St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-27
EFFECTS OF THE FIRE.
The Losses TO the NicoIIcs House ana
Stores UNDER 1t.

GAaG Losses TO eske NEcOtLGT HOdrSe ana
Stores UnderIt.
The NicOllet house fire was the popular
theme of conversation on the streets, and a
big crowd stood around the building all day
ong. Everybody specialized on the narrow
escape the hotel had passed through. The
portion of the structure burned was verit-
able rookerv. and the flames consequently
were intensely hot. The Kitchen, the
laundry and the engine room were of the
most cOmbuStible materials. being of wood
and old and dry. Undoubtedly had the
Building been located in almost any other
section of the city it must have Succumbed
to the destroying element The Nicollet
house stands in spot where the water pro-
lection is the best. All the surrounding
streets are supplied with large water mains,
as is Second street, and each was used to
the fullest extent. Never has there been
fire in the city where a
larger body of water was thrown
upon the flames in the same
length of time. At first the evaporative
power of the intense heat prevented the
immense flood of water from doing any
considerable damage to the building or per-
sonal property. 1t was at this point that
the GLOBES report closed yesterday morn
ing, owing to the closing of the Western
Union telegraph Office.
HAD A STRONG WIND PREVAILED.
the efforts of the fire department must have
proved futile. But fortune favored the
battling firemen. As it was, the rear
building was scarcely scOrched, other than
burning the roof off the dining room, so
that a portion fell in, narrowly escaping
burying a fireman beneath the ponderous
pile of smouldering ruins.
The loss from water was a great deal
more than from fire. The fire was so ex-
ceedmgly stubborn that the streams were
kept playing nearly four hours, filling
the entire lower portion of the hotel
with water. A river came pouring down
the winding staircase and down through the
ceilings of the rooms and stores Oh the first
floor. Even the plastering in many of the
upper rooms was ruined, and the building
will undoubtedly have to be replastered
mostly from base to dome.
DAMAGES.
The store rooms and offices north of the
main entrance were not damaged to any
great extent, but all the stores from the
entrance to NicOllet avenue were more or
less damaged. The Omaha ticket office
suffered a loss Of about $500, fully covered
by insurance.
Webster 81 Churchill, druggists. had
nearly their entire stock of goods drenched,
and a stock of herbs, etc, stored in the
basement, was entirely destroyed The
glass cases were broken and contents ruined.
The invoice showed about SIS 600, and it is
estimated that the loss cannot be much less
than So, 800
E. G. Barnaby d Co. were the heaviest
sufferers of the merchants. They had
large and fine stock of furnishing goods.
hats. caps, etc, and there is probably not
an article in the store that did not suffer
somewhat from contact with the water.
Here the water poured down in perfect tor
rents through the ceiling. Holes were
made so that the major portion of the water
was conveyed to the floor in the center of
the store room. Hence the goods on the
shelf escaped absolute ruin. Barnaby &
Co.'s loss is IS, 600 and covered by insur-
ance.
ESimpson & Henderson, also furnishers and
hatters. got lighter dose. The water
worked its way into the rear of the store.
doing from $500 to 81, ZOO, damage covered
by insurance.
II. /. Legg, jeWeler. suffered a loss of
$500 on tools, furniture and stock in the
workshop in the rear of the store.
The water worked over the threshold of
Storms jewelry store, but did no particular
damage.
DISPOSITION OF GUESTS.
During the fire Col. West stood behind
the counter. Excited and frightened guests
were quoted and treasured by his GOODNESS
and presence of mind. Those who wished
to go were given quarters at the West,
while those who had the nerve
and confidence returned to their
rooms in the house. The larger portion of
the bedrooms in the hotel are tenable. and
the house will be run while the work of re-
building and repairing is prosecuted. The
baT-rOom received an effectual BATH as did
the wine cellar. In fact there was three
feet Of water in the latter place last even
ing. Whether or not the quality Of the
liquids stored therein were improved to
any extent, or diluted, by the water is left
for conjecture alone. The billiard tables
were soaked, as was the furniture in the
lower portion of the hotel. The kitchen of
the hostelry, having been destroyed EN-
tirely, and the diningrOOm rendered unfit
for use, no meals will be served at the Mic
Ollet. but guests will live on the West hotel
bill of fare. The linen of the house was
burned IN the laundry. but none of the
guests suffered in this respect.
Mr.. ellison. the proprietor of the build
ing, has not yet been heard from, but it is
almost certain that work in rebuilding the
burned portion of the house will begin at
once, and it is highly probable that it will
be built up in a more substantial and much
better form, of brick.
LOSS AND INSURANCE.
From the best available information, and
based upon the judgment of those most
competent to judge, the following state
ment of the losses and insurance is made:
f. H. gibson.
Loss on hotel. Observation-Disclosures $40. 600
Insurance in about fifty companies
represented by CorSer, Stone & Co.. lie, 900
j. I. WEST.
Loss on tnrn1ture. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $4,000
Loss on stock and fixtures. 5000
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $1,000
Insurance on stock and fixtures in
companies represented by Ed Nc
Dermott:
Imperial of London. S1.500
Standard Fire, New York. ....... 500
Franklin, Philadelphia. .............. $500
Green. Liverpool OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $500
Firemen'S, Dayton. Observation-Disclosures. 1,5O0
American, Newark Observation-Disclosures. 1000
Phoenix, London. 1880
Norwich. England. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1000
Farragut, New York. ...... LOCO
Transatlantic, Hamburg. ............. $500
Traders, Chicago. Observation-Disclosures. 1,5O0
State Insurance company, Des Moines l,5OO
Montauk, Brooklyn. LOU