St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-01
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Three Hundred Men Thrown
Out Of Work by the Leigh
ton Mill Fire.
The Republican County Con-
vention To-day--Signs Of
a Squally Time.
Rev. j. A. Dowie's Compli-
mentS to Rev. D. j.
Burpell.
The Great Railroad Strik g
Discussed--The EXPOSE
ton To-day.

At $50 yesterday morning an alarm
of fire was turned in from Box 146, on
the east side of the river, near the end
of the Plymouth avenue bridge. A few
minutes later second alarm was re-
ceived from the box near the west end
of the bridge, and few minutes later
third alarm was sounded. BY these
three alarms no less than fourteen ell
gines, as many hose companies, and
half-dozen hook and ladder trucks
and supply wagons, were called to the
west end of Plymouth avenue bridge,
on the river bank, where stood the
Leighton mill. Bot it stands there no
longer. Only the tall. sentinel-like
Smokestack and charred beams remain.
The mill has been running night and
day. and had just shut down in the
morning when the fire started. The
men were not more than block away,
in fact all of them had not yet gone
when the mill was enveloped in a fam
ing sheet. John Flannery, the day
Waterman, had just come on duty, and
he it was who first saw the fire.
when | saw the fire first" said
Flannery yesterday, sit was justa small
blaze in the floor over the boilers. |
made rush for the big whis-
tie. the valve string of which
was not over fifteen feet from me. but
the flames drove me back before | could
reach it. My clothes were in closet
within ten feet of where L stood, but l
could not get them. the fire came up so
rapidly. never saw anything like it.
When l first saw the fire it was just
little blaze. but the whole mill, $50 feet
long, was in flames before man could
clothes q
watch and little money, but | guess
l did well to get out alive from that
fire. didn't think anything could burn
so rapidly. 1t went up just like fash"
The gang sawyer and the foreman
were in the mill when the fire started,
working around a saw. They, too, were
driven out without time being given
them to get their clothes or their tools.
The fire department made quick run
to the playground of the flames. but
they were too late to do anything
toward saving the mill. That was
practically destroyed fifteen minutes
ands of feet of which was piled around,
was saved. The ends OF few piles we've
charred slightly, but the damage to the
lumber is comparatively nothing. The
mill, however, is Total toss. although
some of the machinery, particularly the
shafting, may be all right.
The mill was built eight years ago,
this being the ninth season of its opera
Jion. 1t was owned by O. G. Merriman,
F. c. Barrows and N. q. Leighton, and
was leased and operated by Fred s.
Stevens. Mr.. Stevens was seen at his
home, 2946 Humboldt avenue, yesterday
afternoon. Concerning the mill and its
loss he said:
"W hen the mill was built it cost, I
think, something like S65,000 or $40, 900.
1t was practically as good as new, and
the new machinery put in from time to
time, and now destroyed, will make the
loss 100000. There was, understand,
but $4,000 of insurance on it. / had
expended about $4,000 in the way
of repairs. on which there was
no insurance. OF course, / lose that
and, the fire coming at this time. right
in the middle of the busy season. means
a further loss of $1,000 or $4,000 for me.
My loss will amount to $4,000 at the
very least.
s''The capacity of the mill was 10000
feet of lumber in ten hours. We have
been working two crews. and have been
saving from 265, 600 to 0,00o feet every
twenty hours. About 800 men and
many teams were employed around
the plant, and many of these
will be thrown out of employment. We
have been saving for n. P. Clarke &
Co., Merriman & Barrows, and F. C..
Jones. l have already arranged to
have Clarke's logs sawed by the Dia-
mond mill; Merriman & Barrows'
| stock will go to Nelson. Tenney & Co. S
mill, but | have not yet arranged for
the cutting of Jones' logs"
AS Mr.. Stevens states, the loss of the
| mill means more than the actual value
of the plant. There is a further loss
which cannot be accurately figured out,
due to the loss OF the services of the
mill in the busiest season of the year.
| The fire is believed to have started
from sparks from the engine.