Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-02-27
BLAZE AT ST. JOHN.
Brave Battle Against Furious
Flames -
st. Johns Journal, Feb. "a

Shortly after one o'clock last Friday
morning the citizens of st, John were
aroused from their peaceful slumbers by
the dread cry Of fire. The people rushed
from their beds to find the flames Just
breaking from the front windows of Rob-
ertson's Opera House. There wa at the
time three barrels of water in the Sher-
man House, adjoining the ball, which
was quickly applied to the flames, and
which nearly extinguished them. As
soon as this supply of water was exhaus-
ted q bucket brigade was formed be.
tween the scene ofaction and the well
at the Pioneers Rest,s distance of about
fifty yards. The distance was too long
to get the water there quick enough and.
the fire made rapid strides in the paper
and light wood work above the ceiling Of
the opera HOUSE and adjoining he upper
story of the hotel. 1t was then seen
the hotel as we'll as the hall was doomed
and attention was turned to saving such
property rs might be from the hotel. Il
was impossible to y v anything from
the hall. Very little vas saved from
the hotel proper, the women and chill.
dren escaped in their night clothes and
saving none Of their wearing apparel.
In the bar.room probably one.third OF
the stock "a saved. The billiard table
was carried out, but vas so broken IS to
be utterly ruined. About this time things
got decidedly hot in the vicinity OF the
Journal building, loo ted only twenty
feet from the burning structure, and in
which. besides the newspaper, are the
post Office and custom house. The con.
tents had I'LL been carried out and it was
generally considered that the building
was doomed, which ment the d%estruc.
ton Of Ricard's and Foussard's stores
also. However, the brave boys mounted
the building and formed. a bucket bri-
gade to the remnant ofx snow bunk lief,
by the recent chinook. About fifty buck.
cts Of snow per minute was poured upon,
the roofoft the building for three.quar.
tiers Of an hour, which the heat instan.
tly turned to water. The gallant work
was renewed with victory and the flames
were at lastunder control, but it was at
the expense Of many burned hands and
frozen fingers and ears.
The losses are about as follows: Joe
Couture. Sherman House,. stock and FIX
lures, $1,000: A.. Robertson, hall and
fixtures. 500: The Misses Hutcheson,
organ, $500.
Various other parties lost from fifty
dollars downward each, either in cloth.
ing in the hotel or things which they
had in the Opera House. The total loss
is not much less than 5000.
The origin Of the fire is not known
for a certainty, but it is supposed that
when the ashes were taken from the
stove during the afteanoon coal must
have been dropped, and which had
smouldered until the flames broke out.
The fire was almost out inthe stovswhen
the hall was closed, at about midnight.
Joe Couture had his face badly burned
while rescuing his children from the
second story Of the hotel.
Nearly all the glass in the front Of the
court house, diagonally across the street,
Was broken by heat.
Joe Couture went to Killarney this
morning to buy lumber with which to
rebuild.