St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-28
DULUTH FIRE SWEPT.
Two Magnificent Elevators and Their
Contents Reduced to Ashes Last
Evening.
Three Men Killed During the Progress
of the Fierce and ResiStless
Oon1agratiOn.
The Losses Estin nated at About ST.
100000, with Fairly Good
Insurance.
A List of the Companies Involved In
the Catastrophe--Fuu
Details.
Special to the Globe.

Details.
Special to the Globe.
DULUTH, Mimi. Nov. 27.-At about 8
o'clock tonight fire broke out in the cupola
Of the elevator of the st. Paul & Duluth
Elevator company. and despite all efforts
of the tiremen, completely destroyed the
building. The blaze is supposed to have
been caused by the dropping of watch
mans lantern or the friction of the driving
pulleys. as when discovered it was in the
cupola of the elevator. near the shaft end.
Several men were in the building at the
time and all but three escaped, though
blinded by the smoke and flames which
burst out very rapidly. Two men, Le-
blanch and Lee. were overcome by the
smoke and their bodies are supposed to be
in the ruins A third, Charles Moore, who
was watchman. made his way to the win
dow and jumped out to the ground, a dis
tance OF eighty feet. When found the body
was
MASHED III a JELL1
and the skull was crushed. For the past
two months the elevator company has been
busy putting in an addition of 700. 600
bushels capacity, and as it was to be used
at once the structure was built of dry lum-
Der. 1t was to have been used inside of
two weeks, but it caught fire and was also
consumed burning with intense heat Ele-
vator "a" belonging to the Union I'M
proYement and Elevator company, was 10
Gated about one hundred and fifty feet
from this annex. and by hard work was
protected for more than two hours after
the flames broke out. but the intense heat
at length warped off the iron sheeting and
THE HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE
also. 1t was found impossible to save
either. Nine houses and stores. including
Turner hall, carriage factory. house OF
ilI-fame and three dwellings, caught fire
possible to get near enough to do good
work after the new building of the st. Paul
& Duluth company fell in. The elevator
of the ST. Paul & Duluth company cOn-
tanned 40, 500 bushels of wheat. nearly the
entire capacity. and elevator "a" contained
80, 900 bushels of wheat, $4,000 bushels of
corn. &C. 900 bushels of flax and 10, 600
bushels of oats.
THE LOSS
On wheat is about $3.50. 600; on corn $780,
900: fax S22 900; oats $50, 900; total $685.
600. The loss on elevator A is S125, 600;
elevator of st. Paul & Duluth company
total loss $3.50, 900. The insurance was
heavy. The grain is probably fully in
sured and the buildings nearly so. The
Mutual Insurance company, of New York,
has $50, 900 loss. the Sun. of London.
$4,000, the City of London $1,000 the
Germania. of Freeport, $4,000 the Wash
ington Fire and Marine $4,000,
the Springfield Fire and Marine
$4,000, and other companies smaller
amounts. The fire wipes out a grain
capacity of is. 900, 600 bushels. reducing the
capacity of Duluth to II. 900. 600 bushels.
A great part of the insurance was placed in
Chicago agencies. details of which it is, of
course, impossible to find out here. but
THE TOTAL INSURANCE
is probably not less than $500. 600. The
elevator of the St. Paul & Duluth company
had been built two years and at the time of
building had been condemned by the board
of trade, but later. after being
strengthened, had been declared
o..,Ior Tho foundation NY, ono Cida of ha
house was on the rock, the other side on
CLAY and gravel. 1t is thought that the
house gradually settled until the friction
became so great as to cause the flames. 1t
was located in the outside harbor and in
close proximity to elevator A and small
driving elevator. The latter did not burn.
Elevator A was built in 1870, and was the
oldest in Duluth. The first cargo was
shipped from it on the propeller Winslow
in August, 1870. Until 1880 it was. with
one other. the only elevator in the city.
Both these houses were kept up at consid-
cradle cost, owing to their position outside
of the regular harbor. Steps will be taken
Immediately to
MAKE GOOD THE LOSS
by the addition of more elevator capacity.
The loss is particularly unfortunate at this
time as all the capacity in the city Is needed
this winter more than ever before. Great
difficulty was experienced by the iremen
in saving the St. Paul d Duluth railroads
local freight house, which was just across
the street from the elevator. The grain
will be partial loss. The salvage is esti-
mated at 80 per cent. As near as can be
ascertained tonight the
RISKS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
North British and Mercantile. .. S. 900
ST. Paul Fire and Marine. e........... 5000
Providence, of Washington r. I... $50
Orient. ....... ....................... $500
Sun, OF London -........... 10, 100
GlenS Falls. ........................ $500
Washington Fire and Marine .......... 800
Buffalo German. Observation-Disclosures. $500
London and Lancashire ............. 540O
Will; msburg city. 4,5UU
Hecla. Observation-Disclosures. 5000
Clinton. Observation-Disclosures. $500
Sun of California Observation-Disclosures. $500
Insurance Company of North America LOCO
Detroit Fire and Marine. ..... 25UO
Fire Insurance association. ............ 1900
Anglo Nevada. .......... 5000
Northwestern, OF Ouiuth.............. 1,500