Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-01-18
FIRE.!
Mayor 9tapleo' Handsome
Residence on the Hill Now
in K4heO.
Over 10000 Worth of Prop.
erty Destroyed Sunday
Night.

Mayor Staples handsome residence
on Summit avenue is in ashes, the
result of the fire Sunday evening.
About $50 the department was
called to n barn fire on the fiat near
the river and had just got the APP
paratus in the station when another
alarm was turned in from the depot.
A telephone message was sent in at
the same time telling them that the
mayors residence was on fire. The
chemical was Immediately taken out
and Il hose cart followed, thinking
perhaps that they could connect
with a small main at the brewery
and thus get stream on the flre,
hut when they got to the brewery 1t
was found impossible to do It. The
only thing to be done in this case
was to form a bucket brigade and
keep the fire from the barn and
neigbboring buildings. The firemen
did it and the only building destroyed
was the one in which the fire orig
mated, but it went down, and all
that remains is the foundation. Mr..
Staples was at the Transcript office
when the alarm camein; Mrs. Staples
was at church and at home were
Mrs. Staples sisters, Mrs. Sandberg
and Miss Hilborn, and four children.
Miss Hilborn was in the parlor, and
noticing smoke, rushed down stairs
to the basement and there found
smoke and flames issuing from the
room occupied by the hired man.
She ran up stairs and took the
children out doors, and none too
soon, for the fire spread so quickly
that the youngest child Of Mrs.
STAPLES was almost suffOcatcd. Inc
neiyhbOrs rushed in and saved the
DianO and a few other articles, but
the building and contents were des-
trOyed.
1t is impossible, of course, to say
exactly how the fire originated, but
the theory is that before going down
town after Mr.. and Mrs. Staples. the
hired man built fire i'll the stove IN
his room and in some manner aspark
set fire to the building.
Mayor Staples had one OF themost
comfortable residences in the city.
While he was considerable dis
lance from the water mains he had
water in all parts of the house, being
supplied by q tank into which the
water was forced by a wind mill and
pump. 1t was finished mostly in
hardwood and the fuEiture was
first-class.
The loss is estimated at $4,000
with an insurance of $4,000 carried
in American Fire, OF Philadelphia,
$4,000. First National bank, ag't.
Hoffman 4 Gaethke, also had a
policy of $500 on the building and
contents in the German-American.
In the burning of Mayor Staples
residence Sunday evening our peo-
pie had an opportunity Of beholding
q picture far more beautiful than
any thing ever put on CANVASS. Inc
skv was as clear as a bell and the
moon was Just coming up over the
hill, while the house was burning.
There was scarcely any wind and
the flames and smoke rose straight
for q considerable distance. The
light from the hill cast red glow
over the hill and everything was lit
up as light as monday. TO the
people who were observing the fire
from their windows it was one of the
prettiest sights they ever beheld.
The heroine of the fire Sunday
evening is Miss Hattie Hilborn, Mrs.
Staples sister. When she first dis
covered the fire she placed her little
nephew, Wellington, in the arms OF
the girl, and thought for some time
TINT the little fellow was out. She
discovered later that the boy was
still in the house, the girl having
.lost her head'' and left him in bed
on the second floor. She rushed
back to find the staircase On fire, but
nothing daunted che thought only OF
the little boy, and at the risk OF her
own life, went through smoke and
flames and got the little fellow out.
Had it not been for her heroic action
Mr.. and Mrs. Staples would mourn
the loss of their little one.
Mrs. Della Sandberg, OF Odell,
North Dakota, who was visiting her
sister, Mrs. Staples, lost all her own
clothes and those of her children be-
sides $25 in cash.
Mr.. and Mrs. Staples stayed with
George Fosters family Sunday night
ing and have moved into the Satter-
lee house on the hill today.