St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-23
Wopkmen PoWerleSS to Check
the Devastation for Lack
of Water.
Picturesque Uniforms and
Bright Faces Photographed
at the Lookout.
Mirth and Jollity Reign Su-
ppeme in a Summit Ave-
nue. Mansion.

The factory and shops of the Mime
sofa Carriage and Sleigh company, at
St. Paul Park, were burned to the
ground yesterday afternoon. At II
O'Clock the factory shut down for the
employees left for their dinners. They
were hardly out of the building, how
ever, when the engineer discovered fire
in the second story and blew an alarm
on the factory whistle. The employees
of the company and citizens of the SUBJ
urb responded with alacrity to the
hoarSe sounds of distress from the great
whistle. but the flames had already
gained too great headway
to be controlled, and IN half
an hour the imposing manufactory was
a mass of Smouldering ruins. No
sooner had the utter useltSSneSs OF any
attempt to fight the flames become
apparent than willing hands began re-
moving such of the Sto;.k and ma
chinery as could be saved. Several
pieces of machinery and a number of
buggies and carriages in various stages
of completion we're removed
FROM THE DOOMED BUILDING,
but the men engaged in the work were
finally driven off, and could but stand
at distance and watch the big institu-
ton go up in smoke. The fire spread
with wonderful rapidity, and in less
than twenty minutes from the time
of the engineers discovery the
whole building was enyeloped in
flames. The eighteen inch stone walls
withstood the heat firmly for while,
and afte, the falling of the roof all
within was a roaring furnace. The
west wall is still in good condition, but
it was thought last evening that the
east end wall would fall before
morning. The origin of the fire is un-
known. but it is believed to have
started in the vanishing room from the
heating apparatus. The steam pipes
there are heated to the highest possible
temperature and are supposed to have
charred and ignitpd the woodwork.
The total loss, as estimated by e. L..
Spl ncer, president of the company,
Will reach nearly $4,000. The stock on
hand he valued at aboutssS50. 900. the
building at $4,000, and machincy at
$1,000; with an insurance of S40,0 on
stock, S10,tG0 Oh the building, and $1,000
on machinery. The building, erect ed
n 1887. was mammoth
TWo-STcRY STONE STRUCTURE
225 feet in length by 80 feet in width.
with q large addition 100X40 feet, and
another 24x50 feet.
President Spencer stated last evening
that the works would be rebuilt as soon
as possible. AL the stock in process of
manufacture was already under con-
tract, and they were several days be-
hind their orders. In two large barns
near the shops was stored large stock
of cutters and sleiglis, which is about all
that is saved. These" said j. II. Ken
nedy. vice president of the company,
''are of little use to us for a year, and
we would much sooner have seen them
burned than the stock that was lost. !"
The factory was located at st. Paul
Park, on the east side of the river. and
about nine miles below ST. Paul, near
Newport. They have absolutely no
protection from fire. The st. Paul Knit
ting works were burned at the same
place about year ago. The carriare
company had a large water tank with
hose connections nearly completed, pro-
posing to take advantage of the expert
ence of the knitting company. but de-
layed its construction little teo long.
The following is a partial list of the
insurance companies who had risks on
the building.: