St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-21

Famed by a steady breeze in the right
direction, the fire spre. d with great
rapidlty and could not be controlled by
the department. Seeing there was no
chance to
Save the Block,
the firemen turned their attention to
the Wagner block, which is SIT,
uated just across the street. ana
is of the same size, construction
and appearance as the one destroyed
The heat was intense. and 1t was largely
due to the efforts of the tlremen !nat
the twin structure was saved. The
flying emberS from the fire had fallen IN
the ravine known as Swede Hollow, and
several of the houses in the settlement
were ablaZe. Only one OF the buildings
in the ravine was burned, and that only
partially, which speaks well for the
work done by the fire department..
The block was-well filled with ten
ants, there being but one vacant store
in the row. and the loss to the owner
and occupants will reach total OF S4o,,
coo. The block was insured for Sl2.0c0
. in companies represented by Paul
Martin & Co. aud Gardner Il Warner.
None of the tenants had any insurance,
the construction of the block and
danger from fire making the rate OF in
surance so high that all of them pre-
ferred to take chances rather than pay
the premium.
The first store in the block, 617 East
Seventh street, was occupied by Smith
Il Moss as a carpenter shop, the hrm
also occupying the adjoining store. 6l9.
as store for the sale of picture frames
and goods of like character. The hrm
estimate their loss at 81, 600. The second
stories at the above mentioned numbers
were occupied by John Lowering and
ID. Gooch, with their families. and OOth
lost all
Their Household Effects.
Their loss is estimated at $500 and 5000
each. T. j.. Kenny occupied the store
at 62l, and his loss will be in the neigh
borhOod of $500. At CPS and CPS Aired
Munger IL Bros. Kept wholesale no.
ton store, for the sale of goods which
are peddled around the country by
Arabians, and the loss by the firm Will be
in the neighbOrhOod of s.. 1000 over the
stores at 623, Cos and 627 aud 629 and 63l
several scores of Arabians, with Dnpro-
nounceaole names, kept house or boarded
with one another. Their loss, while
great to them, is not more than 500 all
told. The store at 631 was the only
vacant one in the row. AT 633 and go
John Wagner, the owner OF the block,
operated a -four and feed and grocery
store. These two stores, as well as
those at 637 and $50, occupied as a
saloon and pool room by Joseph
Brueis. and a cigar store at GIL run by
Mrs. William Davis. were de-
stroyed by the fall :, after ter the the
feed and grocery store was removed be-
fore the buildings fell, but Wagner
estimates his loss from this source at
$4,000. Bruers stock and fixtures were
worth. so the proprietor says, about $500.
Mrs. Davis estimates her loss at 500, or
which $3.50 was in cash. James Gray,
Edward Curtiss and Mrs. kinman, who
occupied rooms above the stores,
Lost All Their Effects
valued at $1,000 The window glass in
the twelve stores and rooms in Wagner
block. the block opposite the one
burned. was all broken by the heat, and
will cost a snug sum TO replace. Mrs.
II. Swanson, whose house in Swede hol-
low was partially destroyed, had 10 in
surance. Nearly all her household
goods were burned, and as she has
seven small children, and her husband
is at work on farm in Dakota, her case
is one that demands attention OF the re-
lief authorities.
AT soon as the landslide occurred,
City Engineer Rundlett and Building
Inspector Morris went to the scene.
The city edgneer ordered a gang of
men to clear course for Phalen creek,
which had been almost damned by the
landslide. This was soon accomplished.
and in less than two hours the water
wis running off through another chan
mel, and the fear lhat the fill under the
street would be washed away was al
layed.
Building Inspector Morris and the
city engineer made an examination of
tie Wagner block on the south side of
the street. and will pass on the question
of condemning this structure tomorrow,
The city engineer said. from the eX-
animation he had made, he was of the
opinion that the twin block to the one
destroyed. Oh the south side of the
street, was not at all safe. The settling
of the sidewalk and the foundation
were such as to make the block unsafe,
to say tie least. The same view was
expressed by representatives from the
building Inspectors office, who had in
spected the premises.
John WAGNER, the owner of the
block, said yesterday his loss would be
in the neighborhood of $4,000. The
block was insured for $4,000, but
whether he would get the insurance he
was unable to say. Some question had
been raised as to whether the companies
would settle, owing to the fact that the
building had collapsed before the fire
started. He explained the landslide by
saying that the water from the street.
during the heavy rains. had soaked
through under a portion of the block,
owing to the bad condition of the pave
men;. This, together with all the water
from the lots on the north of Seventh
street and east of the block. which ran
tlown in the rear. had softened the en-
eankment and caused the landslide. He
:aad not heard about the block on the
south side Of the street being condemned
as unsafe, but supposed the tenants
would be frightened by the giving away
OF the block which had been DESTROYED
Il. /. r.
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