The rustler., 1891-10-02
Minneapolis Firomen In n Terrible
Plight
EIGHTEEN BURNED AND CRIPPLED.
several IN n Pr~carisa. Conditlon-A soare
Of the fIF-mea the Rsof af an fle-
vator Annex when Planes Bre.k
oat in An Direetion.-

flowers. while the sturdy firemcn were
fit accompaniment for the polished
and ornamental machines They ae-
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
hremen was frightful disaster
averted
A brisk breeze was blowing yester-
day afternoon when at 2:20 o'clock the
department was called 20 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 inilammable nature Of
the goods and stock caused rapid
spread of the flames, which quickly
burst through the windows and rolled
rapidly up through the building and
the firemen had 10 turn their attention
TO adjoining property to prevent the
spread of the flames
Elevator stood behind the blazing
factory and the flames seized hold of il
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 firemen had hardly
escaped from IL when the walls col
lapsed.
The better TO fight the fire in ele-
vator c, score of tiremen were on the
roof of the annex unconscious OF dan
ger beneath them. There was sud-
den explosion, and 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 firemen 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, but 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 ut his
feet he slid down through the shooting
flames and reached the ground without
dropping
The work of rescuing the firemen
was prompt from necessity. For n time
IL 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 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. NJ. Lockhart pipeman, badly in
jured in the back.
Lieut. Kelly, of No. s. burned.
Robert Vance, face burned and head
gashed.
J. o. Hearn. burned badly.
William Mitchell, burned
Billy 0'Neill, of No. 3 truck, badly
burned.
James IIoffstadt. 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. Its capacity
was 140, 900 bushels and the stock of
wheat on hand when the fire broke out |
was about $50 bushels. There are
two large annexes to the elevator, |
whose combined capacity is 65, 200
bushels. These were leased by the |
road of Pratt & Porter. |
The loss on the elevator and contents
s1O0,0 on which there
was SIS. 600 insurance.
The Moore Wood Carving Machine
Co. lost much valuable machinery, their
loss reaching $50, 900. with an insurance
Of only $4,000.
The Kansas City Grain e. Feed Co. s
was consumed. Loss, S25,-
BOO; insurance, 1000.
The block of frame and brick stores
on Washington avenue, the yards OF
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 up
about s25.O 900, with $50. insurance.