St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-21
Grand and Awful.

rounds, ,carrosselles, ,toboggan sliaes and
the many similar devices always found
at seaside resorts.
Grand and Awful.
The scene was grand one. The i'm
menSe bank of flames shot high into the
air and dense clouds of smoke rolled
hither and thither as the f1tful gale
changed its direction. In vain the few
residents of the beach. aided by boat
men aOng the shore, battled with the
flames when they first started. Their
efforts were thrown away, as the fire
drove them back from point to point.
The volunteer fire department of the
beach was utterly poWerless to stay the
flames.
A building was blown up with pow
der, and others torn to pieces, in at
tempting to stay the flames, but without
avail. Aid was summoned by tele-
phone, and soon almost a score of fire
companies were on the scene. Those
from nearby places came dragging
their machines with them, and those
farther away came on fiat cars, which
were made up in a special train.
Owing TO the lateness .oI the season
there were very few guests at the hotels.
The only inmates in most of the hotels
were proprietors and their families and
few of the help who were engaged in
putting the hotels in shape for the win
ter season.
About 80 p. m. the flames, after hav-
ing burned themselves out for want of
Immediate material upon which to feed,
were
Brought Under Control.
but the fire was still burning brightly at
midnight IN the center of the burned
district. The flames on all sides had
reached streets or intervening open
spaces before they were checked. How
the flames started is unknown. Many
believe the fire was the work of incen-
diaries, while others think that the
flames resulted either from carelessneSs
or spontaneous combustion.
Mrs. Phillips, who, as far as is known,
the only person who lost her life in the
conflagration. A number of persons re-
ceiyed burns and other injuries while
fighting the flames. 1t is impossible to-
the . amount OF losses. The esti-
mates of total losses vary widely.
By some it is estimated at over
S2, 100000, while others do not believe
that the total will amount to quarter of
that amount. Owners of the buildings
are wildly distracted, and are as much
at sea as any one else. One man made
three separate estimates of his loss, and
there was difference of $4,000 between
his lowest and his highest figures.
A vast crowd has gathered, and not
even on busy Sunday during the sum-
mer months has the place been SO well
desirable one. There are ghouls here
who are
Reaping a Rich Harvest
from the msfortunes of the burned-out
people. Hundreds of dollars worth of
goods which were saved from the flames
are being carried away by the unWel-
come visitors. If trouble is avoided be-
fore morning it will be wonderful. The
worst feature of the robbery is that
most of the thieves have boats, and are
thus able to get away with their spoil
with little danger of being caught.
The fire has its sad side also. Losers
by the flames are broken-hearted and
many of them give way to tears. Wom-
en and children who have missed fathers
or brothers in this awful, surging crowd,
are rushing about trying to find them.
The most pitiful cases of all are those of
the children of Mrs. Phillips. sHer two
eldest daughters keep as near to the
spot where their mothers ashes are as
they can possibly get,aad both are verg-
ing upon Mysteries. The only figures of
losses that could be obtained tonight
are as follows: Grand Ocean hotel,
Murray & Datz, $1,000; Grand Repub-
lie hotel, $4,000; Purchel's grocery
store, $4,000; the New York hotel,
$4,000; Meisner's hotel, $4,000; Trau-
ser's hotel, $1,000.
The insurance on these buildings is
not known. The policies, however, will
not amount to half of the total loss. The
iron pier is badly damaged, if not totally
destroyed On the shore end.