St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-26
4 MILLION IN SMOKE.
CIGARETTE STUB ckUSES 4 NOST
DISASTROUS FIRE
IN THE CITY OF ST. JOSEPH, NO.
The Big Blaze Originates in the
Department Store of Town
send. Wyatt & Emery - Fire
Laddies Handicapped by an
insufficient Water Supply
Full List of the Sufferers.

complete destruction of the entire busi-
ness district of this city. The entire
fire department during that time con-
tested the advance of the flames foot by
foot, and, although they were placed at
great disadvantage by the inability of
the water works TO give satisfactory
pressure in its mains, the firemen finally
conquered. Before they had won the
fight, however, whole square of build
ings and half of another were laid in
ruins and million dollars worth of
property went up in smoke. The cause
of all the loss was the insignificant stub
OF lighted cigarette, thrown carelessly
on the floor of the store room on the
of Townsend, Wyatt Il Emery. An
employe entered the store room smoking
cigarette, and while engaged in taking
out some goods threw it carelessly to
one side. Having completed his work
in the room. he returned to his depart
ment. The miSchievouS little brand set
fire to pile of rubbish and the flames
quickly spread throughout the room.
AS soon as the fire was discovered a
general alarm was sounded, as Is always
the case when fire starts in the
crowded business district. The depart
ment responded promptly, and stretch
ing the hose to the fifth story it was
thought that the flames could be easily
subdued, and they would have been but
for the failure of the water works
pumps to give pressure sufficient to
force water to the required height.
The flames had got beyond the point
where the chemical apparatus might
have been OF use, and the firemen were
obliged to stand by and watch the
flames increase in violence and volume,
powerless to stay their progress. The
water hose only just dribbled out of the
noZzleS. Quickly the fire spread
through the fifth story and the fremen
were driven to the floors below. They
struggled manfully against Its progress
with the drizzling supply, but all
their struggles to quench the
flames were unavaiIing.
When the fifth floor fell it became ap-
parent that the building was doomed,
and the tiremen then directed their
efforts to an attempt to cOnfine the fire
to the building. Handicapped by the
insufficient water supply, they were as
unsuccessful in the latter attempt as
they had been in the attempt to quench
the flames at their source. The Town
send Il Wyatt building became roar
ing furnace, seven times heated, and the
flames, leaping 100 feet into the air
and blown hither and thIther by
brisk wind. soon attacked the CONNER
clal Bank building. Almost simultane-
ously the flames jumped across the
street and caught the Carbrey and
France blocks, and then it became ap-
parent that the whole block was doomed,
and the fear became general that the
MT htlcI of ooi+, .ir-l1e
be swept away. The fire had by this
time been burning over an hour, but
still the water supply was fatally made
quate. The roofs of the Carbrey and
France building were
BURNING BRIsKLY
when the water began to come in Deter
supply. and encouraged by the hope of
success, the firemen went at their work
with renewed courage. Half the de-
partment was assigned to the square of
buildings in which the France and Car
brey blocks were located, and the other
half to the square where the fire origi-
mated. The former stopped the progress
of the flames north at the German
American bank on the south, in the
CarbreY block, and on the west at the
building occupied by Ransom, Garrett
& Brewster, wholesale shoe dealers, they
eral buildings, including that in
which the st. Joseph Daily News
was located, which lost its
presses, type, and some valu-
able papers. In the meantime the fire
had been raging with undiminished
fierceneSs in the square where it had its
origin. The building of Townsend,
Wyatt & Emery had been completely
Quilted. Suddenly one of the walls
tottered and fell. Calvin Wyatt, a
member of the firm, was struck by flying
bricks and seriously injured. Many
others are slightly injured. MIR. Wyatt
was struck on the head and rendered
unconscious. He was taken to his home
and physicians were summoned. They
fear that his Injuries may prove fatal.
1t was this accident doubtless that gave
rise to rumOr that number of people
were killed.
At 6 o'clock. after the fire had been
under control over two hours, no fatal
tiles had been reported.
From the Wyatt, Townsend & Emery
building the flames leaped TO the build
ing occupied by France d Shoup, crock
cry dealers. That building
QUICKLY sUCCUMBED,
as did the Commercial bank, In a
hurry. Then followed that of S. S.
Allen & Co., wholesale groceries, and
in quick succession the Hoagland build
ing and several small buildings occupied
by small tradesmen were consumed,
and the destruction of the entire square
was complete.
1t was k3 o'clock before the flames
were put under control, and the confla-
grafton had been under way for SIX
hours. At o'clock the fire was still
burning fiercely in spots, and streams
of water were kept playing on the ruins.
The burned district is the block bound
ed by Felix and Edmund and Sixth and
Seventh streets, and the south half of
the block between Edmund and St.
Charles, and Sixth and Seventh.
In that district everything is still in
confusion, and it has been impossible to
procure a complete list of all the losses
Many of the burned buildings were oe-
cupied by great number of tenants,
whose individual losses are compare
lively small. their aggregate amount,
however. amounting away up in the
hundreds OF thousands. The losses and
Insurance are: Townsend, Wyatt &
Emery. dry goods. losses on stock.
on building, $4,000; insurance.
$4,000. Ragnier q Shoup. whole
sale and retail crockery. loss
$4,000; insurance. $4,000. The Hoag-
land building. loss $4,000; fully in
sured. The Commercial bank building.
loss $4,000: fully insured. The Com
mercial bank annex, loss $4,000: insur-
ance $1,000 The Carbrey block,
damaged $4,000; insurance s20, 1000. S.
S. Allen & Co., wholesale grocers, loss
$4,000; insurance $4,000: loss
on the building $4,000, in
surance $4,000. The France block.
loss $4,000; insurance S2S,OO). Ransom,
Garrett u Brewster. losses $4,000, fully
insured; loss on building $4,000, in;
sured. German-American bank, dam
aged $500: insured. Scott & Knapp.