The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-08-30
TWO MILLIONS IN ASHES.
FIRE DEVASTATES THE EAST
SIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS.

HunuredS or houses destroyed and
Fifteen Hundred Persons Made
Homeless - Many Factories and
Lumber Yards Burned-Sparks
Carried Half Mile.
Two million dollars worth Of property
went up in flames few afternoons ago, at
Minneapolis, MINI. More than 200 houses
were burned and at least 1900 persons Sere
made homeless. A change Of wiad saved
the greater part OF the manufacturing and
residence section OF the East side.
The fire started In j. B. Clark i Co.. g box
factory, on the south end of Nicollet Island,
at the head Of st. Anthony's Falls. An alarm.
! quickly followed by second and third, was
turned In, but by the time the department
had arrived the flames, famed by furious
all the fremen could do was to turn their at
tention 10 adjoining property.
Nearly all the structures In that vicinity
were OF wood, dry as tinder, and msdesplen-
did fuel for the flames. Clarks box factory
was doomed before even stream OF water
was thrown upon 1t. Next to 1t, north, Len
hart's wagon works and the Cedar Lake Ice
houses were wiped out Of existence. Further
north are Lintjes d Connell's boiler works,
and here the heaviest loss on the island took
place. This firm had stock valued at over
S50, 900 and not cent Of insurance. The
other losers are fairly well insured.
While this fire was at its height spark,
carried high In the air, alighted on
Boom Island, nearly half mile above
the fire on Nicollet Island. This island
is occupied as a wood yard by the
lumber firm Of Nelson, Tanney Il Co..
The whole island was soon aolaze. Quickly
jumping across the small stretch Of water
separating the island from the main land, the
flames gained footing in Nelson, Tonney d
Company's lumber yard, where tbsre was
piled some 10, 900 900 feet OF lumber.
The fire fairly walked through the yard
and into that of E. W. Bachus & Co. ad join
ing. By this time 1t was impossible to stop
1t, even had the whole Fire Department been
on hand. Great embers few through the
air and started fires many blocks beyond the
places where the flremen were at work.
The flames were simply irresistible:
Brick and stone structures fell as cas-
lily as the merest shells. Beyond the
lumber yard were the two mills belonging to
E. W. Backus & Co. OF these nothing re-
mains except the smokestacks and mass oi
twisted machinery and charred timbers, j.
B. Chattenton's post mill went the wey Of
the others. as did the sash and door factories
Of Fulton & Libbey and ]. W. Wilcox i Co.
At Marshall street and Thirteenth avenue,
northeast, is the mammoth brewery OF the
Minneapolis Brewing Company. This, II
seemed, must surely 20, but the wind changed
and although the brewery was surrounde1
by wooden buildings 1t was saved. and 1t Is
the only structure between the river and
Marshall street, distance OF three blocks
that escaped the fire.
Most Of the residences burned we're frame
buildings, occupied by the employees Of the
mills and laboring men. Large number;
saved their household goods. ALI the avail
able fire apparatus in the city was IN use, and
st. Paul sent two engine companies In re.
sponse to calls for assistance.