St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-02
TWO men SMOTHERED
An Early Morning Blaze at
the Old Washington
House.
The Prompt Fire Department
Work Prevents a Dread
full Scene.
Lorenzo Rinalde and Christie
pheP Putt SmothePed by
Smoke.
A Bad Blaze, but One That
Might Easily Have Been
Worse.

At 1870 yesterday morning, shortly
after news had been received from Min
neapoliS that the disastrous fire was
under control, an alarm was RING i'll
from the union depot, warning the de-
partment of st. Paul that the fire tiend
had changed the scene of his opera
tions. Several companies responded
promptly, and in very few seconds
water was being poured upon flames
which were issuing from the old Wash
ingtOn house, opposite the depot. The
house is occupied by George ". Tusser
as a hotel. and was ut the time of the
outbreak pretty we'll filed with tran
silent guests. mostly laborerS on their
way to points East and West. The fire
had obtained a firm grip on the struct-
ure before the alarm was turned in, and
the most that could be done by the fire
men was to cheek the progress OF the
flames and save adjoining property.
ANXIOUS INQUIRIES WERE HEARD
in every direction whether all the men
sleeping in the building had been res
cued, but no one seemed capable of an
swering with any degree of certainty.
Several who weSe known to have been
sleeping in the house were missing, and
it soon became apparent that there were
stlll several persons in the place, prob
ably rendered unconscious by the
SIN ke, and in imminent danger
of their lives. Despite the
dozen or so streams of water which
poured into and ab0tit the doomed struct-
ure, the flames still leapt iiercely up
ward, and it was seen that any one in
the building must perish unEess taken
out at once. A reSeHing party was at
once organized. consisting OF Capts.
Ashley and Stropp, of Truck No. s. and
Rogers, n ogha, Shephauser and Hardl-
gan, of No. 2. These forced their way
through the intense heat and smoke
which burst from the windows, and as
they disappeared amid the murky clouds
of smoke which burst from the windows.
a shout went up from the crowd OF hack
men and other spectators which had
gathered across the street. In few
moments thtCa WAS another shout,
caused this time by the reappeaaance OF
the reseuers carr, Ing in their midst the
apparently lifeless
BODIES OF TWO MEN,.
"More ladders" was the cry, and
with these supplied the reseuers and
their fearfully inert burdens were
landed once more in the street. A sec
ond trip was about TO be made by the
intrepid six when it was aseertained be-
yond all doubt that no others were in
the building, and the last trip, which
would most likely have proved fatal
to one or more of the fire
men, was abandoned. A hasty
/ but thorough examination of the bodies
taken from the building by several ply
sicianS, who had been summoned to the
spot. proved that the herculean efforts
of the brigade to save life had after all
been without avail. Life was extinct
in both cases. death having been caused
by smothering rather than burning.
Neither of the victims was disiigured to
any extent. The coroner ordered the
bodies removed to the mOrgue, where
! they now lie. Ii develops that one of
| the bodies is that of Lorenzo Rinalde,
an Italian who arrived FL the city yes
| terday from Butte. Mont. and was en-
/ route for his home in Italy when
DEATH OVERLOOK HIM.
| D. Dagloria. an Italian fruit dealer.
| doing business at 153 West Third street,
| is an intimate friend of the dead man,
and exhibits several letters recently
| received from him. stating his intention
/ OF returning at, once to Italy, where
his home IS IN tho DirOsetO Val
Tortoise, Provincial Di Foggia.
The other victim :, is young
Swiss, nineteen years. of age,
named Christopher Putt. Putt was an
| employee of the house and slept in the
rear part of the second story. His
parents reside at 81 West Seventh
| street. where they were notified of the
catastrophe. The stock and fixtures
were owned by Tusser, who claims to be
| unable to give an estimate <Of their
| value, but states that he carried
| $1,000 insurance in :. various COM
panies. The building is owned by
ID. II. Valentine. and is partially in
! sured. A great portion of the stock in
| the shOL adjoining. and pertaining to
| the hotel, was saved Intact. the furni-
ture in the latter. however, being en-
| tirely consumed Coroner Quinn will
hold an inquest on the bodies Of the
| victims at p. N. to, day.
The Washington house was one of
the oldest buildings in the city, and a
veritable fire trap.