St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-22
KENT STREET BARN DESTROYED
By A FIERCE FIRE LAST
EVENING.
MASCOT HAD A NIGHT OFF.
MIR. LOWRY WON HIS 100000
DAMAGE SUIT ONLY TO LOSE
$4,000 BY FLAMES.
SCORES OF CARS. WE'RE BURNED.
They Were in the Old She'll for
Storage. and Could Not he
Gotten Out.

The Twin City Rapid Transit COM
pany sustained serious loss last
evening, when the large barns on Uni
VerS1ty avenue, near Kent street, were
entirely destroyed by fire. The build
ing was an old landmark, having been
erected in 1881, but has, for the last
four years, been occupied only as a.
store house for disabled or unused
rolling stock. When first erected it
marked the. limit of the street car busi-
ness in that direction
Shortly before o'clock last even-
ing Officer Stolz noticed smoke pour
ing from the windows and doors Of the
old barn and sent in an alarm from the
box at University and Western ave-
nues By the time the officer had
traversed the intervening block the
entire building was in flames The
cause of the fire is not definitely
known, though it is supposed to have
been of an incendiary nature An Off
cial of the railway company last even
ing estimated the loss on the building
and contents at from $4,000 to $4,000.
Five thousand dollars will probably
cover the loss on the building, while
the remainder is on the cars and equip
about 100 cars in the building, nearly
half of which number We're in good
condition, but were not in use on ac-
count of not being provided with ves-
tibules. The gentleman furnishing the
above estimate stated the whole loss to
be fully covered by insurance, though
he had no knowledge of where it was
placed.
When the department arrived on the
scene the dangerous nature of the fire
was at once realized, and a second alarm
was turned in, calling several more en-
gines, whose presence was considered
necessary for the protection of adjoin-
ing property. The fire originated in the
rear of the car barn, and famed by
southwest wind, In a short time had
traversed the entire length of the struc-
ture. Being of frame structure, old and
dry the barn furnished material for q
very hot fire, and for a time it looked
as though several buildings across the
street must surely burn. Streams Of
water were constantly played upon the
endangered structures however, and no
serious damage was done to the adja-
cent property. The house at No $50
University avenue, Immediately beside
the old barns, was slightly damaged,
while q barn on the rear Of the same
lot was about totally destroyed. The
house is occupied by Frank Mogler, and
owned by Herman Gall, who estimates
his loss at about $500. A two-story
frame dwelling next to the barn on Au-
rora avenue, occupied by II. +. Mc1n-
tire, was damaged to the extent Of
about $780, while the frame feed store Of
: II. Bielenberg, west of the burning
building, on Kent street suffered some
damage, though its contents were early
removed to place of safety.
In throwing water upon one of the
buildings across from the barn on Uni
versity avenue, several windows were
broken in front of T. L. e. Addler's
book store and the stock slightly dam
aged by water. Aside from tine dam
age directly due to the flames, mesh
of telephone wires We're torn down, Sc
riously affecting communications with
Minneapolis and the suburbs. A num-
Der of wires belonging to the police tel
egraph system We're also displaced.
The total loss in this connection will,
upon the statement of Supt Carey, OF
the Fire Alarm telegraph system, prob
ably not exceed $100. Men were busy
until an early hour this morning re-
pairing the damage to the wires, so
that several communications have al
ready been re-established. One large
feed wire was cut down, but as a SIM
liar means Of supplying the necessary
current runs on both sides of the
street, traffic was in no way impeded
from this cause, though lines of hose
across the tracks blocked the interur-
ban cars for several hours at both ends
of the line.
The residents in the neighborhood
breathed much easier as the flames Of
the burning sheds gradually died out for
it is certain that series Of disastrous
CONGREGATIONS were only averted by the
well directed efforts of the fire depart
ment. After the danger had passed sew
eral residents in the vicinity were
heard to remark, that it was a good
thing the barns were gone, as they had
been an eyesore for many years.
The fire was free from accidents. with
one exception. Albert Fetsch, nephew
of Adam Fetsch, the cigar dealer, sus-
tanned a severe spratned ankle by fall
ing upon the icy sidewalk. DR.. Nippert
attended the young man. who. after the
injured ankle had been bandaged, was
taken to his home, at Como and Park
avenues, by the Rondo street patrol
wagon.