The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-09-26
WRAPPED In FLAME.
Minneapolis Firemen in a Terrible
Plight.
EIGHTEEN BURNED and CRIPPLED.
Several In Precarious Conditional Score
of the Firemen on the Roof of an Ele-
vator Annex When Flames Break
Out in All Directions.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Sept. 25.-Ir
the harvest festival parade of Wednes
dav one of the most admired displays
was that of the city fire department
The apparatus seemed fresh srom the
manufacturer and was fairly buried II
flowers, while the sturdy firemen were
fit accompaniment for the polished
and ornamental machines They &C
companied the floats representing
plenty and prosperity. Within twenty
four hours after that handsome parade,
the city was visited by destructive
flames and only through the noble and
self-sacrifcing efforts of the fire de-
partment and after serious injury and
possibly death of several of the brave
firemen was a frightful disaster
averted.
A brisk breeze was blowing yester-
day afternoon when at 2:20 o'clock the
department was called to the corner OF
Ninth avenue and Third street The
fire was in the five story brick building
of the Moore wood carving machine
company, and the infammable nature OF
the goods and stock caused a rapid
spread of the flames, which quickly
burst through the windows and rolled
rapidly up through the building, and
the firemen had to turn their attention
to adjoining property to prevent the
spread of the flames
Elevator C stood behind the blazing
factory and the flames seized hold of ii
IN spite of the many streams of water.
Soon the roof of the elevator was on
fire, and within fifteen minutes from
the start of the fire the Moore building
was ruined and the fremen had hardly
escaped from it when the walls col
lapsed.
The better to fight the fire in ele-
vator G, score of fremen were on the
roof of the annex unconscious of dan
ger beneath them. There was a sud-
den explosion, and a great stream OF
fire burst from the end, quickly fol-
lowed by one to the left of the men,
and through the roof, and then on the
right The great crowd was appalled,
as the dozen fremen were shut from
view by the columns of flame and
smoke that rolled up. A momentary
break showed that the men were fight
ing for life in desperate attempt to
get on the three ladders which stood
near together The break assisted
them. bat groan escaped from the
multitude as four men jumped from
their narrow footing.
Again the smoke rose and cleared
and there, on the very ledge, stood a
fireman, apparently dazed and not
knowing what to do. "Slide on the
hose" yelled the crowd. The man
heard, and grabbing the big hose at his
feet. he slid down through the shooting
dropping.
The work of rescuing the fremen
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 follows:
Assistant Chief Canterbury, leg
broken, badly burned and internally
injured.
Capt. Lent No. 4 truck, badly
burned.
Charles Mitchell, No. hose, prob
ably fatally injured.
Lieut.. John Guise, badly burned; leg
broken.
William Cole, badly burned.
Capt. Foster. badly burned; insensi-
BILE; hip fractured.
Capt. William Malone, badly burned.
Sandy Hamilton, captain No. II, leg
broken; face burned.
S. M. Lockhart, pipeman, badly in
jured in the back.
Lieut. Kelly, of No. 5, burned
Robert Vance, face burned and head
gashed.
]. o. Hearn, burned badly.
William Mitchell, burned.
Billy O'Neill, of No. truck, badly
burned.
James Hoffstadt, head burned.
c. II. Miner, left arm broken and
head gashed.
Ed Wilcox, back hurt.
Elevator c was owned and operated
by Pratt & Porter, under the name OF
the Empire Elevator Co. It's capacity
was lao, 900 bushels, and the stock OF
"IGdJ On manu- " AAGA lAAI hAC ~ ChG Ou
was about SIS, 900 bushels There are
two large annexes to the elevator,
whose combined capacity Is 65. O0C
bushels. These were leased by the
Milwaukee road of Pratt & Porter.
The loss on the elevator and contents
aggregates S100, 600, on which there
was SIS, 900 insurance.
The Moore Wood Carving Machine
Co. lost much valuable machinery, their
loss reaching $50. 600. with an insurance
of only S., 600.
The Kansas City Grain 6 Feed Co {
storehouse was consumed. Loss, S25,-
600: insurance, ST. 000
The block of frame and brick stores
on Washington avenue, the yards oil
the Mill Wood Co. and few smaller
| structures were destroyed or badly
| damaged before the flames were under
control The loss on these will foot uI
about SIS, 600, with so, 900 insurance
The total loss is placed at $780,, 500, and
| the total insurance Sl07, O00
/ ------
| Troubled by Toughs.
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Sept a5.-A
circus showed at Howard City Monday
and number of fakirs victimized the
4 A. 4