Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-10-08
OUR DEPOT DESTROYED.
Fire Destroys the Northern
Pacihc Depot Here satur-
day Morning.
FIVE LOADED CARS ALSO BURNED,
Contents Of Depot and Cars a
Total Loss-Property Loss
Very Large.

The unexpected has happened. The
Northern Pacific depot at this place
was destroyed by fire at early hour
Saturday morning, and with 1t went
five box cars, all containing more or
less freight; Il warehouse full ~
freight. consisting Of goods, mer-
chandiee, machinery, ETC.. baggage
aud express. all entailinx a property
loss (litficult to estimate, but certain
to reach way up in the thousands of
dollars.
The fire was discovered by H. b.
Schenck, the night baxgageman, at
about l:2O O'clocx in the mOrning.alt
originated in the freight warehouse.
near the partition between the
freight and baggage departments.
and when discovered the sinterlor
was nearly all ablaze.
Mr.. Schenck hastily telephoned to
the fire department. and then with
the aid of Night Operator Tester, d.
rected his efforts toward saving
the records and other property In
tho ticket office. In this they were
successful, the ticket cases and all
freight records being taken out. but
when this work was completed the
fire had gained such Roadway that
it was impossible to save anything
in the express, baggage Or freight
rooms.
The fire department responded as
soon as possible, but owing to the
long distance from the hydrant 1t
was some time before stream was
turned on, and then it was too late
to do any thing toward saving the
depot or the contents.
The depot was an old frame build
ing, and the interior was saturated
with oil that has been stored In 1T,
and the work CT the flames was very
rapid. On the sidetrack west OF the
depot was n long string of cars. and
with the wind blowing in their direc-
ton, thew too were soon on fire. and
doomed to destruction, for there
was nothing at hand to pull them
out of danger. Five OF them caught
fire and were totally destroyed with
everything that was in them, and
nothing is, left of them, but the trucks
and a pile OF old irOn, all warped
and twisted by the intense heat.
The property lose Is very large.
and at this time it is impossible to
estimate it. This Is the busy season
and the large warehouse was filed
with freight of all descriptions.
There were several large consign-
ments of new goods from wholesale
houses for merchants here, and large
quantities of machinery, household
goods, farm implements, and in fact
little of everything, aome PARTICLES
of which have been stored there for
years, aud all are completely de-
stroyed.
The origin of the fire ia unknown.
The building stood up from the
ground several feet and it was easy
for anyone to get nnder it. The fire
may have been set by someone I'M
derneath the building. In one Sec
ton of the freight house was a place
where the lamps used in the depot
were cleaned and kept. This place
was all saturated with oil. 1t was
at about this place that the fire
originated and it ia possible that the
fire originated from spontaneous
combustion or by some one throw
ing down a lighted cigar.
While the company is responsible
for nearly all the property destroyed,
some of our citizens will undOubted-
~ lose heavily by the fire. Edwin
Hall, who is removing to Minneapo-
lia, put nearly all his household
effects in q car that was burned and
they were a total loss, including two
expensive buggies and a piano. MIR.
Hall had not completed loading the
car and it is possible that Mr.. Hall
will be the loser by the reason of 1T
not being receipted for. A. W. Mac
Rae had five organs stored In the
depot. These it is said, were &C
copied by Mr.. MacRae and the COM
pany released, and the loss will like
" fall upon Mr.. MacRae. There are
Others too numerous to mention, who
had property in the depot In which
there is a question as to who will
have to stand the loss. -
As early as possible that morning
the section crews were put to work
clearing away the debris and line
men went to work to re-establish
the telegraph communications which
had been cut off by the fire. A small
norton of the south end sof the
platform is about all that is left, and
upon this temporary Office quarters
were established Saturday morning.