof and they caught in several
places, but soon died out. The long freight
house of the Milwaukee 81 St. Paul Railroad
company, situated opposite the building, was
also threatened, but luckily the flames did
not communicate.
The flames did communicate, however, to
the coal sheds Of Pugh 81 Co., and consider
able damage was done in this direction.
When the fire first started Chief Black
ordered extension ladders put up, and when
the building fell in, one Of these was buried
in the debris.
1t was feared at one time that the three
story brick building occupied by Russell &
Co., opposite the westerly end of the build
ing, would have to go, and it caught at least
half dozen times. This building, however,
was saved, but it was damaged to the extent
of nearly $1,000. The fire burned
tiercely for at least two hours, by
which time nothing remained of the stately
building but mass of ruins.
LOSS AND INSURANCE.
The building was owned by Messrs. Griggs
& Foster. 1t was erected about two years
ago at a cost of $25, 900. In dimensions it
was four stories in height and it was 2OOxS0
feet in size. 1t was, of course, total loss:
The insurance is about $40, 600, of which
the agency of NJ. D. Miller & Co. placed the
following:
On h11ildinr of Grinrs 6, Enster-