St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-15
FURNITURE FACTORY FIRE.
The Gilmore Company's Warehouse
Burned--LOss Nearly S25 200.

The Gilmore COMpany's Warehouse
Burned--LOss Nearly $4,000.
The warehouse and finishing shops of the
D. NJ. Gilmore Furniture company, at the
corner of Western avenue and Sixteenth
street, were partially destroyed by fire last
evening. The warehouse was large three
story and basement brick structure, con-
nected with the factory by a covered bridge,
the factory being building or the same
character. The lumber yard lies directly
to the rear, and the rOundhOuse of the
Minneapolis & st. Louis road adjoins the
warehouse on the north. The burned
building is used as painting and finish
ing department, and contained, besides the
stock. large quantity OF paint, oil and
varnishes. On the upper floors are the
paint shops and finishing rooms; the second
and first floors were generally filed full of
new furniture; the lower floor contained
store room for material. About 5
o'clock a blaze was discovered in the
paint shop, in the rear of the third
floor. The inHammable material caught
and burned rapidly and in few moments
the building was in blaze. The entire
fire department responded to the alarm and
the best of work was done. Oil. yarnish,
paint and furniture make a frightfully in
flammable combination. and the fire roared
and belched through the windows like fame
from the portfolios of the broadside of a
man-of-war. By prompt work the flames
were confined to the building and the fac
tory was saved and by flooding the cellar
the fifty odd barrels of varnish were kept
from the flames. For three hours the fire
ragged, cutting the upper part of the build
ing and consuming everything to the ground
floor. When it was finally eXtingushed.
the roof and the two upper floors and their
contents had been destroyed and everything
below deluged with water. The company
had been running the establishment to its
utmost capacity. and instead Of eighty
men, as usual, had been working ITO.
Stock of its own manufacture had been run
low. but only few days ago large as
sortment of fine goods had been received
all of which persisted in the flames
The d. NJ. Gilmore Furniture company was
organized in 1888, Capt. Gilmore being gen.
eral manager. Donald Kennedy president,
and A. G. Kennedy secretary and treas
urer. Capt. Gilmore has twice been burned
out before, once in 1878 and again in 1881.
The present company was organized and
the buildings erected in 1888, the warehouse
costing about S15. 900. The walls are still
standing and are uuhurt. the loss on build
ing reaching probably $4,000. 1t was i'm
possible to tell last night the extent of the
loss on stock and material Capt. Gilmore
thought it might reach between $50. 900 and
$25. 200. The insurance is $50, 200 in all
on buildings, stock and lumber yard, but as
the policies had been hurriedly gathered up
and placed. with other papers. in place
of security, he could not last night give the
companies or tell how it was divided. 1t
was all in mutual companies, mostly
Chicago, $4,000 having been placed last
week with the Millers' and Manufacturers
of Minneapolis. There is no clue to the
origin Of the fire.
1--WE never say die" said Capt. Gilmore
last night while viewing the ruins. 1--WE
have already taken steps to go on with our
work, and will get back again in a short
time. Our men will lose no time"