St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-25

people began to give way to the panic,
which in another hour precipitated a
flying army toward the other portions
os the city. North of Ninety-first
street, on Superior avenue,
The Early Stages
of the fire burned five one-and-a-half
story frame cottages belonging to John
Mason. Then in quick succession the
three story frame house of John Wicks
on NinetyFirst street, the three-stUry
frame belonging to Frank Salt, and the
grocery store, one-story building be-
longing to A. Lingquist, were swept
away. By this time, and with most of
these buildings ablaZe, so great had
become the volume of heat and
flame-laden air that was sweep
ing toward the lake that it
was seen the fire must spread to
the docks. from which it was anxiously
desired to keep it. The fears of the de-
partment and citizens were we'll fouDd-
ed, and before the scores of engines had
made the least appreciable effect upon
the progress of the flames the immense
docks of the Sunday Creek Coal COM
pany were in ruins. Over hundred
thousand tons of coal are stored IN the
immense bins, which extend for
500 feet along the river front.
The earliest estimate ventured
was that the loss at this place alone
could easily reach 100000 When the
fire began in the coal yards every en-.
gine that could be spared and the pow
erful steamer Yosemite, as soon as it
| reached the harbor. were brought to fight
the conflagration. At the same moment
the A. K. Beck lumber yards, with dock
frontages almost as great as those of
the Sunday Creek company, were found
to be burning, aud here the
First Great Battle
| of the firemen with the flames was be-
gun. The fire department had only by
this time succeeded in getting together
a sufficient number of engines to give it
any chance at all against the roaring
mass of flames.
There were but seven engines on the
ground at this time, and the fire boat
arrived just in time to lend its powerful
aid at the critical moment. Sew
eral small buildings had been torn
down by the firemen, and the
citizens, and this gave them breathing
spell which ultimately proved decisive,
for the firemen. though at first not able
to do more than hold the flames in
check, steadily beat them down when
the additional engines arrived. BY s
O'Clock the coal in the yards OF the Sun
day Creek company and Beck's lumber
yard were the only places where the fire
was still uppermost, and IN a short time
it was practically under control and all
danger OF its spreading further was
| over.
There appears to be no doubt but that
the terrible conflagration originated in
the destroyed dwelling of Master Me-
chanic William GILES. an employe of
the rolling mills. MIR. Giles two-story
frame house was located at 1872 Ninety
first street, where he lived with his fam
lily, including his daughter, to whose
youthful feminine vanity must be attrib-
uted the beginning of the fire. Miss
GILES, according to those who had lived in
the vicinity, was engaged about 4:30
O'Clock in preparing her evening toilet.
In this she was using lamp for the
while arranging her bangs the
Lamp Was Overturned,
and an explosion followed which in the
end wrecked the homes of several
thousand people.
When all danger of a further spread
of the fire was over, the panic-Stricken
people, who had fed wildly for their
lives, began to return to where their
homes had formerly been. In very few
instances were they able to find any
vestige of their homes. Most of the
buildings destroyed we're light frame
affairs, and were occupied almost ex-
clusively by the workmen of the Illinois
Steel company. The damage in none of
these instances was large in amount,
but the conservative estimates put the
aggregate loss in tue residence
district at 100000. The Sunday
Creek Coal company has lost fully $780,
600, and that of the Beck Lumber COM
pany S200,000 The latter concern re.
Gently made all assignment, and had
just resumed business after making an
arrangement with its creditors Its
large stock of lumber is completely de-
stroyed, and its business is once more
at a stand-stlIl. Despite the 1apidity
with which the flames spread and the
crash and panic which at one time
choked up the streets, no lives, as far as
known, were lost.
The Following Were Injured.
none of them fatally: Fred Donant,
severely burned about the face and
arms; Robert Guiula, overcome by
smoke and heat; Addie Guinla, over
come by heat; Martin Burke. fell from
a second story window and was injured
internally. Very shortly after the fire
attacked No. 100 Buffalo avenue, the
store of n. johnson, there was violent
explosion of twenty-one gallon cans OF
gasoline. The proprietor, johnson, was
severely burned about the face.
Hundreds of people deprived of home
comforts with scarcely warning, gath
cred along Ninety-frst street and ada
cent 1horOughfares. But they were moi
to be homeless, for the citizens of South
Chicago rallied to their assistance. II
was not necessary even to organize re-
lief committees, and no definite steps
toward to housing of the un-
fortunate people were taken. The
word was PASSED down the line
that the houses of those who
were not losers by the fire were, with.
out exception, open to any and all who
had been driven out upon the streets
South Chicago is almost entirely man.
ufacturing suburb, and is situated al
the mouth of the Calumet river, about
thirteen miles from the city hall. The
principal establishment in the place is
the Illinois Steel company, which EN-.
ploYS at the present time about 6,00(
men. The river front and lake shore
are occupied for long distances by i'm.
mense lumber and coal yards and Ship
ping docks. 1t has population in round
! figures of about $4,000.