St. Paul daily globe., 1884-11-24
insured for $50, 900. OF this amount
SO, 900 was placed as follows:

insured for $50, 900. OF this amount
SO, 900 was placed follows:
Commercial Union. OF London. .s5, 900
German-American, New York. 1850
This insurance was divided, s., 900 being
on stock. $4,000 on machinery, and
/ $500 on furniture and fixtures.
In addition 10 the above, as mentioned,
there was $4,000 insurance placed with
other companies
Several mployes Of the firm Of Osborne Il
Co carried insurance on their tools
and instruments. Among these was
Mr. /. Lincoln, draughtsman,
who had policy on his books and instru-
meuts for $3.50 placed in the Girard, of Phila-
delphia.
Tue loss Of Mr. Eugene Winter, the saloon
keeper, is variously estimated at from "a, 900
10 $1,000. on which there was an Insurance.
| OF nalf the amount.
The origin Of the fire is purely 4 matter OF
conjecture. the most plausible theory being
that it caught from combustion Of rubbish in
the basement THIS theory S probable from
the fac The. Z is understood thst OSBORNE 81
Co. had large quantity o. oil stored il the
basement.
WE ESCAPED THIS TINE.
| S. S Eaton, the well known insurance
man, was on the ground early and was con
sideraoy eiated with the idea that be had no
insurance on the property destroyed. He
was good deal excited in regard to the Sc
Paul q Manitoba block, which adjoined the
burning building and which stood next east
OF the same. The flames were curling all
around it and it looked as
though the Manitoba block must go sure So
fully impressed weie people with this idea
that those in the building began throwing
the desks out of the windows of Mr. Wake
mans room in the second story, on the cor
ner of Fourth and WacUuta streets They
come down and struck the sidewalk with
crash, and the spectators supposed at frs,
that the cornice and part Of the wall had
fallen. The consequence was that there
was general stampede. Two desks were
pitched out when that business was stopped.
When the desks struck che walk they were
smashed into spiinters and the papers flew
in every direction. They were gathered up,
however, and probably few of them were lost
One of the chemical engines was backed up
TO the door of the Manitoba building,
on the Wacouta street side and
the hose was run up through the whole
/ building so as 70 be ready for service at any
| point. II was not required, however, as tue
/ good Judgment of Mr.. J. j. Hill, the presi-
dent OF the road, exhibited in its cOnstruc-
ton, undoubtedly saved 1t from destruction.
In 4 conversation with Mr.. Hil, he said that
he had anticipated just such an
| emergency as occurred last night.
/ anu naO guarded against the
same by having a thirty inch wall put in be-
tween tne two buildings. Tnis is beyond all
| question what saved the St. Paul ~ Manitoba
| headquarters last night. Tne wall scarcely
felt warm or the inside at any time during
toe tire- There IS another point in regard
to this building 10 which We desire to call
the attention of all who construct such
blocks. The cOrnice OF the
Manitoba block took fire aud oil
who saw the cornice burning supposed the
fire would, as a natural consequence, work
its way into the building. and many ex-
pected to see the building go in consequence
OF the cornice. In this tney were mistaken
/ for Mr.. Hill had anticipated this Though
there was an iron cornice backed with wood
back of this was two foot brick
wall and the wood did not run
through the wall so as to communicate with
! the inside. The woodwork backing all
burned out, and as a consequence did not
communicate with the inside of the building.
Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Marvel were both on the
ground and looked after the property in the
ST. Paul & Manitoba headquarters building.
Mr.. Hill said, when that building was
put up / put in a thirty inch brick
wall for just such ar occasion as this. The
fire can't get through. It's all right. As to
the cOrnice let burn. That can't do any
harm. There is a two foot brick wall back
Of it, and none of the wood work runs
through to the inside. It's all outside ilagree
work. Let it burn, and it did burn, but it
did not get inside. If all builders
will follow Mr.. Hills plan aud put up a heavy
partition wall and put on the corncc so
that it will not communicate with the inside.
the safety Of buildings will be very greatly in
sured.
! At 10 O'Clock the fire was completely under
control and while bad enough it might have
/ been much more disastrous.
SINE delay was occasioned in the work of
the department by the bursting of portion
of old hose, the same, in fact, that Chief
Black alluded to as useless at the last meet
ing of the fire board.
The building occupied by Strong, Hackett
& Co., is owned by De Coster 81 Clark, and
the damage here was only nominal.