The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-26
CHECKED THE FIRE
Continued From First PAGE.


l have nothing to say regarding the loss.
l have not made an estimate yet 1t will
be heavy, since there was nothing but
frst-class lumber left in the yards, the
cheaper qualities having been placed on
the market weeks ago"
The insurance agents present several
theories, but those most heavily interest
ed express no opinions. Questioned re-
garding the origin of the fire, e. A. Whit
ford, who wrote the greater part of the
insurance on the burned property, said:
The matter of the cause is one I do
not wish to discuss. There may be some
truth in the reports which have been in
circulation that the fire was set, but
there is no evidence yet. 1 do not wish
to give my opinion"
STRONG Wr-SD BLOWING.
The fire started in the Libbey mill, in
the lower part of the Libbey yards at
2;3O yesterday morning. A strong wind
from the northwest was blowing at the
time and the night was bitter cold. AT
the first alarm the local fire department
instantly responded with twenty-five men
and one steamer. while several hundred
citizens organized volunteer bucket bri-
gades and quickly systematiNd the work
OF lighting the flames. 1t had become
apparent within half an hour of the
alarm that the city was In most serious
danger of being entirely wiped out The
strong wind dashed the mill fire into a
perfect cyclone of fame and cinders
quickly ignited the neighboring lumber
piles and dry kilns, where an immense
amount of finishing lumber, dry as tin
der, was stored. This was wiped up in
minute and the cloud of flaming cinders
which resulted was picked up by the
wind and scattered over the city for
blocks in advance Of the fire. and setting
fire TO buildings on the way. Two hours
and half after the alarm was sent in
one entire block and the larger portion
of six others were In ashes. The progress
of the fire was surprisingly fast and the
substantial business blocks which stood
in its way seemed no impeachment to its
advance whatever.
Striking southeast from the mill, the
fire caught the lumber sheds and office
of the Libbey company, quickly jumping
an alley and igniting a planning mill to
the east. From there 1t spread In two
directions, licking up the building ma
terial warehouses across Second street
and the old St. Johns hotel on the corner
of Second and Vermilion, 10 the east.
EngeIs hardware and implement store
was the next to go, and taking a course
UP VERMILION STREET,
the fire demolished William zuzek's
harness shop with a heavy stock of
goods, a gunsmith shop owned by Mag
nus Olson, millinery store kept by Mrs.
Truax, and ruined the building in which
A. Schaal had a jewelry store. To the
rear, 1t burned a double dwelling house
occupied by Bert Paulson.- The fire theT.
took a strange freak, and jumping over
an entire block between Second and
Third streets, attacked one of the fam
Gus landmarks Of the state, a building
occupied and owned by William Mather,
which was formerly the Herndon hotel,
which when 1t was first built in 1856, was
the finest hostelry in the Northwest. To
the west, 1t caught the dwelling
Of Moses D. Franklin, partially destroyed
it. South of the old Herndon hotel stood
a barn and building occupied by VII
liam Mather as an agricultural imple-
ment and farm machinery warehouse.
Across an alley, towards Fourth street,
stood frame building occupied by Cav
anagh and Currier, blacksmiths and
wagonmakers, and next to that a frame
building owned by ]. D. Cavanagh and
used as a storehouse. A storehouse
owned by Geo. D. Morse stood next on
the south. All were wiped out entire.
At this point the fire was brought under
control and otter a fierce fight was
mastered.
In the block north of Second street,
fronting on Vermilion, stands the cleo
trio power house. Hastings has no water
mains or water works. All the water for
fire purposes is drawn from the Mississippi
and from three large cisterns. 1t was a
fortunate occurrence which saved the
business portion lying in the vicinity of
lower Second street that the electric pow
er house was supplied with a large pump
worked by steam. Hose connections were
made, and one of the f1ercest fights Of the
morning was there.
In the rear is the large elevator of Mil
Ter Bros, and to the west were the
BURNING LUMBER YARDS.
On one side the St. Johns hotel, with
It's barn and an adjacent lumber kim
and shop used by the Libbey company for
glazing were burning fiercely. The wind
was carrying the fire directly towards the
business center of the city when the pow
er house pump began to work. A large
volunteer force and the assistance from
the much needed fire streams checked the
progress of the flames eastward and saved
the elevator as we'll as the buildings on
the west side of Vermilion street. Just
as the Hastings department was begin
ming to gain the uppcrhand, Engine Com
panies and 9 arrived on a special from
St Paul The fiat car on which the en-
gines were loaded was backed down to
the leVee. and inside half an hour the two
st. Paul steamers. with an experienced
force of fire fighters, were at work One
engine was stationed in the lower district
and another near Fourth and Vermilion,
where there was imminent danger that
the flames would sweep to the court
house and lose the county seat to the
city. Five times the cupolas on the top
of the building were on fire, but each time
prompt action saved the blaze from gain
ing g permanent foothold. Then the fire
men gained control and the building was
saved almost intact.
The number of those rendered homeless
was few in comparison to the extent OF
the fire. Nose D. Franklin lost fine resi-
dence F. L. Boynton a house and barn,
the Libbey company house and barn oc-
c,lDied by one of their employees, Mat
Renter house, John Kleis the ST. John s
hotel. William Thompson a dwelling.
Charles Knocke, Il, tailor, occupying a
building next to f. A. Engel, was burned
out, as was w. E. Vanauken, dealer IN
musical goods, who occupied quarters ad-
iacent John Kleis' case was a sad one.
He had lust built an addition to his hotel,
and with an increasing business was be-
ginning to make Roadway against numer-
Gus misfortunes which have handicapped
him financially. He had a mortgage on
all his property, and was III fair way
of getting out from under The load when
the fire took everything he possessed In
the world. The sight of his burning prop
erty was too much for his strength and
HIS MIND GAVE WAY.
He was taken in charge by Chief of
Police Otte and placed in custody. His
insanity is believed to be temporary, and
physicians are of the opinion that when
the nervous shock wears off he will re-
pai11 command of his mind