St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-24
$4,000 LOSS BY FIRE
Bjornstad & Omdahl's PIanin,
Mill and Other Buildings
on Rice
GO SKYWARD IN SMOKE
Strong W est Wind Blew this
Flames Dangerously Over
the City.
A GREAT CONFEDERATION
Averted by Extraordinary
Work on the Part of the
Firemen.
A GREAT CONFEDERATION

Yesterday afternoon st. Paul wa:
visited by $4,000 fire. Bjornstad G
OmdahPs planning mill, Nick Gruber's
cooper shop. Michael Ryan's carpenter
shop and Mrs. Dora Schwab's residence,
all located on Rice and Carroll streets
Just above the Rice and Carroll street
junction, going up in smoke.
The fire originated in the planlng
mill. and, as supposed, was set by little
boys playing with matches among some
shayings in the rear. The alarm was
turned in at 4:19. and three minutes
later CHIEF Jackson was at the scene
with Engines No. 1 and 9, Truck No.
and Chemical No. l quickly in line for
service. A strong wind was blowing
from the west. causing the flames that
were shooting skyward from the mass
of dry lumber to lap over upon the
mass of buildings nesting In the point
between Carroll and Rice; also to leap
across Rice street and almost touch the
roofs of several buildings. 1t was ap-
parent to the chief at glance that the
city was threatened with a widespread
conf1agration. and so he jumped from
his buggy to fire box and turped in
the dismal old call. "411". This brought
out Engines 8, 5 and s, Truck and
Chemical 2, likewise all audience some
$4,000 strong, flling every street for two
or there blocks away. and affording the
usual great impedimenrs to the work of
the firemen. However. lines were
soon drawn and policemen were
stationed to keep the crowd outside the
ropes. Soon after "4l1" had ceased
ringing some policeman turned in box
423. but it cut no figure, as the firemen
uDd ersteod that after the eaief.-h
turned in ''411'' he would not he likely
to pull an ordinary call.
For nearly an hour it was a furious
tight between the fire fiend and the fire.
men, that looked frequently as though
the former was going TO come off victor
and burn up the city. Every now and
then an awning or ROOF on the east
side of Rice street would blaze up from
spark descended from the sky, and
then there would be an exciting rush of
some chemica! company to get stream
upon it in the shortest possible time.
During all this exciting hour no one
expected that single building punched
in the point between Rice and Carroll
would escape destruction. The irst
building in the point is large brick
twO-story structure. in which is Robert
Spangenberger's meat market. Back
of this. and fronting Oh Rice, is the
large two-stOry brown frame residence
of Spangenberger. Between this and
the planning mill is another two-story
frame residence. Back of these
residences was the large double
frame apartment house OF Mrs. Schwab.
with exits on Carroll street. The
flames seated themselves well in Mrs.
Schwabs house, and tried desperately
to get the same hold on all the other
structures in the point. Back of the
planning mill was the cooper shop of
material usual to such shops. This
caught fire and was an easy prey to the
flames.
For nearly an hour the firemen
Deluged the Mass OF Flames
III the mill and surrounding structures
with apparently little effect. The
greater the volume of water the higher
the flames seemed to shoot.
Dense volumes of black smoke finally
began to take the place of the flames in
the sky, floating down over the heart
of the city and spreading considerable
alarm. But the smoke, like thunder
after flash of lightning, was only an
indication that the danger was past.
The energies of the firemen proved to
have been well directed. Their per-
severance saved everything but the
planning mill, the carpenter shop aud
Office of Michael Ryan that
space in the upper story of the
planning mill. the cooper shop Of Gruber
and the double residence of Mrs.
Schwab. The firemeu deserve great
praise for their efficient work. They
what seemed for long
lime impossible.
The planning mill was two-story
structure, part brick and part frame,
numbered on Rice street $40. 32l. 323
and 325. 1t was well filled with lumber,
and lumber was piled high all along the
rear. Mr.. Bjornstad stated that his loss
is not less than $4,000. counting the
destruction of the mill and the amount
Of material burned. His insurance is
about $40, 200, but he was unable to say
what companies the policies are with.
He said that the fire is especially un-
fortunate to his company, since busI-
ness was just beginning to be good
again. He had large number of orders
On hand, in fact, enough to keep the
mill running at full blast until late in
December. His business had not been
so good for two years back.
Mrs. Schwab's loss was estimated at
about $4,000, fairly we'll covered by in
surance. Nick Gruber's loss is probably
about $500, with a small insurance.
Michael Ryan's loss is from $500 to
81. 600, also covered partially by in
,urance.
Mr.. Bjornstad was on the ground in
time to direct the fremen in their efforts
50 that they saved the contents of his
office from destruction. In the Office
was the safe and many valuable draw
ngs that could not be replaced short of
great expense.
The firemen vera onnAidArahiN hip,