St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-16
BIG SUNDAY BLAZE.
The Beautiful Church Of the
Redeemer a Mass of
Ruins.
Nothing But the Four Gables
and the Spire Remains
Standing.
A Tough Fight for the Fire
Laddies With Fire and
Frost.
Loss and Insurance Even--
Several Small Fires Last
Night.

The beautiful Church of the Redeem
er, Minneapolis, one of the most elegant
and costly of the religious edifices of
this city of churches, was entirely con-
sumed by fire yesterday. Nothing but
the four bare gables and. the tall spire
remain to the people of that fiOurishing
congregation. The fire began at $3.50
yesterday morning and burned steadily
until after 8 at night before the destruc-
ton of the building was complete,
though its salvation was hopeless from
the first. 1t is generally believed the
origin was in disconnected tlue of a
furnace undergoing repairs. The jan
itOr was sick yesterday and sent his
son to heat the church. and the boy was
unaware OF the fact that one of the five
furnaces WsS being repaired. He built all
of the fires and was at work busting
the auditorium when he discovered
smoke rising through the floor. The
furnace room was filled with smoke,
and was thereafter sealed, so that the
exact origin will never be known. The
boy ran to the street, and Officer De-
lanO endeavOred to send an alarm from
the box at the corner of First avenue
and Eighth street; but three efforts
failed, and he had to go to Twelfth
street to get an alarm in. By that time
the fire had gained great headway, and
when the superintendent arrived not
even the main auditorium could be en-
tered. In the meantime, however, the
first floor was forced and the piano,
pictures and other articles of value
rescued. For twelve hours, in the Bit
ter frigid weather, the firemen fought
the flames, but at such disad-
vantage that only the stone walls
grafton of the neighborh0od.
The water supply itself was limited and
as the mercury was about 80 deg. below
zero at the time, the apparatus was
handled with the greatest difficulty.
The large windows of the church were
covered with heavy wire netting, which
served to further impede the work of
the fremen, which was, of necessity,
all done from the outside. EightSteam-
erS were put to work and double that
many streams played upon the fire, but
the long range gave the cold an OppOr-
tunity to act and the water was broken
into spray and fell in Sleet. The heat
and smoke within made it impossible to
CHtCI lHO puiiNillS. Qilu Ill lildt COulu NC
done was to play upon it from the out
side.
1t is always difficult to extinguish
burning auditorium, and in this case
it was doubly so. The pitch of the floor,
with the numerous timber supports
made necessary, gave plenty of inliam-
mable material and the fire rOared on
unmolested. 1t was o'clock, or after
the fire had been in progress over six
hours, that the huge roof tell with
succession of crashes. From this time
forward the fire burned slowly and
burned out, leaving at night only the
spire and the four high gables standing.
The building was constructed of fine
blue stone, which was also the material
used iii the face of the tower, SO that
interior work. The wall toward
Third avenue is believed to be dam
aged, but experts say most of the
stone work is uninjured. The spire,
with its magnificent chime, is not badly
damaged, so far as could be judged, and
the bells will be found all right.
The firemen did brave work, when the
circumstances are considered, and de-
serve praise for their efforts. The
frightful cold was almost uncomfortable,
and the list Of casualties is not to be
wondered at. a glance at the ruins last
night VIXEN the work was done gave the
best idea Of the intense cold. The
scene has not been equaled since the
burning of the Academy of Music IN
1854. The high walls had the appear
ance of having thrown over them a
heavy network OF lace, which sparkled
in the moonlight as if powdered with
diamonds. Clear to the top of the Spire
the CRYSTALS clung, giving the ruins a