St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-20
HALF 4 MILLION GONE.
Minneapolis Visited by One Of the Most
Disastrous Fires in Its
History.
The Central Market Building and Other
Structures Go Up in
Smoke.
Scores Of Horses, Neighing Hopelessly
for Succor, Perish in Their
Stalls.
A Brave Lineman. irving to Save the
A Brave Lineman, Trying to Save the
Lives Of Others, Loses
His Own.
Graphic Story Of the Confagration
Which Last Night Swept the
Flour City.

Minneapolis was visited last night by
terrible fire. The visit was long one,
q disastrous one. sad one. Over half
million dollars worth of property was
destroyed, and incidentally it might be
meationed that scores of horses were
burned to death. Yesterday the Central
market building. the pride of the Flour
City, stood intact, and the sharp
ness of its architecture, which
always bespoke sort of mute
arrogance, intruded itself upon
every person that came within the
shadow of the building. The sun
glinted upon the tiles of the roof, but it
will never again have the same felicity.
The handsome and costly structure
which has been such comfort to the
farmers and gardeners, yet such bone
of contention with the city aldermen,
went up IN smoke. 1t disappeared in
cinders, sparks and black, dense clouds,
being waited away unlike material
things into space At $50 all alarm
was turned in from the market
building. An hour later about 100000
worth of property had been consumed,
Including the market with the stock of
ali the tenants, Mattison'S block, Matti-
sons livery stables and several frame
dwellings. The huge gas house came
within an ace of going. Had it sue
cumbed to the flames, the consequence
would have been too horrible even to
contemplate. That an explosion would
have followed goes without the saying,
and that it would have been terrible
one is likewise apparent.
A WATCH3IAN SAW A BLAZE.
The central market was located on the
block bounded by Sixth and Seventh
streets and Second ami Third avenues
north. At about S:45 one of the watch
men, III making his customary rounds
of the mammoth structure, noticed a
dull, red light in the windows
of GodSworth & Drew's wholesale
meat establishment, which was in the
fourth store from the corner of Third
avenue and Sixth street. He peered in
and saw to his horror that a fire had
started in the rear of the place. He
rushed to where the fire alarm box was
situated, but had no sooner turned the
key than the flames burst out of the win
dows in the rear. They reached out like
hungry things, stretching and stretch
ing, until they licked the framework of
one of the huge sheds. Then with a
dint of writhing and kissing the roof of
the shed was gained. 1t was enough ;
a contiagration was on. In less time
than it takes to tell it the place was one
mass of lurid flame. while heavy vol
umes Of smoke rolled along the sheds
and yer the roof of the main building
THE FIRE OF HADEs.
The fire department responded
promptly. Alarm after alarm was
turned in until every apparatus in the
city was on the grounds. But what use
were few puny streams against the fire
of hades? The Central market was a
total loss before even an engine
throbbed or hose threw a
stream. Nothing could save it.
Mammoth and hollow as it was, with
more framework: attached to it than is
customary with buildings of it's size and
Importance, it was like SO much tinder
burning. The fire department did all it
could, and the firemen worked them
selves sick and tired; but the water
thrown into that living furnace dried
up in space.
Less than half an hour after the build
ing caught fire. the Sixth street wall
fell over with a mighty roar, augmented
by the kissing and boiling of the flames.
A few moments later the 100-feet Sec
tion Oh Third avenue dropped
down, bricks and debris flying In all
directions. Then. piece by piece, Sec
tions of the remainder of the building
topplcd over. Tho main L. at the cor.
ner of Second avenue and Seventh
street, came down with terrible crash
The people staudiog about scattered tc
the four winds, lucky that they were
not injured.
The sight Of the burning structure
was grandly awful one. The sky a
first was as black as night. and the
flaming red of the conflagration causeC
picturesque contrast. AS far as tht
eye could see when the fire was unde
full way the sky assumed the color O
red brick dust, and the moon that wa