St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-22

half an hour before when he went to his
breakfast On his return the entire
foyer seemed ablaZe, and fire was climb
ing the supporting columns and rapidly
spreading throughout the front of the
house. An alarm was at once turned in
from the box on the stage, and a prompt
response by several companies and
pieces of apparatus resulted, but the
cOnflagration had gained such Roadway
that the firemen were unable to con-
tend with success against the destroy
ing element. A general alarm soon fol-
lowed, bringing out the entire depart
ment, and the battle which ensued for
three long hours between the fiery ele-
ment on one side and the small army of
trained and
EXPERIENCED FIRE FIGHTERS
on the other was interesting to behold.
At 8 o'clock the full force or the de-
partment was battling heroically against
the flames, and deluge of water was
pouring into the building, the firemen
having occupied every available point
of vantage. The fire ragged so tiercely
that there seemed very little chance of
saving the building. The flames rap
idly advanced to the stage, taking hold
of the curtains and dry stage settings,
and spreading rapidly to the top of the
house. transforming the interior of the
building into glowing furnace.
At $50 o'clock the flames burst
through the roof of the build
ing, adjoining the opening on the
Fourth street side, and shot high into
air above the tall smokestack. This
seemed to be the seat of the fire, and the
point was attacked by the firemen with
renewed vigor, bnt their efforts were all
to no purpose. About 9 o'clock the
great roof gave way and went crashing
to the bottom of the fiery pit, sending
up a cloud of debris, fire and smoke.
The fire continued to rage fercely
within the four walls of the opera
house proper, and the efforts OF the de-
partment were required to prevent the
blaze spreading to the Grand block in
front and the Court block in the rear.
The iron fire doors at the windows of
these buildings were heated
TO A WHITE HEAT
and only constant work by the depart
ment prevented the destruction of this
building. Two or three times the fire
gained slight Roadway in the Grand
and Court blocks, but was promptly eX-
tinguished, and it is thought that the
damage to either block will not exceed
5000. There was, however, great dam
ger that both would be consumed, and
the panic-stricken tenants evacuated
their rooms, fearing a general cOntia-
grafton. In both buildings many
women, who were aroused from their
slumbers by the alarm of fire, fled to
the ground floor very Scantily attired.
| A heavy canvas was stretched from the
windows of the Grand block and valu-
| able libraries of the lawyers and other
professional tenants were shot from
every story to the ground without DAM
age. Several of the occupants of the
Frost block also moved out.
The origin OF the fire is unknown,
| and no one is able to positively locate
| the exact portion of the house in which
it started. 1t is supposed to have begun
| in the cloak room at the right of the
main entrance. The estimated loss is
| placed at about 100000, but the actual
/ The insurance held by the Davidson
estate upon the building. scenery and
! effects is as follows:
| Concordia Fire Insurance Company Of
| Milwaukee. ........ Isl 200
| Buffalo German Insurance Company
| of New York ........... 10000. 49, 900
! The Northern Insurance Company of
London, Eng ......... 80. ........2, SOC
| The Norwich Union Fire Insurance
| Society OF Norwich. Eng ..........2, SOC
| The Liverpool, London and Globe In
su1ance company 1900. 80. z.5o0
| The Peoples Insurance Company of
| Pittsburg OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ], DOC
| The California Insurance company =. 1 800
| The Insurance Company of North
America .......... :............2,5 oG
| The Franklin Insurance Company of
Philadelphia 49,. 49,. -. 9, SOC
Hanover Fire Insurance Company and
| the Citizens Fire Insurance Company
| of New York ......:...... -. 2,0OC
! The British American Insurance Com
pany of Toronto. Can. -.........ef ,60t
the German American Insurance Com