The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-09-26
.HEMMED IN BY THE FLAMES,
Furious Tongues of Flame Leap Up
Around Twenty Minneapolis
Firemen.
SAVED BY SLIDING DOWN The HOSE.
A Stiff Breeze Fans the Flames and
Renders Useless Heroic
Efforts.
A Long List of Injured and Loss
Reaching Near Two Hun
dred Thousand,
SAVED BY SLIDING DOWN The HOSE.


MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 21.-A brisk and
clustering breeze was blowing this after
noon, and when. at 2:20 o'clock, the
alarm bell called the department to the
corner of Ninth avenue south and Third
street it was evident there was work
ahead, and work of the hardest kind.
The fire was in the five story brick
building of the Moorehead Carving Ma
chine company, and the inhammable ma
ture of the goods and stock caused
rapid spread of the flames, which quickly
burst through the windows and rolled
rapidly up through the building Within
five minutes the fire had burst through
the roof, and the building was doomed.
The tiremen had to turn their attention
to adjoining property to prevent the
spread of the flames
Elevator G stood close behind the now
blazing building, and the flames seized
hold of it in spite of many
streams of water. Soon the roof
of the elevator was on fire. and although
but fifteen minutes from the start of the
fire the Moorewood building was gutted
and the tiremen had barely escaped
from it when the walls collapsed. The
better to fight the fire on the elevator a
score of tiremen were on the roof of the
annex unconscious of the danger be-
meath them. There was sudden eX-
plosion and great stream of fire burst
from the end, quickly followed by one to
the left of the men through the roof and
thnn fha rinht fNhn ,r,u,I
appalled, as dozen tiremen were shut
from view by columns of flame and
smoke that rolled up.
A momentary break showed that the
men were fighting for life in desperate
attempt to get on three ladders. which
stood near together. \ break assisted
them, but groan escaped from the null
titude as four fell or jumped from their
narrow footing. Again the smoke arose
and cleared. and there on the very ledge
stood a fireman, apparently dazed and
not knowing what to do. "Slide on the
hose" yelled one of the crowd. The man
heard, and grabbing the big hose at his
feet slid down through the shooting
flames and reached the ground without
dropping.
The work of rescuing the firemen was
prompt from necessity. For time it
was thought the men had been dropped
into the flames, but all have since been
accounted for.
The names of the injured are as fol-
lows: Assistant Chief Canterbury, leg
broken, badly burned and internally in
jured: Captain Lent No. truck, badly
burned; Charles Mitchell, No. 8 hose,
probably fatally injured; Lieutenant
John Guise, badly burned and leg
broken; William Cole, badly burned;
Captain Foster, badly burned, insensible,
hip fractured; Captain William Malone,
badly burned; Sandy Hamilton, captain
No. II, leg broken, face burned; S. M.
Lockhart, pipeman. back injured; Lieu
! tenant Kelly of No. ., burned; Robert
Vance, face burned and head gashed; j.
O'Hearn, burned badly; William Mitch
ell, burned; Peter Coleman, head and
legs injured; Billy O'Neill, No. 3 truck,
badly burned; -. Hofstadt, head hurt;
G. F. Miner, left arm broken and head
gashed; Ed Wilcox. back hurt. Two or
three of the injured are in precarious
condition, but were still alive at the last
report.
The loss on the elevator ard it's con
tents aggregates 100000. on which there
was $4,000 insurance. The Moorewood
Carving Machine company lost much
valuable machinery. the loss reaching
$4,000 with an insurance of only $1,000
The Kansas City Grain u Feed com
pany's storehouse was consumed. loss
being $500: insurance $1,000 A block
of frame and brick stores on Washington
avenue. the yards of mill wood com
pany and few smaller structures were
destroyed or badly damaged before the
flames were under control. The loss on
these will foot UP about $4,000. with
$4,000 insurance. The total loss is
placed at Sl91 300. and the total insur-
ance at 100000.
O'COnnor the Victor.