The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-20
Fire Department of the Worlds Greatest Civ
Was Slow in Arriving.
SPECTACLE SEEN BY THOUSANDS.
Historic Church of St. Giles One of the
Buildings Seriously Damaged

fell In, the place still blazed. a gigantic
olsplay of fire and smoke. tin the
building was completely gutted and the
walls keeled over.
The confusion in the streets increas-
eo as the fire spread. Suddenly there
was an explosion of gas meters. sound
ing IKE the reports of field guns. fol-
lowed by a mOmentary hush. After
that the wild rushing here and there
was resumed with Increased energy,
Men risked their lives In desperate
enorts to save day books. Iedgers.
feathers, jewelry, valuable chinaware.
etc. one man actually hazarded his
life to fetch his hat and cane. 200 feet
or stone work and glass falling at his
heels as he emerged from Ftle building.
Several firemen were almost buried
in burning ruins, as front after front
OF the Naming warehouses fell in. hurl-
ing tons of bricks and masonry into the
streets, bursting and cutting the fire
nose In all directions. Tons of fiery
matter were falling in every direction
making 1t impossible to foresee where
the confiagration would stop, as roof
alter roof caught fire and window
frames all about the scene began to
smoke.
BRILLIANT SPECTACLE.
AS the afternoon wore on the dense
crowds were still further enlarged nm
III IL was estimated that many hun
ureds or thousands people surrounded
the big fire. These excited masses OF
humanity had to be constantly pressed
Dack by the police as the area of the
nre increased in size, an operation
Whlch became more and more difficult
as the owners and employees of the
warehouses adjacent to the scene began
lhe work OF saving the most valuable
portions of the portable belongings.
by dusk the picture presented was
extremely brilliant. Four streets were
blazing on both sides and there was
plenty to interest the gambling spirit
or on-lookers, in betting as To whether
OF not the venerable tower of St Giles
church could stand the hail of sparks
ana burning fragments with which it
was enveloped. The red flames from
every point shone out against the
nlack SKY ana through the wide spread
ing mass Of dull, leaden smoke tiueed
with tongues of yellow fire. and. here
and there, where the fire had subsided
somewhat, the street lamps stripped
Dy the heat of their burners and glass
frames, biazed with big Jets from the
open pipes, like monster danger
torches
There was no abatement of the blaze
before $3.50 p. m. Then the check came
~ 'e"lH street ana IN Well street,
Where the collapse of a wall on the
right hand side Of that thoroughfare
was the means of saving the last build
ing IN the street. The width of Red
cross street, a comparatively broad
thoroughfare, also formed a barrier
there.
A constable who first detected the
flames blew his whistle loudly for as
sistance, but several minutes eIapsed
before the alarm was heard by any of
his comrades. SO soon as assistance
reached him. the officer was dispatched
to summon the fire brigade. But here
again there was an unaccountable de-
lay Of twenty minutes before the first
engine appeared. Then the fearful
dimensions of the fire were apparent
and it was decided to circulate call
throughout the whole metropolitan dis
trict.