The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-08-17

SAAV1IILLS in ASHES
LUMBER DISTRICT OF MIME
APOL1s SWEPT ny FIRE.
A Million Dollars Damage Before
the FLAMES Were Quenched-Scores
of Houses Destroyed and Many Peo-
pie Made Homeless-Two or Three
Lives Lost.
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 1.-The most
disastrous fire in the history Of the
Twin Cities was that which swept
down upon Minneapolis Sunday after
noon and in few hours had licked up
over $1,000. 900 worth Of property and
sacrificed human life to it's fierce fury.
The property destroyed included five
saw mills, two ga b and door factories,
a carriage factory, box factory, boiler
factory, two ice houses, brewery
plant. 100 dwelling houses and 100, 000,-
600 feet of lumber. The district burned
comprised the lower half of Nicollet
island, all of Boom island and section
of the city along the east side of the
river from Boom island to Twenty
second avenue north. The
Heart of the Lumber District
Of the city was the path chosen by the
confagration. and the lumber and
buildings which had been rendered as
dry as finder by the hot weather of the
past few weeks, was easy fuel to the
flames. and it was beyond human effort
to save them. But the amount of prop
erty destroyed is not the worst feature
of the ruin and desolation. Fully 1000
men are thrown out Of employment.
and most of them lost their homes and
all their earthly possessions in the
flames. The affection at this time is a
double calamity, and throws additional
gloom over the community. Most of
these men had families dependent on
them for support, and with one fell
blow have been thrown upon the Oh ar
ity of the world.
CareIessness Caused 1t.
The fire started in an ice house On
Nicollet avenue, where q number of
boys have been in the habit of gather
ing every Sunday to drink and smoke.
They were there Sunday, and the blaze
was doubtless started by lighted
cigar which had been carelessly thrown
away. It spread with lightning rapid
ity, and in few moments the whole
building was aflame. A stable filled
with hay in the rear of the ice house
was the next building to go. and in a
very short space of tint the whole
island was threatened with destruction
It was then the fremen arrived and be-
gan heroic battle with the flames.
Soon breeze, which had been blowing
all day, began to come in rapid sweeps
and
Carried the Flames
to building after building in swift sue
cession. Before the icehouse and stable
were half consumed the 2-story frame
ia tory of the Union wagon works was
afire. 1t was old and dry as punk, and
the streams of water which the firemen
poured upon it were of no avail
From there the flames quickly
swept to J. E. Clarke's box factory,
which was soon in ruins. Next to
it on the north Lenhart's wagon works
and the Cedar Lake ice houses were
wiped out of existence.
Farther north were Lintge & Con-
nelPs boiler works and here the heav-
lest less on the island took place. This
firm had stock valued at over $50. 600
and not cent of insurance. The other
losers are fairly we'll insured.
It was while the fremen were busy
at work on Nicollet island and had
secured final control of the flames, that
a startled exclamation came from the
thou sands OF spectators that surrounded
the scene. S)me of the fremen stopped
from their labors to look up. only to
discover tiNt the work had only COM
menced. For just then lurid tongue
Of flame shot up from the midst of the
lumber yards and saw mills on Boom
island, and soon second alarm went
over the city. calling the fremen to
save that section.
Boom island is several blocks up the
river, and the theory which was at first
suggested that the Wind had blown Gin
ders to that section was soon abandoned
when it became known that this second
fire had been
Started by an Incendiary
and was eating its way into the heart Of
the lumber district. A general ire
alarm was sounded, and the whole city
awoke to- the realization that it
was threatened with destruction.
Quickly jumping across the small space
of water separating the island from the
mainland