Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-11-18

PiOyGS ue EACNuAui oh"is = AaS .
a Large Part as Usual.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Nov. 1876. Paul
last night suffered one of the most disas-
trous fires in it's history, the buildings
damaged being those of Griggs, Cooper
& Co., wholesale groceries, and Farwcll,
Osman, Kirk & Co., wholesale hardware.
The total loss is estimated at from $780,
600 to ST, 100000, covered by insur-
ance.
The building occupied by the two firms
is brick and stone structure, five stories
in height, and has frontage on Third
street of 800 feet and on Broadway OF
200 ieet. Griggs, Cooper & Co. occupy
two-thirds OF the building.
The flames first made tbeir s.acar-
ance at 1l:44 O'Clock in the fourth
floor Of Griggs, Cooper & Co.'S building
Within less than five minutes the fire
department was on hand in force, but a
general alarm had to be turned in soon
afterwards. The fire was in he upper
stories. Griggs, Cooper & Co.'S store
was divided in halves by fire wall run
ming from Third street.to the rear, and
from FarwelI, Osman, Kirk & Co.'S BY
party wall. The ircmen could there
I,ra roncb tha Nn,,,nu E.n,, ,,,I,, tk,..
sides, being cut off on the east by the fire
wall. However they mounted ladders.
bravcly faced the flames which were
almost licking their faces and sent
streams horizontally through the win
dnws, thus hoping to reach the center
and east side of the floors. The fire rap
idly guttcd.th top floor and in half an
hour from the time the alarm was sent
in the flames were lcaping heavenward
through the root.
The efforts of the tirrm:n were then
directed toward keeping the flames con
fined TO the top floors. They were only
partially successful however, tor at a
few minutes before O'Clock the flames
worked down the rearelcvator shaft and
set fire TO the stock OF 1000 barrels OF
sugar stored on the second floor, 100
barrels of which were put i'll last Mon.
day. The sugar burned hcrccly and six
steamers were soon directed on this, sur
ceeding after an hours hard work IL
drowning out the flames. Through the
root the flames were communicated to
the adjoining building, where they mad,
rapid progress. The hrcmcn turned their
attention to saving the floors below and
by hard work succeeded in COnhning
most OF the damage to this floor. But
the tire had too tiim hold to be thus
easily vanqushcd. The flames crcpt
downward in the hardware building by
the elevator shaft and one by one the
third, second and first floors suCcumbcd
to the flames.
The fire in Griggs, Cooper & Co.'S. build
ing at this time took a fresh start and
burned downward to the ground floor
The fire department fought gallantly,
but against terrible odds, and $3.50 the
building was in such shaky condition
that it was dangerous to approach it
closely. he.hames set fire TO the rear
of a frame building used by the Northern
Pacific News company and Two en-
ployes named Curry and Bauen, attempt
ed to eAtiuGuish this. Will" they werc
at work the walls tottertd and the crowd
shouted in terror to the two men. They
made a rush ior safety and just as they
escaped the wall OF Farwell, Osman
Kirk & Co.'S building fell outward and
the place where they had stood was COW
cred with pile OF brick and stone. Sew
eral attempts were made to save
the stock III less exposed parts of the
building, but without avail, and the
complete d, struction OF both stock and
buildings seemed inevitable.
The burned block was estimated to be
worth 5000, 900. The losses are estma-
ted as follows: Farwcll, Osman & Kirk,
100000. insurance, Sl50,OO0; GriggS,
Cooper * Co., loss $780, insurance,
S350,00O; loss ON building, 100000,
covered by insurance. The total loss is
S95O,O0O.
The flames were under control al halt
past four O'Clock this morning, but was
iast consuming what remained OF the
stock. No definite information is obtain
able as to the cause OF the lire, but il is
thought to have originated in the sackinp
room on the fourth floor. The fire dc.
partment was considerably handicapped
by the weather, the mercury ranging
| around zero all night.