St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-29
A Serious sunday Fire.
special TO the Globe.

Special TO the GLOBE.
BRAINERD. March 2S.-Brainerd. at an
EARLY hour this morning, was visited by a
most destructive condagration, which laid
IN ashes a considerable portion of the mag
liiceut railroad shops of the Northern IA
cilic. As the Waterman was making ms
rounds shortly after he noticed bright
light in the planning mill department, ana
upon investigation discovered that the gust
tower was in flames. He Immediately
gave the alarm by sounding the shop
whistle, which was taken up by the loco
motives in the vicinity and soon became
general. In the meantime the flames had
spread so rapidly that the whole
building was burning like tim
der. and adjacent buildings were
threatened. BY the time the fire depart
ment arrived on the ground the devOuring
flames had obtained such Roadway that4ittle
could be done TO check their advance, aud
the destruction OF all the shop buildings on
the north side of the railroad tracks was
looked upon as inevitable. Finding il inn
possible to fight the fire with any show OF
success principally from the fact that sew
eral OF the hydrantS were found 10 be
frozen, the tiremen and citizens turned
their attention TO saving the property of the
company in the immediate vicinity.
THE FIRE RACED
for about two hours, burning the following
buildings to the ground: Planning mill,
machine shop, pattern shops and upholSter
ing shop of the car department, the old
round house, where the freight work was
done and the general fOreman'S office. These
were all wooden buildings. The
roof Of a brick building used as bolt shop
was also burned. The remainder of the
snop buildings, being of brick and stone,
with slate roofs. were saved. Between
thirty-fve and forty freight cars We're
burned. bes dies all the expensive ma
chinery. tools. etc, and some SO, 900 worth
of stock in the various shops. \ number
of new coaches We're badly scOrched. 1t is
impossible at this time To give truthful
estimate of the loss on buildings, cars. ma
chnery. stock. tools, ETC.; but railroad
officials place it at anywhere from $3.50. 600
10 100000. The loss is supposed to be en-
tirely covered by insurance: which was
placed on the blanket plan with the Lon
don. Liverpool x Globe. About 125 men
may be temporarily thrown out of employ
ment, though notices have been posted
about the grounds for them to report as
usual tomorrow morning. They will. ii is
understood. be put to work clearing up the
debris. Mr.. Barber had just received in
structiOns to increase the force in these de-
partments. 1t is Semi-oficalIy stated that
larger and
MORE SUBSTANTIAL BUILDINGS
will be Immediately erected to take the
place Of the old one. and not one of the
employees will lose his situation. Supt.
Cushing will arrive here tomorrow for the
purpose of consulting with other officials.
and viii no doubt take prompt action. 1t
is thought that the fire originated from
sparks from the smokestack. which ignited
a pile of shayings in the dust tower Quite
q breeze was stirring at the time, which in
a very few seconds famed the flames into d
disastrous fire. The buildings burned con-
stituted the original plant OF the railroad
shops, and were built in 1871. The main
shops, which stand south of the track.
were put up in 1850, and are built of brick
and stone with slate roofs. There are six
of these large buildings which were not in
jured by the fire 1t is contidentially pre-
dcted chat the company WI at once erect
larger buildings Of tireproof character to
take the place Of the burned ones. thus
greatly increasing the capacity of the shops.
at this point the disaster. it is understood.
will not materially interfere with the orders
now on hand. as the company have ample
facilities for getting out the work.