St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-29
THIS Time 100000.
The Monitor PloW Works De-
stroyed By Fire Yester-
day Afternoon.
The Board Of Trade Gets To-
gether, But Does Not
ReSolute.
The Cleveland Club on the
Mckinley Bill and Henne-
pin Boulevard.
Opening of the Athletic Club
To-Night--Democratic
Committee Call.

Minneapolis has again been afflicted
with fiery visitation, and this time
about S125, 900 has gone up in smoke,
the loss being not more than half-cov-
cred by insurance. The fire was in the
Monitor Plow works, and the whole
plant, together with the stock stored
therein, was destroyed. The vault, in
lieved to be uninjured. Besides the
books. the only article saved was an
Office chair. The alarm was turned in
just few minutes after o'clock in the
afternoon, and the whole establishment
was in blaze before the department
arrived.
The Monitor Plow works are located
west of the railroad tracks, just north
of Superior boulevard. 1t was this
proximity to the railroad which caused
the fire, which was started, presumably,
by spark from a locomotive. There
could scarcely have been any other
cause, as there has not been any fire in
the establishment for two months. The
works consisted of seven buildings,
ranging north and south parallel with
the railroad tracks. On the south end
were two warehouses. Next came the
woodworking and paint shop, the
blacksmith shop, the engine and boiler
house, the casting room and the office.
All of these we're wooden buildings, ex-
cept the engine house, but the second
warehouse was covered with corrugated
iron, and all the buildings were pro-
vided with iron roofs. The wind blew
perfect gale from the south all the
afternoon, and it was at the extreme
south end of the plant. in the wooden
warehouse. that the fire started. Famed
by the furious wind, all the engines in
the city could not have saved the works.
The flames swept through the two
warehouses, caught in the inf1ammable
material of the paint shop, where were
stored oils and varnishes, and completed
the destruction of the entire
plant. Within less than twenty
minutes after the fire started there
was not building left, portions of the
walls of the engine house alone remain
ing standing. The plOw works were
almost wholly devoid of protection from
fire. There are no hydrants within
working distance of that point. The
water all had to be drawn from Spring
lake, about three blocks away, and sue
ton had to be depended upon entirely.
inch head in the pillow factory, but of
count of the fire all around it, Three
engines were used and did what they
could, with five streams of water on the
fire. but nothing could have saved the
plant. The lumber yard of j. B. Bas-
sett d Co. is situated just across the
tracks from the pillow works, and it was
feared at one time that the fire would
extend thither, but the wind came from
the wrong quarter.
The Monitor Plow works were owned
by stock company, of which L. j.
Buxton is president and A. g. Dunlap
is secretary and manager. Mr.. Dunlap
is now in the northern part of the state
on business, and nothing definite will
be known concerning the losses and the
insurance until he returns to-day or to-
morrow. w. II. Yeaton, the firms
bookkeeper, would say nothing about
the probable loss. The building and
machinery, when the plant was erected,
cost ABOUT Sl5,OUU, as near as can De
learned from outside sources, and, while
they were not worth that when burned.
they answered all purposes. Two months
ago when the works were shut down
for the summer there was, as estimated
by A. B. jackson, one of the directors
in the company, manufacturer stock
worth fully $4,000 on hand. No one
can tell bow much of that was burned
yesterday until Mr.. Dunlap arrives, and
goes over the books. Mr.. Jackson said
that he understood that the amount of
insurance on the plant and stock was
only $4,000. If that be the case, there
will be dead loss of over $4,000, con-
sentative estimate.
The Monitor Plow works was the only
institution of the kind in Minneapolis.
1t was established here only about four
years ago, and did an extensive bust
ness through the Northwest in plows.
The firm did business of nearly $780,
600 year. The firm was rated in
Bradstreet's at $l25,O00. 1t has not been
decided yet whether the establishment
will be rebuilt, but it is extremely prob
able that it will be.