St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-19
BIG Mills BURN.
MINNEAPOLIS VISITED BY AN
OTHER BLAZE IN THE LUM-
BER DISTRICT.
LOSS OF A QUARTER MILLION
BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
MAIN MILL OF BACKUS
& CO.
Sparks Waited by the Gale for
BlOcks-Disaster to Engine
No. 8.

The big saw mills of E. W. Backus
& Co., at Minneapolis, were totally
destroyed by fire last night, entail
ing a loss Of $125,00 with insurance
of SS5,000, placed through the agency
of c. w. Sexton & Co.
At about 7:40 last evening Owen
MEeen, the yard foreman of the
firm, went into the mill and saw moth
ing to indicate fire. Five minutes
later, Magnus Nelson, the night
watchman, entered the building and
discovered fire near the Convey
or" which is an arrangement for
conveying the refuse into the huge
burner" where it is consumed. 1t
is supposed that the fire was caused
by a hot journal, and that it smoul-
dered until it broke out into a flame
just before the watchman entered.
AS soon as Nelson discovered the
blaze he blew the mill whistle and
pulled the mill box, 463. No. II, To-
Gated but three or four blocks from
the mill, was quickly on the scene,
and the three elevens were imme-
bioSC4y S1NC4l, III lIlS cIlllIS oS-
partment to the fire.
The automatic sprinklers, with
which the mill was equipped, worked
admirably, and poured a perfect del
uge of water on both floors; but not
withstanding it's successful opera
ton, it's work was of little avail, and
soon the whole mill was enveloped in
a mass of flame, and it was feared
the whole lumber district adjacent
would be destroyed, as there was a
high wind prevailing and showers
of sparks aScended and were waited
for blocks by the gale.
By Herculean efforts, though, the
firemen succeeded in confining the
fire to the mill, and, although that
became a total wreck, yet much
credit is due the department for their
excellent work in preventing the fire
from spreading to the lumber yards
surrounding the burning mill.
The mill was two-story frame
structure, ITO feet long by 80 feet
wide, located on Thirty-second ave-
nue. north and Second street, with
brick engine room on the north
side, and a frame assorter, forming
an "L" on the north side. On the
south side was the big burner"
towering like a huge chimney, and
near by was the large tank that
supplies the automatic sprinkler.
The first floor was equipped with
machine and blacksmith shops, two
dynamos, conveyors, gang engine,
Shafting, belts, gearing, etc.
On the second floor were two band
and one gang mills, two slashers, two
trimmers, two edgers, three shingle
machines and several small saws for
trimming purposes.
1t was up ait the ceiling of the
first floor as far as can be ascertain
ed, just north of the conveyor, that
the fire was discovered. This con-
veyOr is on the second floor, and
whether the fire caught from it and
burned through to the, ceiling of the
first floor, or, whether it caught from
an over-heated journal attached to
the shafting at the ceiling, could not
be determined, as Nelson was too
excited to notice just what the prob
able cause of the fire was, and it
was but few seconds before the
flames and smoke enveloped the
whole mill.
The mill was brought here some
twelve years ago by the Northern
Mill company, and was purchased |
by E. w. Backus & Co. from the Gull |
River Lumber company. Extensive
repairs were made upon it last year |
and it is said to have been nearly |
rebuilt.
About 400 men were employed in |
the yard and of this number some |
l25 worked in the burned mill.
A short distance from the saw mill |
was the planning mill; but, as it was |