St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-26
LICKED UP BY FLAMES.
Smith & FarwelI's Magnificent
Furniture Store Completely
Quilted by Fire Last Night.
Firemen Labor Under Great Diff
Guilty, and the Loss Is Placed
atAbout $4,000.

Smith & Farweli's four-story furni-
ture store was Quilted by fire last even
ing, and the loss is little less than total.
This firm had recently enlarged its
quarters so that il occupied Nos. 1877. 139
and al East Seventh street, and last
week had an Opening" 1t was one
of the most extensive establishments in
the city, and the stock included house
furnishings of all descriptions. The
fire department did admirable eXecu-
ton. There are few commodities more
coating of heavy varnishes, and the
flames made persistent Roadway, despite
the deluge sent in by the department.
Shortly after the fire was discovered q
carriage was sent to the residence of
Mr.. Smith, tho senior member of the
firm, and he was hurried TO
the scene of the conflagration
TO find that his property was almost
ruined. He claimed that the calamity
is more serious because of the season
1t is now that people are making leases,
removing and settling for the coming
year, and that is why tapestries, car
pets, furniture and furnishings are in
active demand, and prosperous sea-
son has just begun, and Mr.. Smith has
no doubt that the sales would have been
much greater the coming few months
than ever before.
The fire broke out in the rear of
either the first floor or the basement and
ran up the elevator shaft and stairways,
but seemed to miss the two intervening
floors, and confined itself to the top and
bottom floors. The roof was burned off,
but the fire did comparatively little
damage to the building otherwise, prob
ably not to exceed $1,000. The build
ing is owned by the Hale estate.
The stock on the ground floor,
which was the main sales floor, as well
as that on the upper floor. is
a Total Loss,
| hut there will re some salvage on the
carpets, upholstery and furniture on the
second and third floors. Mr.. Smith, OF
the firm, says the stock was worth S40,-
600. and insured for $4,000, and Chief
| Jackson estimates the loss on stock at
| from 60 to IS per cent, so that $50, 600 10
| $4,000 will cover the entire loss on
| building and stock.
The network of electric wires in the
| neighborhood interfered with the sue
cessful operation of the ladders and
water tower, and they were finally cnt.
| During the operation fireman named
Murray. from No. 2, received a severe
shock IF ON one OF the wires. Another
| fireman. named Thomas, was nearly
| suffocated by the smoke while at warE
| on ladder near the top of the build
| ing.
The fire was discovered at 10:3O by
| Officers Lawson and Brown. WHO sent
| III the alarm, and only few minutes
| had elapsed before the engines from the
! central and from Nos. and stations
were OH the scene. Chief jackson saw
| at a glance that the fire was of serious
nature and turned in general alarm,
which brought all the apparatus to
the fire. Every available piece of
hose in the department was pressed
| into service and in short time numer-
| Gus streams OF water were playing upon
firemen the fire gained Roadway until
it burned through the roof, and lit up
| the entire block between Broadway aud
Pine streets on East Seventh. 1t did
not require much labor to stbdue
| the flames in the lower part
| of the building, but they had
shot up the elevator shafts, and
were spread over the entire floor. Lad
ders we're lifted to the windows. bat the
| firemen could not endure the awful
heat, and worked under the greatest
difficulty. After while, however, the
water that was poured continuously
upon the root began to have effect, and
the flames were subdued at l. O'Clock
this morning.