Morris tribune., 1893-08-16
INASHES
LUNaRR DIsTRICT OF MINNIE.
ArUnIs SWEPT BY FIRE.

AOOu duQ III d A0W uouES AeO AAChSu ul
over $1,00o. 900 worth of property an(
sacrificed human life to it's fierce fury
The property destroyed included fv'
saw mills, two sash and door factories
a carriage factory, box factory, boiler
factory, two ice houses, a brewery
plant. 100 dwelling houses and 100, 600,
600 feet of lumber. The district burned
comprised the lower half of Nicolle
island, all of Boom island and section
Of the city along the east side of the
river from Boom island to Twenty
second avenue north. The
Heart Of the Lumber District
of the city was the path chosen by the
conhagrafion, and toe lumber and
buildings which had been rendered as
dry as tinder by the hot weather of the
past few weeks, was easy fuel to the
flames. and it was beyond human effort
TO save them. But the amount Of prop
erty destroyed is not the worst feature
of the ruin and desolation. Fully 1000
men are thrown out of employment.
and most of them lost their homes and
all their earthly possessions in the
flames. The afatction at this time is a
double calamity, and throws additional
gloom over the community. Most of
these men had families dependent on
them for support, and with one fell
,blowh have been thrown upon the Oh ar
ity of the world.
Carelessness Caused 1t.
The fire started in an ice house on
Nicollet avenue, where number Of
boys have been in the habit of gather
ing every Sunday to drink and smoke.
They were there Sunday, and the blaze
was doubtless started by lighted
cigar which had been carelessly thrown
away 1t spread with lightning rapid
ity, and in few moments the whole
building was affame. A stable filed
with hay in the rear of the ice house
was the next building to go. and in a
very short space of time the whole
island was threatened with destruction
It was then the fremen arrived and be-
gan a heroic battle with the flames
Soon a breeze, which had been blowing
all day, began to come in rapid sweeps
and
Carried the Flames
to building after building in swift sue
cession. Before,t the icehouse and stable
were half consumed the 2-story frame
factory of the Union wagon works was
afre. 1t was old and dry as punk, and
the streams Of water which the firemen
poured upon it were of no avail.
From there the flames quickly
swept to J. r. Clarke's box factory,
which was soon in ruins. Next to
it on the north Lenhart's wagon works
and the Cedar Lake ice houses were
wiped out of existence.
Farther north were Lintge & Con-
nelPs boiler works and here the heav-
lest loss on the island took place. This
firm had stock valued at over $5U, 900
and not cent of insurance. The other
losers are fairly well insured.
It was while the fremen were busy
at work on Nicollet island and had
secured final control of the flames, that
a startled exclamation came from the
thousands of spectators that surrounded
the scene. Some Of the fremen stopped
from their labors to look up. only to
discover that the work had only COM
menced. For just then Iurid tongue
Of flame shot up from the midst of the
lumber yards and saw mills on Boom
island, and soon second alarm went
over the city, calling the fremen to
save that section.
Boom island is several blocks up the
river, and the theory which was at first
that the wind had blown Gin
1ers to that section was soon abandoned
when 1t became known that this second
IRE had been
Started by an Incendiary
and was eating its way into the heart of
the lumber district. A general fire
alarm was sounded, and the whole city
awoke to the realization that it
was threatened with destruction.
Quickly jumping across the small space
of water separating the island from the
mainland
The Flames Gained Footing
in Nelson. TennY & Co.'s lumber yard,
where were piled some 10,OO0,OO0 feet
Of lumber. The fire worked through
his yard and into that of E. W. Backus
& Co., adjoining. By this time it was
to stop it even had the
whole department been on hand.
Great embers flew through the air and
started fresh fires. The flames were
simply irresistible. Brick and stone
structures fell as easy victims as the |
nerest shells. Beyond the lumber
yard were the two mills belonging to |
3. w. Backus & Co. OF these nothing |
'emain except the smokestacks and
mass of twisted machinery and charred |
5imbers. j. B. Chattenton's cedar |
post mill went the way of the others,
Is did the sash and door factories Of |
Fulton & Libbey and J. T. Wilcox &
Co. At the corner of Marshall street |
md Thirteenth avenue stood the NAM
moth brewery of the Minneapolis
Brewing company. This, it seemed, |
must surely go, but at this time
Inc WInu CnaDScu
md although the brewery was sur
by wooden buildings it was |
iaved and this was the on1y structure
between Sixth and Thirteenth avenues,
and from the river back to Marshall
street, distance of three blocks, that
escaped the fire. The big brewery |
acted as sort Of shield and in
measure protected the property to the
orth. Had it burned nothing could
ave prevented the fire from running
lorth as far as it could find anything to
'Urn. Along the river were situated
he saw mills and wood and lumber
ards, and these, too, would have gone
he way of the others and nearly the
ntire saw mill industry OF the city
you'd have been destroyed. Along the
asst bank Of the river were located the
Mills and lumber yards which burned,
Thile east OF them were located many
torres and residences. Most of them
7ere wooden structures, and generally
ccupied bv emnloves Of the mill and /