St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-14
FoOte, Schulze B. Co.'s Whole
sale Establishment Com
pletely Quilted by Fire.
Over a Quarter Of a Million
Dollars Worth Of Property
Goes UP in Smoke.
Dense Smoke Kept Back the
Firemen and Many We're
SuffOcated.
Losses Covered by Insurance
and the Firm Has Re-
Sumed Business.

+ The second big fire in the wholesale
district within month broke out in the
wholesale boot and shoe store and man
ufact0ry of FO0te, Schulze IL Co., yes
terday morning, eutailing a loss, before
it could be controlled, estimated at over
S260,000. The Quilted house occupied
the northwest corner of Third and Wa
cOuta streets, just opposite the ruins of
Beaupre, Keogh & Co. S wholesale gro
Gerry, which burned Jan. II.
The origin of the fire can only be
guessed at. Mr.. Schumacher. one of the
firm, is of the opinion that it started in
the factory room on the top floor, but has
no theory as to what caused it. A
night fireman and night Waterman
are stationed in the building during the
mig hit, and it is the duty of the watch
man to make the rounds of the building
every hour. He went through the
building at 5 O'Clock yesterday morning,
and noticed nothing wrong. At $40
the mercurial alarm sounded at Central
fire hall. and the firemen came. The
smoke was coming from the windows
of the top floors, but the Waterman
was sure there was no fire
in that building. The firemen first en-
tered the Ryan Drug company's store,
next door, looking for the fire. and soon
discovered their mistake. An alarm was
sent in from box % at 500. and more
apparatus came. The fire in the mean
time gained Roadway, and the smoke
became so dense throughout the build
ing that it was impossible to enter and
locate the blaze. A second alarm was
sounded at 6:32, and at 6:36 followed a
general alarm, calling every piece of
fire apparatus in the city into action.
Ladders were strung on every side of
the building, and the
FIREMEN FOUGHT HARD
to gain an entrance, but the smoke drove
them back. Following the elevator
shafts the fire spread to every part of
the building in an incredibly short
time. The water supply was abundant
and thirteen streams poured their con-
tents into the windows, deluging every
floor, until the water ran out in little
rivers, but the volume of smoke in
creased every moment. The firemen
did their duty unfinchingly and
many of them were disabled
by SuffOcation. Company No.
did especially commemorate work
on the Third street front, holding their
own until every man was overcome.
Lieut.. Opel, O1 NO. I, LIEUT.. GOfIlaln,
of Hook and Ladder No. 2, and Pipe
man Helleis, of No. 6, were so badly
suffOcated that they were retired and
carried back to their quarters. About
9 O'clock HOSeman McClOud. Of No. 2,
was hit in the back while climbing
ladder by hose nozzle, which broke
away from the man at his rear. The
blow nearly knocked him over, but he
held his post until relieved. His spine
was badly injured. Fifteen of the fire
men were laid up last night, including
Second Assistant Chief Kelieher, whose
lungs were affected by the smoke. AT
1880 o'clock the fire was we'll under
control, but it was 2:30 in the afternoon
before the firemen ceased to work.
Every floor from top to bottom in
Foote, Schulze & Co.'s store was badly
Quilted. but the walls stood intact. A
fire wall separates the Ryan Drug COM
pany from the burned building, and
this kept back the flames, but smoke
and water did a great deal of damage in
the Drug cOmpany's stock. At one
time it was feared that the Northwest
ern Paint Works, just across the
alley in the rear, would take fire, but
this was averted, although tunnel
connects the two buildings.
WELL. INSURED.
All losses are fully covered by insur-
ance. The stock, machinery and fix
lures of FOOte, SchulZe IL Co., were
valued at the round sum of 100000.
Estimating the salvage at IS per cent,
the loss is 1925, ZOO. The firm carried
insurance in the following agencies:
WEED a. LAWRENCE.