The sun., 1893-08-14
BIG FIRE In MINNEAPOLIS.
THE LOSS rs $4,000, 900, AND 1900 PER
SONS ARE HOMELESS

For Two Hours the Lumber District Was
at tho Mercy Of n ConnaRrntion-The
FIrenen Were Powerles., and Part of
Nicoliett Island. Nearly all OF Boom
Island, and Several Blocks on tho
East Side Were Destroyed - About
roo Houses Were Burncd in the Enort
to Save Personal Property-Neariy 100
Persons Were Cut or aud Had TO Be Res
cued by n Fiat Boat-ThrinIng Scenes.
M1NNEApoL1s Aug. 13.-Two million dollars
worth OF property was burned this afternoon.
More than 200 houses were destroyed,
and 1900 person are homeless This was ac-
complished in two hours. change in the
wind saved the greater part OF the manufsct-
urinR and residence portion Of the east side.
Tho fro had gained such hendway that tho
firemen were poweress. The change In the
wind alone prevented confagration.
. 1t was little after IL o'clock when watch
man saw q small blaze on the river side OF J.
B. Clark 4 Co q box factory on the south end
Of Nicollet Island. at the head OF st. Anthony's
Falls. An alarm. quickly followed by q second
and third was turned In. but By the time the
department had arrived the flames. famed by
furious south wind. had gained such head
way that all the flremen could do was to turn
their attention to adjoining property.
whore tho fire really began is o mystery. but
It is thought 1t originated either in Lanhart's
wagon works or in part OF an ice house belong
ing to the Cedar Lake Ice Company. imme-
diately adjoining. Nearly all the structures in
this vicinity were Of wood. dry As tinder. and
they made splendid fuel for the flames
Clark's boz factory was practically gone be-
fore o stream OF water was thrown upon it
Next to It on the north were the wagon works
and the ice houses These were soon destroyed.
Further north were Lintjes & Connel's boiler
= 49,. L>n., tArN IN1. al~x
island. This Arm had stock valued at more
other losers are insured.
While the fire on Nicollet was at Its height.
o spark carried high In the air alighted on
Boom Island. nearly half mile above the fre
on Nicollet Island. This island is occupied as
awood yard by tho lumber firm Of Nelson.
Tenney & Go. No one noticed the spark fall.
but tho whole island was soon ablaze.
1t was this spark that caused the greatest
loss. There were piled some ten million feet
OF lumber in the yard. Tho FIRE fairly walked
through the yard and into that Of E ". Backus
& Co. adjoining.
By this time It was impossible to stop It.
even had tho whole Fire Department been on
hand. Great embers few through the air. and
started fires many blocks beyond the places
where the fremen were at work. Tho flames
were simply irresistible. Brick and stone
lumber yard were two mills belonging to L.
W. Backus q Co. OF these nothing remains
except the okestacks and mass Of twisted
machinery and charred timbers. J. B. Chat
tsnton's post mill went tho way Of the others.
as did the sash and door factories Of Fulton &
ibbey and J. W. Wilcox d Co.
The fire had leaped to the east side. where
are tho dwellings Of the workmen in the lum-
ber district The residents had been warned,
h,,k houaa Aft honda vanf down Tho da
licked up block after block. At the corner Of
Marshall street and Thirteenth avenue. north
east stood the mammoth brewery Of the Min
neapolis Brewing Company. This. It seemed.
must surely 60. but at this time the wind
changed. and. although the brewery was sur
rounded by wooden buildings. 1t was saved.
and 1t Is the only structure between the river
back to Marshall street. q distance Of three
blocks. that escaped the fire. The big brewery
acted as a sort Of shield. and, in Q measure.
protected tho property to the north. Had 1t
burned. nothing could have prevented tho fire
from running north as far as It could find any
thing to burn. Along the river were situated
the saw mills and wood and lumber yards. and
these. too. would have been burned. and nearly
the entire saw milling industry Of tho city
would have been destroyed.
The change in the direction of the wind i'm
perilled the lumber yards and mills on the
west side Of the iiver. The fremen wera
powerless. To reach the Plymouth or Twen-
tieth avenues north ..ridges would make It
necessary to pass through O furnace. The
bridges were on fire. an6 there was nothing to
do but to hope for the best until some appa.
ratus could make detour OF three miles and
reach tho fire.
The employees of the yards. however. had
not been idle. They stretched lines OF hose.
and any sparks that found q footing across the
river were promptly put out. Along the east
bank Of the river are tho mills and lumber
yards which were burned, and east of them |
were many stores and residences Most of
them were frame buildings. occupied BY the |
employees Of the mills and lsborinp mon. Few
owned their dwellings, and their principal
losses will be their personal effects. Many |
saved their household goods, which they |
stacked in piles over which they stood guard |
to prevent robbery |
A. tba hrauorv xvh.-. 81 = la -. .l..h.