St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-19
Four Bare Walls Alone Re-
main Of the Big Griggs-
FapWell Block.
A Total Loss Of $79O,OOO,
With Insurance Placed
at $4,000.
The Farwell Company the
Greatest Losers by the
Conflagration.
Driver King, Of the Fire De-
partment, Crushed by an
Electric Car.

The scene at the disastrous confgra-
ton at Third and WacOuta streets in
the extensive warehouses of Griggs,
Cooper & Co. and Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk
& 20. was visited yesterday by thou
sands Of citizens anxious to see the eX-
tent Of the damage wrought by the fiery
element in the early hours of the morn
ing. There was very little to see, how
ever, beyond blackened walls and the
still burning ruins. 1t was not until
O'Clock in the morning that the depart
ment had the fire under complete con-
troll, and at $3.50 Chief Jackson ordered
some of the engine companies home.
-Four engines continued to pour tons of
water on the pile of debris, and will
probably continue to do so for day or
two.
An inspection Of the buildings shows
that the three lower floors of Griggs,
Cooper & Co. are not destroyed by fire.
while the two upper floors are COM
pletely Quilted. The building of Far
well, OZmun, Kirk 81 Co. is simply
blackened shell, the east wall having
fallen out, while the roof and five floors
beneath are, together with the valuable
stock they carried, represented by
burning pile of debris and rubbish.
Experts state that the walls of Griggs,
Cooper Il Co.'s building were sound,
while those belonging to the adjoining
building are in most unsafe condition,
and if they do not fall will have to be
torn down. The police did not allow
any one to approach the building owing
to the dangerous condition of the walls.
During the DAY quantity of cart
IN, 70 &c
well, OZmun, Kirk & Co.'s building eX-
ploded from time to time, lively fusil-
ade being kept up for over two hourS.I
AS 10 the amount of damage done, it
Will not fall far short of the estimate
made III the GLOBE yesterday, Grggs,
cooper " Go. estimate that their entire
stock, valued at $3.50, 900, is a total loss,
for though the three lower floors were
not destroyed by fire, the contents of
these floors consisted OF every variety
of groceries. which Is rendered useless
oy 6elhg soaked with water. The stock
OF Farwell, OZmun, Kirk d Co., valued
at $3O0,O0O, has fallen prey to the fire,
the building being Quilted from end to
end. As to the buildings. the loss on
that Of Farwell, OZmun. Kirk & Co. is
100000, while that of GriggS, Cooper &
Co.. owing to the walls and three lower
floors being saved, will be about $40, 200.
making total loss on the buildings of
$4,000.
Loss and Insurance.
a recapitulatiOn will therefore show
damage as follows:
Griggs, Cooper & Co. s stock $3.50. 900
Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk & Co.'S stock. 100000
D. Z. Shepard, buildings. 10000
Total. Observation-Disclosures. ....,.... 100000
The insurance is as follows:
Griggs. Cooper & Co. $3.50 600
Farwell, Ozmun. Kirk & Con-. $4,000
ID. Z. Shepard. Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
1t will thus be seen that the entire
damage is covered by insurance, though
Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk q Co.'s will sus-
tain loss. as their insurance did not
cover their entire stock.
With characteristic energy both firms
did not lose any time in finding new
headquarters. GriggS, Cooper q Co.
located at 23S East Third street.
next to TarbOX. Schliek & Co.'s
wholesale house. The business will be
carried on without interruption, and in
structiOnS were sent to all travelling
men OH the road to inform customers
that orders would be filled on time.
The company secured all the books and
furniture from the offices in their old
quarters, the fire not having reached the
lower floor. kilograms were sent to
New York, and freight train loaded
with groceries left that city for st. raul
last evening consigned to the firm
Farwell, OZmun, Kirk d Co. located
yesterday in the offices of Kellogg,
johnson & Co.. and today will secure
permanent premises, pending the re-
building of the burned warehouses.
L ri ,to,. zF
last evening that business would not
be delayed. as orders would be filled
from the heavy stock carried in their
warehouses on the West Side. Both
firms received offers of assistance from
wholesale houses in the Twin Cities to
enable them to carry out contracts with
out delay.
Words of praise were expressed on all
sides for the magnificent work done by
Chief Jackson and the men under him.
Though the mercury was below zero.
and the cutting wind frOze the men al
most to the bone, they fought the fiery
element with courage, which, on a bat
tleheld, would entitle them to have
their names enrolled on the list of
heroes. The intense cold froze the
water as it fell in spray from
the buildings, and the men were
encaSed in sheets OF ice from
head to foot. An instance of the
spirit which dominates the department
was shown by one man who was sta
toned on the top of truck ladder
reared on WacOuta street. Chief Jack
son ordered the man 10 be relieved a
number Of times, but when n compan-
ion would ascend the ladder to take
charge of the hose, the brave fellow
would reply, "Oh! l am ali right for a
few more hours" For five hours he re-
manned on the ladder. drenched with
water and covered with ice. So it was
with all the men, and not one asked to
be relieved from duty, despite the ar
duous work performed.
The Chiefs View.
Chief J ackson was seen last evening.
and in his modest manner declined to
accept any praise for himself, but said
it should be given to his men. The
chief, after spell of eighteen hours at
the fire, had just returned to head
quarters and Invested himself of his wet
clothes. In speaking of the fire, he said:
'In my experiences of years have seen
some terrible fires but 1 have never seen
one as bad as this. When arrived lust
after the alarm was sent ill., the flames were
bursting out of the two upper floors of
Griggs, Cooper q CO. building. / concen-
trated the whole department to preventing
the flames from going down lower, and in
order to avoid any danger OF the fire Spread
ing TO the building of FarWell & Co.
l ordered Capt. Wright to take his
company; No. 5, hook and ladder, and
guard the place. They carried two
Angine hose lines and two chemical