Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-05-26
THE FIRE FIEND.
Visits and Destroys Alex TanPraag's
Cigar Store and Factory.

AT ;about11 80 Saturday night the
city was again startledby the alarm
os fire. This was the fourth time the
fire department had been called out
since May 9th, and the second fire,
no damage occurring at the other
too. NJ. Burton, Officer Tourtellotte
and several others saw smoke issuing
from the shed or back room of the
cigar store and factory of Alex
EanPraag on Broadway, next door.
to the post flee. Considerable
progress had been made by the fire
when discovered though it had not
communicated to the front room. 8
The flames, however, spread very
rapidly and the whole store was
soon ablaze, though the show cases,
pipes IN some other goods We're
taken out of the front room. The
fire department was soon on the
g..ound after the alarm and worked
with their accustomed vigor. The
chemical engine, however, had not
the proper chemical with which to do 9
effective work, as the wrong kind
had been sent.
Force was used both from the
water works and the mill pumps.
There was a wooden building
close to it on the west and several
quite near in the rear, but the fire
was kept within the building where
it originated and was soon eXtin-
guished, through the old building is
pretty we'll quilted and the stock de-
stroyed.
Mr.. Van Praag's insurance upon
stock. goods and fixtures was $500,
$500 each in the Continental and
Americ an Fire of New York and the
Citizens OF Pitts burg, Pa. Fretz &
Holden and Victor Schallern are
the local agents forthOse companies.
Mr.. Van Praag stated to reporter
that the value of the stock and
fixtures was between $4,000 and
$4,000. The building was owned by
c. A. Sprandel, upon which there
was $500 insurance with Paul
Gaethke.
The origin OF the fire is unk known
though it is generally believed to
have been set on fire. Those who
were on the ground first think it was
set in the rear corner next to the
post Office, and some think from
beneath the floor. Mr.. Van Praag
stated to the TRANSCRIPT reporter
that he thought it was incendiary,
though, he says it might have
caught from the cigar stub of some
one who was coming out of the
rear OF the saloon, as there was no
fOunda ton under the she'd and ther
was probably inflammablc material
near and under the shed. There have
been SO many fires that this last is
occasioning considerable talk.
After the fire pressure of water
from the Electric & Water Co.'s
pump had been on few moments
during the fire the pressure suddenly
went down SO that it was practical
ly useless. The engineer at the Pine
Tree mill was at once notified, and
their pumps started. after which a
fair pressure was maintained. 1t
was a mystery what caused the
pressure to fall as there was enough
water being forced through the
pump to supply four good streams,
tanned. Even after the mill pump was
stopped. On investigation Sunday
morning, by shutting off valves on
different mains, it was found that
there was leak in the line running
down the canal to the paper mill.
That line was cut off and, for the
satisfaction of the citizens and fire.
men, three lines of hose We're at
tached on hydrants at the corner of
Broadway and First streets, and
with these streams playing pres
sure of over 100 pounds was main.
tained by the Electric & Water Co.'s
pump. The water in the canal was
lowered and it was found that
siX-inch connection had been blown
out. The fact that the E. & w.
pump was working directly against
the one at the Pine Tree company en-
abled the two to keep a fair pressure
during the fire. The broken connec-
tion was repaired. and the accident
fortunately did not prove OF great
injury to the city.
The promptness OF the Pine Tree
Lumber company in supplying the
pressure was commendable, and was
a fullfillnlent Of their promise to the
city at the time the nine hydrants
were ordered along the main to the
mill. The city pays annually S72O
for these nine hydrants (over one
fifth the entire amount paid for fire
prOtection) but the wisdom Of ex-
tending to the Pine Tree Company
the benefits OF the city protection
and receiving as a partial
return their aid during the
saving season in case of accident
has been demonstrated during the
past ten days. No system is proof
against accident, and. the more re-
sources city has the better.