The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-31
Several Business Houses on
Atlantic Avenue De-
stroyed by Fire.
Good Fortune alone stood in
the way Of a Disastrous
Conflaragation.
A Close Gall for the Town.

At about $3.50 O'Clock last Friday
evening, while the stormy winds
blew stronger far than at any other
time this winter, the awful alarm of
Ere was sounded to our citizens. In.
vestigatiOn soon located the cause of
the alarm in the upper story of the
old Sun office in rooms occupied by F.
NJ. HeSler and family. All that strong
hands and willing hearts could do was
done to keep the flames from spread
ing further, but of no avail. The
fire was slow in breaking out through
the building, but, as stated. there
was O hard storm raging at the time
and hard wind was blowing directly
over all the other frame buildings in
the block, and, once exposed, the
flames spread rapidly, and despite all
efforts. in thirty minutes all of the
frame buildings in the block. except
lug the Sun office, were in ruins.
Everything tended TO make the
scene dreadful one. Many strong
hearts quailed as they looked upon it
and contemplated the fate that for a
time see med almost certain to befall
the town. To add to the threatening
aspect of the affair the fire engines
refused to do their work and the
flames had to be given full sway to
lick up all that came within their
reach. The hook and ladder company
did good work by tearing away parts
of the burning buildings to which
neighboring frame structures were
exposed, and it is to this work and to
the fact that the flames were obstruct.
ed by the brick block the Abstract
Agency and First National bank build.
ings, that the rest of the business
portion of the town was saved. And
it is probable that even these favor
able circumstances would not have
been sufficient to prevent the further
spreading of the fire had there not
been thick covering of frozen snow
on the roofs of the other business
buildings. For more than an hour 4
regular storm of sparks, cinders and
flying pieces of burning boards and
shingles, carried the whole length of
Atlantic avenue. endangered the rest
of the town, =:
Fortunately, however, the destruct-
i've element was confined to a small
district and com laratively but slight
damage was done.
For small fire there were quite d
number who suffered. F. NJ. Hester
lost part of his household furniture,
no insurance; Geo. E. Darling, loss
on building, $4,000, insurance, ST. 500.
In this and in the store building of F.
E. Newell were stored $4,000 bushels
of oats, insurance 4,5OO;H. Whitley,
loss on building occupied by laundry,
81 900. insurance $3.50; on his laundry
Fred Bunnell loses about 5000, no
insurance; F. E. Newell's store build
ing, loss $4,000, insurance 81 500, and
besides Mr.. Newell lost $500 worth of
goods, balance of his stock of general
merchandise, upon which he had nu
Tho AnnSnN,% 0rl1 q
Hibernlans' hall was in the second
story of this building. Their loss is
about $75, nearly all of their property
being saved, Next in the order OF
the fire was the building of DR.. D. r.
Sutherland, loss $500, no insurance
This building was occupied ny II. T
Bevans as law office. but he saved
his library, furniture etc, with
slight il, any, damage.
The fire was in dangerous proximity
to the SCN office building. and its con
tents were removed to a safe distance
into the street. The damage incur
red by the removal was $3.50; covered
by insurance. The total loss was over
$13 900,
The insurance companies interested
are the following: Hekla, of Madison
Wis, Queens of Liverpool, German
American, of New York, CONNER
cial Union, London; Orient. of Hart
ford, Conn.,; and State, of Dss Moines
Iowa.