Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-14
TWO MILLIONS Loss.
An Extensive Fire At Minneapolis
Yesterday Afternoon.


Minneapolis. over 200 houses are burned.
and at least 500 persons are rendered homo
less. This is the record made by the de-
stroytng element in the short space Of two
hours kind providence. and not the fire
department or the feeble efforts Of owners
OF threatened property. saved the greater
portion of the manufacturing and residence
sections of the east side. The fire had
gained such Roadway that no human agency
could quench it. and only a change in the
| direction Of the wind prevented an awful
confagration.
1t was a little after 1:3O o'clock when the
Waterman saw a small blaze on the river
side Of J. 3. Clark & Co.'S box factory, on
the south end of Nicollet Island, at the head
followed by a second and third, was turned
IN, out by the time the department had
arrived the flames. famed by a furious
south wind, had gained such Roadway that
! all the firemen could do was to turn their
attention TO adjoining property Where the
nre nrst started Is mystery, but 1t Is
wagon works or in an ice house belonging
TO the Cedar Lake Ice Company, Immediate
Nearly ali the structures in this vicinity
| were OF wood dry as finder, and made
splendid fuel for the flames. Clark's box
factory was doomed before even a stream CT
north. Lenhart's wagon works and the
Cedar Lake ice houses were wiped out of
existence. Farther north are Linttes q Con-
neifs boiler works, and here the heaviest
| loss on the island took place. This firm had
a stock valued at over sc 900, and not a cent
Of insurance. The other losers are fairly
Another Island a Blaze,
While this fire was at its height a spark
carried in the air alighted on Boom Island
nearly half a mile above the fire on Micott
Island This island Is Occupied as a wood
yard by the lumber Arm of Nelson, Tenney
Co. No one noticed the spark fall, but
the whole island was soon ablaze. 1t was
this spark that caused the greatest loss
Quickly jumping across the small stretch
Of water separating the island from the
MAINLAND manila Ts the flames gained a footing in
there were piled some 100000 feet Of lum-
Der.
and into that Of E. W. Backus & Co. ad-
joining. By this time 1t was impossible to
stop II. even had the whole fire department
the air and started fires many blocks be-
yond the places where the firemen were at
work The flames were simply irresistible.
Brick and stone structures fell as easily
victims as the merest shells. Beyond the
lumber yard were the two mills belonging
to E. W. Backus & Co. OF these nothing
mass Of twisted machinery and charred
timbers. j. E. Chattenton's post mill went
door factories Of Fulton & Libbey and j.
W. Wilcox & Co.
At the corner Of Marshall street and
18th avenue northeast stood the mammoth
brewery Of the Minneapolis Brewing Com
pany- This. II seemed, must surely go.
but at this time the wind changed and.
wooden buildings, 1t was saved and ii Is
the only structure between the river back
Soes ssa se biz Of sass
acted as a shield and in a measure pro-
tected the property to the north. Had 1t
Are from running north mas as far as Il could
find anything to burn. Along the river
were situated the saw mills and wood and
gone the way of the others and nearly the
entire saw milling industry Of the city
would have been destroyed.
bridges Burned.
The change in the direction Of the wind
imperiled the lumber yards and mills on
the west side of the river, and they were
almost at the mercy of the flying sparks
and embers. The firemen were powerless
to render any assistance. for to reach the
Plymouth or 10th avenue north bridges, it
would have to be necessary to pass through
a furnace. The bridges were on fire. and
there was nothing to do but to hope for
the best until some apparatus could make
detour of three miles and reach the fire
The employees Of the yards. however, had
not been idle They stretched lines of hose
and any sparks that found a footing across
the river were promptly squelched Along
the east bank of the river are located the
mills and lumber yards which were burned.
while east of them were located many
stores and residences. Most of them were
frame buildings. occupied by the employees
their dwellings. and their principal losses
will be their household goods which thev
stacked in piles, over which they stood
suafa 10 prevent their being carried away
AT the brewers. where the fire was check
ed, the citizens did much to aid the firemen.
tinguished all incipient blazes and with the
change In the wind all danger was practi-
sally over. and the fire was allowed to burn
All the available fire apparatus in the CITY
was In use. and st. Paul sent two engine
snrs 1 IN response 9 to calls for assist
and 1t is believed that all the Occupants OF
the houses escaped with their lives. They
have been lost. 1t is rumored that two az
tnree men were penned in by the flames
while trying to rescue some Of their prop
About O'Clock the fire jumped the river
ana Tor some time the West Side saw mills
ms aan was IN great danger; Fortunately
danger was done. "SH
Driven Into the Fire.
Between the Plymouth and Twentietb
avenue north bridges, on the east side of
the river, there juts out into the river I,
point of land upon which some ono hun
dred people. principally laborers and saw
null hands reside. The fire soon cut or
their escape by land. and they were in i'm.
Mlnent danger OF being burned To death
NO boats were at hand and the residents
We're forced into the river in order To I'VE
their lives =" save
Previous to this they attempted To save
tneir personal effects. Bedding tool chests
ana even clothing were thrown into the
river. the owners hoping that they mieht
Pc De a9ie TO recover them some time All
this time great crowd stood on the
bridges and watched big hatboat making
slow Roadway toward the unfortunate nso
pie in the river. The heat was most in
tense, and many of the men in the wafer
were compelled to duck their heads ,,ndar
II to prevent the flames from scorcbine
their faces and heads. One brave feIlow
stripped himself and unaided brou1ht n
number of his neighbors across the river
before the hatboat arrived, when all were
saved.
The Losses.
1t Is next to impossible to estimate the
loss. The owners of the property them
selves, in many cases. are unable TO give
any estimates Nelson. Tenny & Co. lose
about ten million feet of lumber and some
wood; Backus & Co. two saw mills and
probably a like amount of lumber Their
loss will probably be at least S250OOO. A
c. Wilcox G. Co.'S loss is about 800, 900; Full
ton & Libbey's about the same.
The bottling worke and stables of the
Minneapolis Brewing Company are burned,
and the loss Will be at least 100000. They
were well insured. On small buildings
probably two hundred small buildings
burned. together with their contents.
The damage to Clarke's box factory on
NicOllet Island ia estimated MT In