St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-22
A SINGULAR EXPLOSION,
Which Burned Out Most of Nc
Carthy & Donneliy's
Store.
No One Has Theory at Hand
to Explain the Mys-
terry.

An explosion, followed by wave of
flame which burned everything 1t
touched. created much excitement aud
damaged $1,000 worth of stock at Nc
earthly q Donnelly's store yesterday
morning.
The firm occupies the basement and
first floor of the building, on Wabasha,
near Fifth street. The basement where
the explosion occurred and to which the
fire which followed was confined is used
as store room. Collins and Baskets of
all sizes and descriptions, together
with decorations for church affairs occu-
pied the greater part of the space in the
basement, and every precautlon is taken
against fire by the firm and its EN-
piOyeS. About 1880 yesterday morning
the members of the firm were engaged
in the store when suddenly Il gust OF
wind something like cyclone
swept through the store accompanied
by volumes of smoke. The force OF the
air from the explosion came up stair
way i'll the rear, and was SO great that 1t
tore from its hinges a door between the
store anu q rear room and Wrenched one
OF the huge doors to the safe from its
hinges. The front show window was
also broken out anu the smaller portion
OF the stock in the store tossed about.
All alarm OF nre was turned III, and the
hire department had the blaze eXtlu-
guIshtd in fifteen minutes from the
time the alarm was sounded. Visitors
To the basement after the fire was out
were nunplused at the sight. Wnilc
nothing was entirely burned, every
thing in the front part Of the big room
was Scorcned and cnarrtd as II wave
OF fire had passed through it. Hundreds
OF cotfinS anu caSketS stored Ill racks
on either Slue We're Dlackeneu and
burned on the outside, and the walls
and ceiling were treated lhe Saline way.
Very fortunate for the trim, and also
for other occupants III the block, the de-
partinent eXtlngui5hed the flames
uefore they reached the rear OF
the basement In that portion q
quantity OF oils and candles used III
churches were stored, aud II the nre
had reached there, the chances are the
binding and block would have been
doomed. As to the cause OF the eX-
nlosiou. no Que seems 10 be able to solve
the mystery.
The first ole to notice anything
wrong was an employe OF the firm VINO
was engaged III trimming caSkeG i'll
the back room on the first floor. lie
heard sound which at first he Supposed
to be from the boiler of all engine. Look
ing up he saw a volume of smoke
coming UP the stairway leading from
the cellar. He started to run TO the
front Or store proper, and nearly
dropped from fright as the coffin he had
been trimming passed him on the way
to the door. The theory advanced by
Mir. Mccarthy is that an employee who
visited the basement about an hour be-
fore. through cartlessneS5, started the
fire in some way. The fire smouldered
until it had gained some Roadway and
then caught from one coffin to another,
the varniSh Oh the funeral boxes being
easily ignlted. Another theory is that
the cellar became filled III some way
with gas, which was ignited and caused
the explosion.
The loss to the stock Is estimated at
81 600, which Is covered by 3d. 900 III
surance held by companies represented
by Rogers Bros, }. +. Gehan, l.. j. Cas-
serly and 4. n. Nelson.