St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-17
The Ala from. St Paul.

The first notice of the Anoka fire yesterday
morning was received from Division Super
intendent Rice, of the Manitoba railway At
ten minutes to a. m. he was at central fire
hall asking Chief Black If he could furnish
an engine. The chief, who was at his resi-
dence attending to a sick child, replied by
telephone that he would have No. 4 and
company ready at moments notice when
train was ready to transport them. By tele
phoning to the Manitoba shops and by tele-
graphing the operator there could not be
raised, and Assistant Chief Hlldebrand drove
out with Mr.. Rice to the shops as fast as
horse flesh could speed, where they found
the operator bssking IN the open air, who
pretended he had heen awake and had re-
ceiyed no calls. A train was made up and
run down to the Manitoba freight yard where
No. 4 and company under the supervision
of Assistant Chief Hildebrand embarked at
5:42 a. m. making the run of twenty-nine
miles in thirty-eight minutes, at least full
hour having been lost by the delay in getting
off, caused by the operator at the Manitoba
shops.
When the st. Paul relief train arrived the
fire on the east side of the river had so far
burned things out that the Anoka chief, who
could not dislodge his own steamer for the
purpose, asked Chief Hildebrand to go to the
west side Of the river where the burning
woodwork of the bridge had ignited lumber
and buildings. The train was run up to the
upper bridge, which No. crossed aad
taking suction above the dam
was just in time to save
three or four blocks there with its powerful
stream, to the relief Of 100 men who were
fighting fire at that point with buckets. The
manager of the Washburn mill, when the
fire was subdued at this point, crossed the
river with others and asked Hildebrand to
try and save the dam across Rum river, por-
tons of which had taken on fire above the
apron on the east side, and which
threatened it's destruction. Nine hundred
feet of hose were run out over the slippery
dam apron and not only the fire YVES
quenehed where it had laid hold of it, but
an immense pile Of debris and sswdust
burning on the east shore was soaked with
water and the flames put out. The chief of
the department at Anoka gives No. the
credit of saving confagration on the west
side of the river and the manager of the
Washburn mill told Hfldebrand that the
dam across Rum river was preserved entirely
by their efforts. After this No. 4 and
company repaired TO the East side,
where the authorities were talking of firing
cannon to bring down the topping walls of
the ruins, and volunteering for the duty
pulled down the dangerous walls. They
took train for home at 4: 25 p. M, having
first reported to the mayor and chief of the
department at Anoka, who thanked them
warmly for the great service rendered. while
they regretted they had not
had the forethought to have
summoned them to the scene earlier and
thereby prevented the destruction of some
of the buildings at least destroyed on the
east side.
The steamer from Minneapolis which went
to the rescue was hauled up by switch en-
CINE, leaving that city at 4:25 q. M, and
was accompanied By Chief Stetson and his
first assistant. It did no service of any ac-
count, being located near the Washburn
MILL Il returned at 9 q. M, none OF the
officers reporting to the authorities, or asking
II they could do anything more TO aid Them
This abrupt departure and the faiIura nj