St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-29
SCENES ABOu THE FIRE.

SCENES ABOu The FIRE.
Many Narrow Escapes From
Death and Several Persons In
jured.
BOSToN, Nov. 2S.-The scenes about
the fire were replete with excitement
and activity. The police were prompt
in ripping off the streets and keeping
back the crowds. leaving ample room
gineS putfed. ruInbled and emitted tor
rents of black smoke, while hose lines
10y the score lay in twisted, tangled
web up and down the street for blocks
on all sides. The territory bounded
10y Kingston, Bedford and Chauncey'
streets was the principal JIleater of de-
StructiOn. Here the cOntiagratiOu lev
eled everything. Within an hour after
the first alarm sounded the whole
structure of Brown, DurrelI & Co.'s
building Collapsed with a tremendous
crash. Tie flames were darting
from doors and windows and
the interior of the block was
glowing furnace. Dry goods and
other combustible materials with which
the floors were packed burned to a
white heat. Granite crumbled, and
iron girderS melted away like ice. The
streams from the engines were dssipat-
ed in vapOr before they touched the fire.
Suddenly the cry arse:
THE WALLS ARE FALLING! @
back, back" The crowd surged back
for their very lives. startled 10y the
shout. Firemen dropped their nOZZles
and ran to save the apparatus. Great
gaps opened in the walls. and bricks
from cOrnices dropped into the street
with Ominuus clatter. Three engines
and the aerial ladder and water tower
were in immediate danger, and their
crews buckled TO the task of getting them
out of harms way. Every moment was
one of peril. Masses of tangled electric
wires blocked the wheels of the ma
chimes and obStructed the way. Fire
men desperately attempted to effect
clearance. but it WAS slow work, and it
was by Superhuman effort that one
engine was alone saved. Lofty walls
of blazing buildings were tottering aud
the men were compelled to flee. There
was confused IN deafening
roar and dense cloud of smoke
and dust mounted heavenward. When it
cleared away. the luxurious palace of
trade had vanished, only a fantastic
heap of bricks. shattered stone, twisted
iron beams and broken columns mark
ing the site. Two engines which had
been stationed at Chauncey and Bed
ford streets, still stood upright amid the
wreck, but ruined beyond repair. The
boiler of No. % had burst as mons
trous stone fell directly upon il. fatten-
ing it out like a mass of tin. The
machinery was broken and bent ard the
wheels and wood woik were burned EN-
tlrely aWaV. 1t was
a MELANCHOLY SPECTACLE.
The ladder truck was charred and
spllntered into thousand fragments,
and the water tower was smashed into
an indlstinguishabe wreck. Viewed
was one of thrilling grandeur. Directly
opposite. the tow ering Ames block, oc-
cupled by Taylor Bros, was
ablaze from roof to basement. For
time it looked as though ait
too. would fall, and tiremen, police and
reporters gave it wide berth. Floors
fell in with stunning noise, leaving but
a'mere shell. From this building the
fire was steadily eating its way through
to Chauncey street despite the thousands
of gallons of water thrown upon it. A
succession of sharp explosions indicated
the force of the compressed and heated
air in the various rooms and offices. and
from the exceedingly brilliant flames
that continuously darted through the
wall of smoke which overhung the
doomed structures, it seemed that
broken gaspipes were playing their
part in the conflagration. The immense
stone and iron block occupied 10y Sam
uel Williams and Brighton & Co, OH
the corner of Chauncey street and
Rowe court, marked the furthest pro-
gress of the fire in that direction. al.
til )ugh apparently
FIRE PROOF AS THE ALPS
it was completely Quilted. On the cor
ner of Chauncey and Bedford streets,
the large block occupied 10y Smith,
Hogg Il Gardner and others was In al
most as bad plight, and the buildings
between these two were utterly de-
stroyed. The leaDing flames succeeded
in crossing Chauncey street to the upper
stories of the huge Allen block. largely
occupied by Farley, Harvey Il Co.,
and those adjacent as far as Essex
place. 1t was hard to direct streams of
water effectively, and for time it
seemed aS though Washington street
might be reached. The fremen here
made grand rally. Many lines of hose
were carried through the stores OH Har-
rears was opposite the rears of those al
ready burning, and the foe was strongly
fought. Other hose was taken up
stairs and used underneath and from
windows across on Bedford street. Still
other streams were directed upon the
flames, and finally the further progress
of the fire was stayed. A thrilling res
cue from Immediate death was made by
Officer Charles Maynes. of Division 2,
Officer Benjamin, of Division 16, and
sleepy" the colored attache of the
city hall. about 9:45 O'Clock in the build
ing. ~ Chauncey street. Edward f.
Whiting, veteran fireman, helped
with the hose on the building.
1T GREW TERRIBLY HOT,
the walls threatened to fall in and the
cry was raised to get back. as the roof
was cavng i'm. A desperate rush was
made by all hands to get out of reach of
the tumbling bricks. and all escaped
save Whiting. He was struck, Knocked
down and Immediately covered by the
heated debris. The tiremen said that
he must be killed. Officers Maynes
and Benjamin, however, thought
different, and, taking desperate
chances, they braved the furnace-like
beat and the risk of falling walls and
tried to find the buried man. ''My God,
can no one help me-" was the cry they
heard. This directed them to pile of
truck and timber, under which they
fourd Whiting imprisoned. FranticaIIy
they pulled and hauled at the hot
debris. Every moment they expected
to be killed with falling stones or set on
fire by the seething flames which darted
out in every direction. Bravely they
kept at work, however. They got hold
of Writings arms and tried to
pull him out, but the burned
skin and flesh came off IN their
hands. Once more they dug away at
the debris to free the burned and in
jured men. They succeeded i'm this
and got Whiting out 1t was found that
his right leg was broken, that he was
frightfuiy burned about the head. arms
and body and Otherwise injured. He
was drived with all speed to the city
hosyital. 1t is believed that his injuries
will prove fatal. Police Sergeant Kim
ball. Patrolman Haynes and Ex-Coun-
Gilman David E. Barry rescued seven
peOple-siX women and one. man.