St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-23
The WAGNER Twin.
Condemned by the Building
Inspector and Destroyed
by Fire.
Firemen Fight Bravely, but
Cannot Cope With the
eaesezss Flames. :
The Fire Of Saturday Equaled
by That Late Yesterday
Afternoon.
An Awe-Inspiring Scene Wit
messed by Thousands Of
Citizens.

The WAGNER block on East Seventh
street, twin to the one burned Satur-
day. was totally destroyed by fire yes
terday.
At $50 O'Clock yesterday afternoon
officer Vantrot turned in an alarm of
fire from Box 81, East Seventh and
Bradley, and five minutes later general
alarm-2-11-called the entire depart
ment to the scene. AT the hour men
toned smoke was seen pouring from the
basement window of $50 East Seventh,
one of the buildings known as the
Wagner block.
The block occupied 2sS feet front OH
Seventh street, and was thirty-siX feet
deep. 1t was built in September, 1856,
and, like the twin which was destroyed
Saturday, there was only two stories
above the sidewalk, while in the rear
there were five. The bmrning of the
block across the street OH Saturday had
caused all the window glass in the
building to fall out, and this, together
with the statement that the block was
to be condemned, occasioned a general
moving on the part of the tenants.
Just how the fire started is matter
of conjecture, although the owner
claims it must have been caused by fire
left carelessly about in the basement of
one of the buildings. Yesterday mOrn-
inga a
Number of Arabians,
moved their possessions, and it is sup
posed they left matches or fire in one
of the rooms which started the blaze.
When the department arrived on the
scene smoke was pouring from the CEN
ter of the block, and in the rear of the
building the flames were creeping
up from the basement. Owing
to the location of the block it was i'm
possible to reach the fire from the rear !,
and the flames had to be fought from
the front. Ten streams were quickly
pouring water into the, structure. but it
was soon apparent that the row was
the block. together with the disad-
vantage under which the fremen
worked in not being aOle to reach the
flames, made the conflagration beauti-
full, yet awe-insDiring scene. Thou
sands of persons congregated in the
neighborhOod to witness the fire
and enjoyed hugely the display.
From the Sixth street bridge
the 200 residents of Swede Hollow could
De seen DuSlly engaged In nurrledly
packing up and carrying to place of
safety their feather beds, washtups and
household articles. The work done by
the department was such that none of
the buildings in the ravine were harmed,
and, despite the intense heat, buildings
on Hoffman avenue were not even
Scorched.
There were twelve buildings in the
block, numbered from GIG to 63S inclu-
sive. The stores at GIG and 61S were va
cant. but in the upper stories Loue
Palmer operated
A Boarding House
for ladies only. All the furniture in
the rooms occupied by the woman was
destroyed, her loss being about $1,000.
Mrs. Jones, who kept a restaurant at
62O, lost about $500 worth of chattels.
The stores at 624 and 626 were used as
Kindergarten and Sunday school room
by the Bethel mission. The upper
stories of these buildings were occupied
by couple of Arabian families, who
were fortunate to get their goods out.
The stock of groceries belonging to
Wagener, which had been removed
Saturday from the opposite block