St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-27

of fame playing along the side OF the
latter building. Nobody dreamed that
the Lumber Exchange was in danger,
until the flames about the windows
away up toward the top grew brighter.
Water was turned upon the new out
break and lines of hose were carried up
into the building through the new annex
and it was expected that that little
blaze would be Snuffed out as candle.
Hardly had the firemen begun
to work in earnest on the
threatened building when the windows
along the Fifth street side, from the
eighth story up, were lighted UP. and
the four top floors from the alley half
flame. Where the fire all came from
baffled explanation. What had seemed
but little blaze had assumed the pro-
portions of a gigantic conf1agration,
from which the ruddy pillows rolled up
toward the sky, casting lurld
glare over the surrounding block.
Not until then was the dam
ger in which the Exchange stood
thoroughly realized. Luckily, the fire
in the Russell block had passed its
fierceSt stage. and was now, as it were,
feeding upon the remnants of the ban
quet of destruction. The firemen turned
their undivided attention to the EX-:
change.
They worked hard and faithfully. A
ladder was run up to the sixth floor, but
that point. There was but one place
from which to fight it-from the inside
of the building. More lines of
hose were run up the second
stairway and torrents of water were
poured upon the fire. For awhile
1T seemed as if it had been controlled.
Along about 9 a. M, however, the
flames were bursting from the sixth
story window and were flaring through
the Hennepin avenue side. The efforts
of the firemen were redOubled. Again
it seemed as il they had won the fight;
but every lull in the roar of the flaming
pit, every lapse of the shooting flames,
was followed by a new OutburSt.
By 8 o'clock the fire had worked down
to the fourth floor and spread mure and
more to the front. Along about $3.50
sudden flare was noticed OH the ground
floor. Falling embers had carried the
fire down through the elevator shaft.
More hard work on the part of the fire.
men and again a hope sprang up that
the flames would go no further. The
building was so solid that it seemed to
defy the encrOachmentSO of the deyOurer
There were many, however, VINO pre-
dicted that the building would be gut
ted. They were not believed by the
majority of the spectators. Nor would
the firemen believe that they had not
secured the upper hand.
About 4 O'clock in the morning, two
or three engines were returned to their
houses, it was believed that the fire was
at last, and without doubt, under con-
troll. But there was no controlling it.
Checked at one point, it burst out with
renewed fury further along. 1t seemed
to follow hidden and devious paths, all.
however. leading forward.
Thus it ragged through the darkness
and after the sun had added his rays to
the glare of the flames. Not until IL
O'Clock yesterday morning could it be
truthfully SAID that the fire was under
control. The three lower floors of the
building along the front were partially
saved. All along the alley, and for the
greater part of the distance on Fifth
street soush, the building was burned
out completely from top to bottom.
The stoppage seemed to be due as much
to lack of imffammable material as to
the efforts of the fremen. At no time
was any attempt made to do anything
with the three upper stories of the
building. Water could not be carried
there. Those floors burned un nter-
ruptedly, and the glowing debris
dropped down to the floors beneath,
spreading the destruction.