The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-12-06

the fire. Suddenly the cry arose, ''The
walls are falling; back, back" The
crowd surged back for their very
lives, startled by the shout
Firemen dropped their nozzles and
ran to save the apparatus. Great gaps
opened in the walls and bricks from cor
nices dropped into the street with ominous
clatter. Three engines ard the aerial lad
der 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 machines and OBJ
structed the way. Firemen desperately at
tempted to effect a clearance, but it was.
slow work, and it was by superhuman
effort that one engine alone was saved. Lofty
walls of blazing buildings were tottering
and the men were compelled to flee. There
was confused and deafening roar and a
dense cloud of smoke and dust mounted
heavenward. When it cleared away the
luxurious palace of trade had van
ished, only fantastic heap of
bricks, shattered stone, twisted iron beams
and broken columns marking the site. Two
engines which had been stationed at
upright amid the wreck, but ruined beyond
repair. The boiler of No % had burst as
monstrous stone fell directly upon it, fiat
tening it out like mass of tin. The ma
chinery was broken and bent and the wheels
and woodwork were burned entirely away.
1t is melancholy spectacle. The ladder
truck was charred and splintered into a
thousand fragments, and the water tower
was smashed into an indistinguisable
wreck. Viewed from this point of vantage,
the scene was one of thrilling grandeur. Di-
rectly opposite, the towering Ames block,
occupied by Taylor Bros, was ablaZe from
roof to basement. For time it looked
though it, too, would fall, and firemen,
police and reporters gave it wide berth.
| Floors fell in with stunning noise, leaving
but mere shell. From this building the
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 EXPLOSION
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
structure it seemed that broken gas pipes
were playing their part in the confagration.
The immense stone and iron block occu-
pied by Samuel Williams and Brigham &
Co., on the corner of Chauncey street and
Rowe court, market the furthest progress
of the fire in that direction. Although ap-
parently tire-proof as the Alps, it was COM
pletely Quilted. On the corner of Chauncey
and Bedford streets the large block occupied
| by Smith, Hogg & Gardner and others was
| in almost as bad plight, and the buildings
| between these two were utterly destroyed.
The leaping flames succeeded in crossing
Chauncey street to the upper stories
of the huge Allen block, largely
occupied by Farley, Harvey & Co.,
and those adjacent as far as Essex place. 1t
was hard to direct streams of water effect
lively, and for time it seemed as though
Washington street might be reached. The
firemen made grand rally. Many
lines of hose were carried through
the stores on Harrison avenue, the
extension of whose rears was opposite the
rears of those already 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.
| THRILLING RESCUE
from immediate death was made by Officer
Charles Maynes, of division 2, Officer Benia
min, of division 49, and Sleepy" the COL
ored attache of the city hall, about 9:45
o'clock in the building at 80 Chauncey street.
E. E. Whiting a veteran fireman, helped
with the hose on the building Is grew
terribly hot, the walls threatened to fall,
and the cry was raised to get back,
as the roof was caving in. 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 immedi-
ately covered by the heated debris. The
firemen said that he must be killed. Off
GERS Maynes md Benjamin, however,
thought different, and, taking desperate
chances, they braved the furnace-like
heat and the risk of falling walls, and tried
to find the buried man. ''My God, can no
one help mel" was the cry they heard.
This directed them to pile of truck and
timber, under which they found Whiting
imprisoned Frantically 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 injured man. They succeeded in this
and got Whiting out 1t was found that
his right leg was broken, and that he was
frightfully burned about the head, arms and
body and otherwise injured He was driven
with all speed to the city hospital. 1t is be-
lieved that his injuries will prove fatal
Police Sergeant Kimball, Patrolman
Haynes and ex-Councilman David E..
Barry rescued seven people-six women
and one man-from the building at the
corner Of Kingston and Bedford streets
| The smoke had overcome them, and thew