St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-07
Furnished by Two Land Marks
Near the Mississippi
Rivers Brink.
Thousands Witness a Bril-
liant, but Destructive
Illumination.
Barred Out Baptists Decide
to Uphold Their
Pastor.
Doings Of a Day Chronicled
for Hosts Of Read
erS.

nnlSneu supper last evening ana were
! discussing how to spend their leisure
moments, when the Changing of fire bells
startled them, and almost simultaneous
~ the heavens were Illuminated with
bright glare, apparently from the banks
of the Mississippi river. Instantly
throngs hurried to the scene and were
rewarded for their trouble with one of
the grandest spectacles imaginable, for
/ two large frame structures situated at
the corner of Washington and Eagle
streets, and stored with infiamable ma
terial, were envelOped in flames. From
Third street in the open space opposite
the Metropolitan hotel, the best view
was Obtainable, and the low ground at
the base of the hill seemed to be a
Seething, surging, billow of smoke and
fire. while millions of sparks cracked in
the air as they were hurried by the high
wind in westerly direction. 1t was al
most impossible for the fire department
to force its way through the surging and
excited multitude that had forsaken the
sidewalks for the center of the street,
and the police force had their patience
and prowesS put to a severe test in their
efforts to restrain the ardor of the
throng. Along Third street, on the
north side, every window in the numeT-
Gus blocks lining that thoroughfare pre-
scented composite of dozens of heads
eagerly craned forward to witness the
fascinating spectacle, and, although the
heat was intense for awhile, few were
willing to resign their positions for
a SINGLE MOMENT OF RELIEF.
The burning buildings were the plan
ing mill of Shickler 81 Wilson, at the
southeast corner of Washington and
Eagle streets, and the foundry plant of
Maj. John Kelliher on the opposite cor
ner, while several small frame struct-
ureS adjacent contributed to make the
scene more brilliant with their infiam-
mable and thoroughly dried contents.
Hello do you suppose that's fire
over there?" said Capt. BoyingtOn TO
, Officer Ed Delaney as the two stood
talking on the corner of Washington
and Eagle streets. He pointed to a
light in Shickler & Wilson's planning
mill on the opposite corner. They ran
dCltSS llO ollNNl. anu tOOhiliS III lhC
! window. saw a blaze in the shaVings of
the main room on the ground floor. An
alarm was turned in from box ID, but
while the department quickly respond
ed. the large wooden building was in
flames before the firemen
SETTLED DOWN To WORK.
1t was suitable for making red-hot
! fire, and there was Just sufficient wind
to make it interesting for the firemen.
| No. Engine was placed at the water
| plug on the corner across the
! street. 1t had scarcely began working
when the wind carried the flames over
| and set the wooden structure on that
side of the street on fire also. This
building, which was used for a foundry
and a blacksmith shop, was a genuine
Undertook, and the two together made
a hot fire and pretty one.
When the flames swept across the
street from the mill to the foundry the
latter caught so rapidly that the fire.
men were forced to leave the engine at
that corner. A long rope. however,
was attached to it, and it was
finally hauled away from the
plug and up Washington street, but not
until it had been somewhat damaged.
Meantime more apparatus arrived, and
the department confined the flames to
the rapidly burning structures, al
| though some of the buildings near the
two corners
WERE CONSIDERABLY SCORCHED.
Capt. BoyingtOn'S small two-story
wooden dwelling. which stood south of
| the mill, was destroyed. The building
at the northwest corner of Washington
! and Eagle streets, owned by John FOoS
! and occupied by William Sands as a
saloon, had the glass broken by the
! heat and was otherwise damaged to the
amount of 800 or $50.
The building in which the fire mys-
teriOuSly started was comparatively an
old one. 1t belonged to Mrs. r. L. Cor
man, but was being used as a planning
mill and fence mandatory by George
ii. Shckler and Mrs. Kate Wilson
under the firm name of Shickler q
Vision. The building Oh the oppo-
side of the street was owned by Mai.
Kelliher, part of it being used as a black
smith shop and part by the Washington
| Foundry company, composed of kelli-
her IL HawSon. The loss on both
buildings is estimated at $4,000. Sew
eral of the Western Union telegraph
wires which run along Washington
street were burned down, in fact but
few of them remained on poles.
The lines running from the operating
rooms of the general offices of the
Omaha general offices were rendered
useless, as were the Milwaukee's wires.
Men were at once put to work to repair
the damage and Supt. Harry
Hope expected to have them in
shape again in few hours.
Two or three loads of hay
belonging to some farmers and which
had been left standing near the mill
went up in smoke. The foundry plant
had recently been refitted and improved
throughout and was comparatively new,
but the planning mill, together with the
old cooper shop adjoining, had long
been regarded as dangerous from its an
tiquity and tumble-down appearance.
Insurance experts who were on the
ground estimated the loss would be
from $4,000 to $50, 600, about One-half OF
which would be covered by insurance
Onthe planning mill there was an insur-
ance of $1,000 on the building, s., 800 Oh
the machinery and about $4,000 on
stock, while on the foundry building
the insurance was 1000. stock and fix,
lures s., 500, and on the cooper shop
there was an Insurance of 81 800. These
amounts are divided between or thirty
companies, the highest risk being 81, 900
while the remainder will range from
$500 to 500 on buildings, material anC
machinery.
He Gave In.
swell, after all, I'll have to admit
that corset is "a thing of beauty if mo-
"a JOY forever" said an old fellow yes
| tprdaV after a long careful look at thf