St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-03
BIG MILL CITY BLAZE.
The Minneapolis Sash and
Door Company Suffers a
Great Loss.
Most Of the Company's Mag
nificent Plant Destroyed
by Fire.
Over $4,000 in Buildings,
Machinery and Hardwood
Lumber Destroyed.
An Ex-Employe Of the Com
pany Suspected Of Set
ting the Fire.

The fire king reigned supreme in East
Minneapolis last night, and with Que
fell swOOp wiped out the magnificent
plant owned by the Minneapolis Sash
and Door company. The total loss will
probably aggregate over $4,000,
although nothing definite could be
learned last night. An alarm was rung
in at l0:l5, and 4 second one at l0:30.
BY the time the department reached the
place the fire was well unaer way Ow-
ing to the intiammable nature of the
material. The plant, including the
lumber yard. occupied the entire
block surrounded 10y Second and
Third avenues southeast and
Tenth and Harrison streets. IL is
though that the fire was set by an in
cendiary. Certain things point to an
eX-employe as the perpetratOr; and. as
near as could be learned, the fire started
in pile of lumber standing near the
main warehouse, which faced Harrison
street. 1t ran along with lightning
raDidity, finding fuel along the way al
most as
InflammabIe as Oil.
1t was but few minutes before the
warehouse was ahlaZe, and then began
a general cOnilagratiOn. The warehouse
was stored from bottom to top with sash,
doors, windows. mantels and re-
frigeratorS. all as dry as powder. 1t
took fire like so much gunpOwder.
and the red sparks soon burst through
the roof. The eXieut of the blaze may
be realized when it is taken into cOnsid
Grafton all the buildings were iron clad,
yet but short time elapsed from the
beginning of the fire ere the walls
fell in. The main warehouse is
l25x65 feet in size and three and half
stories high. From this mammoth build
ing the fire spread to the finishing shop
and the moulding factory. Next the
lumber sheds, containing the in st
quality of hardwood lumber, began to
burn, and then
The Lumber Piles
further down the yard. rhe fremen
had all they could do to keep the flames
from spreading to the adjoining yard,
owned by Nudd IL Holmes. There is no
telling what the loss wOnld have been
had this plant caught fire. At mid
night the file was under control, though
it is likely that portion of the depart
HenG VIII remain on uulY IOr the next
twelve hours to protect the surrounding
property. The buildings burnt are the
main warehouse, three and a half
stories, the moulding and finishing
shops, each two stories, three
lumber sheds and very near
all of the outside lumber
The refrigerator shop was saved. though
badly damaged. and by keeping the old
warehouse, which stands across the
railroad track, wet continually it was
also saved. The warehouse that burned
contained 1000 screen doors. several
thousand windows and doors. about
$4,000 worth OF finished refrigeratOrs and
several thousand hard wood mantels,
Over 5000 feet of hard wood lumber
was destroyed in the sheds. The Min
neapolis sash and door factory is owned
by the Paine Lumber company. of
Oshkosh, Wis, and is managed by II. W.
Bogart, of this city. He stated last
night that he was unable to estimate the
loss correctly. 1t was fully covered by
insurance. however. Gains 81 Co. being
the agents carrying it. The safe and
valuable papers were saved by being
immured in the tire-proof vault in the
office.