St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-13
MILLION DOLLAR FIRE.
AMERICAN GLUCOSE FLAHT At BUE-
FHLO BURNED.
THE INSURANCE IS s5s5.ooo.

An Eieven.story Building, Three
EiRht-Story Buildings in Ashes
-Four Were Rurt-Uncertain
III Lives Were Lost Ffremsn
Injured, Two Seriously Fish
Market Took Fire.
BUFFALO, N. Y, April 12.-TEe
plant of the American Glucose company
burned tonight. The loss will be about
$1,000 900. The insurance was S5S5,O00.
Ihe works consisted of an cleven-story
brick building used for the manufacture
OF glucose and starch, an eight-s:ory
brick building used as power house
and as place for making the cattle
feeding product, an eight-StOry brick
building used as refinery.and an eight
story Storehouse. The fire was discov-
cred Ill the dynamo room OF the main
building shortly after o'clock by the
engineer. He gave the aIaim and he
and his fireman srushed out. In ten
minutes the whole eleven floors
were on fire, flames were
bursting through the windows and dart
ing from the roof. There were perhaps
l25 men at work tonight. 1t will not be
KNOWN until census of the employees is
taken tomorrow whether one man or
nifty men were cremated. It is known
that some of the men escaped by the fire
escapes, and some of those OH the lower
sterleS Jnmped into the canal. A great
many of the men at work OH the upper
floors were ignorant Poles andGermans.
They may have been burned and they
may not. 1t is impossible to tell now.
The chances are, however. that several
men were burned to death.
As it was. four of the men who
jumped We're hurt. These are: John
Young, workman, jumped and hurt
about the head and face; two Poles.
cannot speak English, names unknown,
both severely injured, one has both
legs broken; John Stein, workman,
severely burned.
In fifteen minutes the entire main
building was Il mass of flames. In
twenty minutes the walls began 10 fall.
And they fell at frequent interval; until
inside of forty-tiye minutes there was
building was connected with the power
and feed house by an elevated bridge
over Scott street. The flames crept
across this and ignited the feed house.
Meanwhile the city fish market Just
across the street caught fire. Five
firemen were sent inside it. to fight the
flames, and number of streams were
turned on The roof. The building was
long, low brick structure, and the fire.
portion of the blazing wall fell OH it and
started the roof to burning fiercely.
The tiremen inside did not know of this,
and no one told them. The conse-
quences were that in few minutes the
roof fell in and buried them. Three Of
them escaped with few bruises, but
John Weber and Lieut.. Louis Schroeder,
OF the same company, were not SO fort
innate. Weber was taken out uncon-
scious. His face is badly burned, some
Of his rios broken, and he has also i'll
terhal injuries. 1t is a question whether
he lives Or dies. Lieut.. Schraeder had his
back and legs hurt. Both were taken TO
hospitals.
The feed house was completely de-
stroyed, the walls all having fallen by
10 O'clock. The refinery and the store
house went next, and by II O'clock
there was nothing left of the mammoth
establishments but few tottcring
walls. The glucose works were owned
and controlled by &. j. Hamlin, the
famous trotting horse man. and his sons.
After IL o'clock the progress Of the fire
was checked. It will be several hours
before it is completely under control.
The situation at midnight was such
that placed all the surrounding
property out of danger. The fire.
men were doing excellent work and
had the flames under control. Nearly
all the walls have fallen. and it
is now merely question of time be-
fore the flames will have consumed the
cOmbustible materials in the buildings.
Fireman Chris Lang, Of Truck No. l,
was compelled, on account of tho dan
ger from falling walls, about midnight
TO jump from the roof of one of the low
buildings to the ground. He escaped
with broken leg and slight injuries.
No further ser iouS accidents have been
reported up to this hour Il 80 a. M