Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-10-07
MILL DESTROYED
Large Mill and Elevator of the
North Dakota Milling Ascot
alton Destroyed by Fire.
Flames Discovered in the Mill
Building ut About Six O'clock
Sunday Night.
Both Structures Completely De-
stroyed in a Space of a Little
r1ore than Two Hours.
From Mondays Daily.
Till and Elevator Burned.

ESA I
loss by fire last night, in the complete
destruction of the fine Touring mill
and Elevator Of the North Dakota Mill
ing Association. The work of the
flames was rapid and complete, the two
structures being completely devoured
from roof to foundation, with pr:lc-
tically all Of their contents of grain,
flour and machinery. The loss cannot
be exactly stated, as all of the details
and figures are held by the headquar-
tiers of the association ut Minneapolis.
but 1t will reach many thousand dol
lars. The mill vas of large capacity
and completely equipped in all
branches. The elevator was also Il
large and complete structure and held
Il large quantity Of wheat, which has
been purchased during the fall season.
The flour turned out by the mill has
been rated among the finest in the
world. The fire which destroyed the
mill is believed to have had it's origin
in the engine room, although, when
the flames were discovered, they had
spread through a great part of tho
interior of the structure and smoke was
issuing from the roof. When the alarm
was given the flames had secured Il
considerable Roadway in the interior
of the mill, which burned fiercely
from the inflammable nature of it's
contents, The height of the structure
madeiit difficult to combat the flames,
rs the waiter pressure at the top of the
building seemed ineffective. The fire
was discovered at about 6 o'clock, and
although the fire department re-
sponded at once, the immense structure
was soon a seething torrent of flame,
and it's complete ruin seemed to be
inevitable.
The fire was ione of intense heat and,
violence and but for the heavy rain
of Saturday night there would have
been other disastrous conflagrations.
for great fire brands and showers of
sparks and burning Goals were carried
into the residence quarter of the city
southeast of the burning building.
When the flames had Quilted the in
terror and broken through the top and
roof of the mil, they leaped and loared
in a very frenzy of destruction. The
neighborhood was Illuminated as
brightly MS at midday, although dark
ness set in soon after the fire alarm
sounded. The heat vas SO intense
that it was difficult to stand in the
vicinity, and the flames We're wild.
lurid and Unsuitable. When the flames
were discovered the wind, which had
been high all day. was blowing nearly
a gale, and blowing the flames from
the elevator. which is on the west, to
the eastward. 1t veered about shortly
after the mill was wrapped in flames,
blew more to the northward. The
elevator adjoins the mill very nearly.
being only separated by a few feet of
space. with platforms and woodwork
between. Although protected by a
covering Of sheet iron, the flames from
the burning mill ~ communicated to
the roof of the elevator and. entering
from below. swept up into the interior
+ of the building, and when the mill had
fallen in ruins, the elevator vas a mass
| of flames, contained within the four
| steel covered walls as in n furnace.
and leaping and spreading from the
liopening at the top. The bins in which
the wheat was stored We're reached,
and great streams Of grain poured out
from the blazing structure. Almost
until the entire elevator interior was
consumed the steel sides stooG. set.
Ting down like some huge box when
the unilerpinning burned out, and fin
ally topping over with Il great crash
while the flames scared and leaped as
if. lin glee Mt THE destruction they had
wrought. In a little over two hours tho
destruction of the two immense build
ing was complete and nothing remained
but the flaming and smoking debris
red hot sheets of steel, and the twisted
machinery of what was but Il few
hours before a complete milling struc
ture.
THE burned mill was the property o.
the North Dakota Milling Association
and one of a large number of vel
appointed mills through the state. 1
has BEEN in operation for a number o
years and had been running on Satur
day, butwas shut down yesterday. til,
boiler cleaned, and fired up again ii
the afternoon. The flames are believe,
to have originated in the boiler room
how is not known. There were sew
eral carloads of -four in the mill whel
1t was burned and h little was saved.
Manager Henry Newton had a tele
gram from Manager Lyon of the Ass0
citation this morning that a director
meeting would he called at once. an,
steps taken to rebuild the mill this
fall.