St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-30

MISCELLANEOUS AGENCIES.
Howard. N. 8, 900
Commerce, Albany ny.... 1000
Spring Garden--- ---.-------.----... l.VOO
NJ. ID. Millers agency. l5,OOO
Total $4,000
Grand total. s1OO, 600
The rest of the insurance is said to be
divided among companies represented by
Marvin Bros, A. Il. Wilgus, Stout. Shep-
hard, G. w. Lamson and others. The in
surance men were loud in their praises of
Chief Black, Assistant Chief jackson and
! Capt. Kelliher and the men under them for
their admirable work In handling this fire.
The flames were under control within an
hour and before IL o'clock were COM
pletely extinguished.
HISTORY OF THE FIRM.
The Ryan Drug company is compare
lively new firm. 1t was started May 1,
1882, under the firm name of Merell, Sahl-
gaard & Thwing. In June, 1884, Sahl-
gard and Thwng retired and Dennis Ryan
purchased an interest in the business which
was conducted under the title Of Mer-s
ell, Ryan & Co., until May, 1885, when
the present firm was organized, consisting
of Dennis Ryan. A. Bethune. HI. d.
| Souires and }. w. Bell. Mr.. Ryan paid
|
terest being cared for by Mr.. Bethune, who
assumed the duties of general manager, for
which position he was well fitted,
he having been engaged in the
business since 1869. n. ID. Squires was
buyer for the firm, and J. A. Bell superin-
tended the sales department The firm
usually carried stock of $3.50, 600, and did
business of $3.50. 900 a year. The COM
panY employed fifty men in the house, and
large lumber of travelling salesmen. The
house was rated on an especially firm
financial business
The building burned shad frontage Of
SO feet by depth of 130 and was five stories
and basement. In the basement were stored
heavy goods. glassware, paints and oils, var
nishes and other inflammable material. The
main sales room was the first floor
filed with samples and considerable
quantity of stock goods. The second floor
was the order-rOom. with the packing de-
partment in the rear. On the third floor,
where the fire originated, was the labora-
tory, where the raw materials
were prepared, the wet-room, where
they were put up. On this floor were
stored the essential oils, the patent medi-
cines, of which the company had large
quantity on hand, and the liquors. most of
which would burn readily, and added to the
speed with which the flames reached the
roof. On the fourth floor were stored drugs
in mass, the shop furniture. consisting of
bottles, mortars and other drug supplies
such as were sold for fitting up drug stores.
On the fifth and top floor were medicines
i'm unbroken quantities, large stocks of
which filled almost the entire floor. 1t will
be seen from the above that the entire ar
rangement and the nature of the goods was
such that when once fire got headway il
, was inevitable that it should gut the floors.
SPARKS.
At one time it looked as though the build
ing across the alley in the rear, and front
ing on Wacouta street would have TO go,
and telephone emplOye rushed into the
Office occupied by the Northwestern Paint
company. He tore the instrument from the
: wall and carried it out of the threatened
! ! building.
Large crowds visited the fire and filled
the streets in all directions They YerS
I kept outside the fire line by the police, who
! succeeded in keeping the crowd at least {
block away.
The books of the firm of Foot, Schulze
Co. were rescued early in the evening by {
y number of employees and taken to the stor
4 of Auerbach, Finch & Van Slyck.
I Several hose burst and furnished merri
: ment to the crowds as some luckless by
e stander would get the benefit of the rush o
e water from the break.
n A great many employees of neighborin
: business houses were about the scene of tn
o confiagration prepared TO rescue the book
o should it become necessary.
/ Engine No. s is a dandy. The spark
IS from its smoke stack shot straight into th
e air to the top of the tlve-story buildings i
), the vicinity.
If The firemen stood to their work bravely
V and resembled lot of ice statues, S
3 heavily coated with ice were their gal
5. mentS.
* The Ryan Drug company will still con
tinue business, as the advertisement in thi
paper shows. They are prepared to I'LL a
D. orders.
10 One insurance man on the scene locke
$. as if he had the mumps. and ruefull
" watched the progress of the finmes.
A shower of sparks fell from the burnin
building that completely discounted a
10 pyrotechnics.
As Chief Clark, Capt. Bresette, Lieut.
M Walsh and large squad of police were o
M hand.
90 Fire-lines were erected on all sides an
90 the crowds were kept back by the police.
90 The police regulations were excellent an
W the fiIemen had plenty of room to work
M M Some of the engines throwing water q
90 the building were four blocks away.
90 1.-The colored troops fought nobly.
Oo They got there with Chemical No. 4.
al Every engine in the city was doing dut