St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-05
DAMAGED BY WATER
The Powers Dry Goods HOUSE
the Sufferer.
rs Sc0RcHED F0R 500, ,000
Larger Part of the Damagl
Caused by Water.
THE ORIGIN rs A MYSTERY
Watehman Made His Roundl
Shortly Before.
THE ORIGIN rs A MYSTERY
FIRMS SECOND BIG FIRE

A fire started IN the third floor of tho
building occupied by the Powers Dry
Goods company, corner of Fifth and
Waeouta streets, shortly after s O'Clock
last night, and caused loss of 100000,
the greater part of the damage being
from water.
The flames were first discovered by
who happened to be in his office, directly
across the street from the scene of tho
fire. An alarm was turned in over tho
A. d. T. wire, followed few moments
later by an alarm from Box 80, located
at No. IL engine house. on Rosabel
street near Fifth. The fire. when first
noticed by Mr.. Gotzian, had gained COM
siderable headway, and before the fire.
men reached the scene the flames were
pouring from the windows on the third
floor of the building on the Wacouta
street side. Chief jackson. as soon as
he arrived, turned IN a general alarm,
and in ewInoments six streams were
pouring flood of water into the build
ing.
By good work the flames were con-
fined TO the floor on which the fire
started, but SO fierce was the blaze that
the stock of notions which occupies the
entire floor was totally damaged. The
smoke filed the two upper floors, and
for time it looked as though the fire
had spread and the upper part of the
building would be gntted. This was
prevented by the excellent work done
by the department, and in half an hour
the flames were under control. The I'M
mense volume of water which was
poured into the building on the third
story soon leaked through, and the sec
ond and first floors were a sheet
of water On the second floor
the stock of white goods, linens. laces.
hosiery and. furnishing goods, were
| damaged by the water, which worked
through the ceiling like an April
shower. Down on the stock of dress
goods and silks on the first floor the
water drippea in lively inanDer, and.
although an attempt was made TO move
the more valuable silk stock to another
part of the room. the water seemed to
follow the removal. and the stock was
badly damaged. The fourth floor is de-
voted to manufactured goods and the
factory, and, although the stock was
badly smoked. the damage will not be-
heavy, owing to the class Of goods.
The origin of the fire is not known,
hD Of bn nd fba
ployes who were last to leave the build
| ing being unable to account for the
cause. J. F. Powell, the night watch
man, arrived at the store shortly before
| O'clock, and half an hour later the
store was closed, and the doors locked.
Powell says he was through the build
ing at 80 o'clock, three-quarterS of an
| hour before the fire was discovered, and
| that there was no sign of fire. he then
| went to the basement, and wrote
| couple of letters, and was just starting
! to make another round of the building
| when the fire department arrived ON the
scene. The infianlmable character of the
notion stock evidently fastened the fire,
and that the building was not Quilted is
due to the manner in which the depar-
-ment worked and the construction OF
the building, which is known as slow
burning. An investigation made by
| members of the firm after the fire had
been extinguished, elected nothing
| which would indicate how, the fire
| started. A. j. Powers said that the
| only explanation he could give was that
| mice and matches caused il. From the
statements made by Mr.. Gotzian and
the members of The department who
were first On the scene, it is
thought that the fire started near
the desk OF A. II. Warren. who has a
small Office on the third floor in the no.
ton stock. Every precaution has been
taken by the firm TO guard against fires,
there being no gas or stoves in the
building and no lights after o'clock,
except a lantern carried by the night
watchman. The idea advanced that the
fac started from an electric light wire
was found to be without foundation. as
the lights were turned off at the witch
! on the first floor at least two hours be-
| fore the fire started.
A ]. Powers, asked as to the loss,
4 said that he was nos able to fix the tig-
| ure. The notion stock, which he thought
| was valued at about $4,000. was total
| loss. The stock oa the second floor,
made up of white goods, laces. fornish-
ing goods and hosiery, valued at from
$4,000 to $50, 600, WAS not injured by the
fire, but the damage by water was very
| large, probably 10 the extent OF one
third or one-half the value. On the st
n l.
had been badly soaked, and althci gh
some Of the goods had been } w.
cred by tarEaulins it was not
until after they had been well watered.
The IRE came at Il very busy season.
there being at least sao,0Co worth of
goods ready 30 bill and ship, in various
parts or the building, nearly all or them
being on the second ald third floors.
| The firm carried insurance amounting
to $500, ,0G9. al or which is placed by
| John G. Shanirew. of the firm or Prince
& ShaDdrew, who had charge of the
insurance. The building. which is
owned by Noyes Bros. Il Cutler, was
| not badly damaged. the loss being not
TO exceed &, 900. covered by insurance.
This is the second time the firm has
| suffered serious loss. On Thanksgiving
| day, 1891, their building on East Fourth
| street was gutted by fire. the loss being
| in the neighborhood of S200.010, and in
order to collect the amount the firm was
| obliged to bring suit against the insur-