The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-18
PERIsHED IN TI1E1seGRAND
FORKS FIRE.,
-Ii1 :
HOTEL DACoTAHs IN RUINS.
WITH 1T GO NUMBER OF WHOLE
SALE AND RETAIL BUSINESS
BLOCKSita
THREE-QUARTER MILLION LOSS.
Firemen Have a Lively Fight to
Save the Remainddter Of the
Business Section.

CHICAGO, Dec. IA special to the
Record from Grand Forks, N. D., says:
At least six persons lost their lives in
the burning of the Hotel Dakota here
this morning. The names of the dead
could not be learned, except those Of
Mr.. and Mrs. H. G. Have.
On the third floor were two CONNER
cial travelling men who are believed
to have persisted, and dining room girl
and a railroad man whose name is I'M
known are also missing. The register Is
burned and the number of dead can
not be definitely fixed.
GRAND FORKS, NJ, D., Dec. H.
Hotel Dacotah, the pride of Grand
Forks, was this morning burned to the
ground, together with the buildings
occupied by Nash Bros, wholesale
grocers, the Grand Forks Mercantile
company, wholesale grocers, the Peer
less Mercantile company's office, and
w. w. Fegan, wholesale cigars. 1t is
believed that A C. Have and his wife
were burned to death, as, up to a late
hour this evening, no trace of them
had been found. Mr.. and Mrs. Have
occupied apartments over the store
of Nash Bros.
The fire was first discovered about
a. m. by NJ Buttry who occupied
apartments on the third floor of the
Nash building. The floor Of his room
was already hot from the fire, which
had got good start down stairs, and
he effected his escape through the ho-
tel, which was the adjoining building.
The fire department was in East
Grand Forks, assisting the firemen of
that side at a fire in Arnesons store,
and considerable time was lost in
reaching the fire on this side, and, be-
fore anything could be done, the in
teriors of three buildings were mass
Of flames -. pes
The hotel was a f1ve-story building,
and the Nash and Mercantile buildings
three stories each. There was a brisk
north wind, and the temperature was
20 below zero. Although both pumps
at the water works pumping station
were put at work, it was found i'm
possible to get a stream high enough
to do any good, and the best that could
be done was to protect adjoining prop
erty, and this was done with great
difficulty. The fire leaped with great
1apidity, and it was Impossible to do
more than save the lives Of the &C.
cupants.
The hotel was we'll filled and the
guests were compelled to make a hasty
escape, in many cases coming down
the fire escapes in the biting air clad
in their nightclothes. The heat from
the burning buildings was intense, and
flames famed by the blowing wind
leaped across the street and threatened
the destruction of the entire business
center of the city. Plate glass windows
in the vicinity were cracked by the
heat and wood work in the buildings
across the street was repeatedly set on
fire. Residents of adjoining blocks
smashed their windows and with
brooms, blankets, etc., beat out the
fire that caught on the casing and
frames.
The only goods saved were a few
boxes Of groceries from Nash Bros
stock. The entire contents3of the other
buildings were destroyed.
Nash Bros. carried aestock of $3.50, 600.
covered by about $4,000 insurance, and
the Grand Forks Mercantile company
had about the same stock and insur-
ance. The hotel building which is
1OOx150 feet in size and six stories high,
cost about $225,000. The preprietors of
the hotel, Viets & Dow, had about $685.
600 invested in furniture on which
there was $4,000 insurance. The hotel
building was we'll insured, but for how
much cannot be learned . at present
The buildings occupied by the two
wholesale concerns are worth about
$4,000 each, and are both, insured
All the business buildings are the
property Of the Security Trust COM
pany, a corporation with its head Of
flee at Nassau, N. H, and which is
now in the hands of receiver. These
buildings were valued at from $500, 900
to $3.50, 900, and all were insured for an
amount not now to be learned. They
will probably not be rebuilt. The burn
ed district is the business part of Grand
Forks, and the blow to business inter-
ests is a most severe one.
NASHUA, N. H, Dec. 1.-THE dis
patches received today, announcing the
burning of buildings at Grand Forks,
N. D., owned by to- Security Trust
company, of this city, caused gloom
here among the holders of stock in that
organization.
The hotel which was burned cost
$4,000 and was built with trust COM
papy money. The company loses about
$154,O00 on the building The Peerless
building, also built with Security Trust
money, was mortgaged for $4,000, prac-
tically the value. and the loss on this
will be total. The Nash building was
in the name of Frank F. Anderson, Of
this city. 1t was built with the trust
company's money and bore $4,000
mortgage.
The total loss to the company is
about $175,O00. The insurance amounts
to $S5, 900, making a net; loss of $4,000.