The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-03-04
HURLED TO THE PAVEMENT
TWO FiREMEN ARE PERHAPS
FATALLY INJURED.
A Disastrous Fire Occurs In the St
Paul Wholesale District, Dur
Ing the Progress OF h
Two Firemen Are
... Hurt.
Heavy Property Loss.

LIN AAoSC SeSS hAS lluG HAN ~.
CURED in St. Paul since the Griggs-
Cooper ~confagration, broke out at 1920
yesterday morning in the factory build
ing of the Minnesota Shoe company, at
the corner of Rosabel and East Fifth
streets. Property owned by the Mime
sofa Shoe company, Kuhles & Stock.
manufacturers of cigars, and William
Roger & Co., manufacturers of fine ma
chinery and steam filters, was destoyed.
enfailing a total loss of $213,OOO, on
which there is a total insurance of $780,
600. During the fire two firemen were
badly injured and one will probably die.
The fire is supposed to have originated
from spontaneous combustion, and Capt.
Duncan Ferguson, of Engine Company
No. II, which is directly adjoining the
building, discovered it. He was stand
ing in front of the engine house when he
heard a rumbling explosion, followed by
the crash of falling glass, and a moment
later a binding sheet of fame burst out
of the second story windows of the build
ing. An alarm from Box 80 was turned
in. The fire department was on the
scene within four minutes, and Chief
Engineer Jackson, realizing the gravity of
the situation, at once turned in a Ill
alarm, and in a few minutes every COM
pany in the city had responded. A battle
royal was begun and continued until the
fire was under control at 1 p. M. Despite
the fact that but q few seconds elapsed
from the time the fire was discovered
until the fire department arrived, the
flames had gained fearful hendway, and
leaped from floor to floor of the four
ctorv cfr,ctI1ro with al orr,;,r ,op;ls+,x
But the firemen did heroic work, and
streams from a dozen lines of hose fairly
flooded the burning building. While the
fire was burning the %fiercest, there oc-
Cured an accident which may result in
the death of one of the firemen and may
cripple another for life. A number of
firemen were carrying a line of hose to
the top story by way of the fire escape.
When they reached the third story the
flames. driven from the rear of the build
ing, burst out of the third and second
story windows with renewed vigor, cut
ting the tremen off from either ascending
or descending without passing through
the sheet of fire. Realizing their danger,
all but two managed to escape through
the flames to the pavement below. Lieut..
Felix O'Neill. of Engine Company No. 2,
and G.. H. Gillian, second pipeman of
Company No. 3, despite the commands
of Chief jackson and the excited cries
of the surging crowd below, remained at
their post of duty and fastened the hose.
BY this time the fire escape had become
red hot. Gillian attempted to escape
by this route and succeeded in reaching
the second story. Here the iron rungs
were at n white heat. AS his hands
closed ON the red hot iron
he gave a %convulsive shudder,
and slipping from the ladder, amidst the
flames and rolling clouds of smoke, he
fell to the pavement below. Almost at
the same instant Lieut.. Felix O'Neill,
who attempted to escape by sliding down
the hose, also crashed in a confused heap
to the pavement. Until the second story
wa; reached it seemed that he would es-
cape. But just as he gained the windows
the hose swung IN toward the building,
ant at the same moment a gust of fire
burst out full in his face. With an agon-
lied groan he lost his hold and came
crashing down. Both men would proba-
bly, have been killed outright but for
some of the other tiremen, who, at the
risk of their own lives, gathered about
under the fire escape, and with their bodies
broke the fall of their companions. TIL
injured firemen We're taken to st. Jo-
seph's hospital in a patrol wagon, where
it was learned that Lieut.. O'Neill had
suffered a fracture of his left arm and
internal injuries. Fireman Gillham's
face and hands were badly burned, his
left ankle is sprained and his spine in
jured.