The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-19
SIXTY CARS BURNED
STREET RAILWAY BARN ON RAM
SEY STREET AND SMITH AVE-
NUE. ABLAZD
RAPID SPREAD OF FLAMES

wires Strung throughout the
BuiIding-TotaI Loss Estimated
Between one Hundred Thousand
and One Hundred and Twenty
Five Thousand Dollars.
Part of the city railway company s
Ramsey street barn at Ramsey street
and Smith avenue was destroyed by fire
shortly before y42 O'clock last night, en-
failing an estimated loss Of between $780,
900 and $l25.O0O.7 The loss is largely COW
cred by insurance The fire was caused
by some of the numerous trolley wires
strung through the barn
The portion of the building destroyed
the cars are kept at night. There were
forty motors and twenty other cars from
which the wheels had been removed in
the barn, all of which were burned. The
cars are valued at sl,4OO each. The loss
on the building is estimated at $4,000.
while there is considerable loss Involved
in the destruction of a quantity of sup
plies on the second floor.
The entire building is about zoo feet
long by 100 feet wide, facing Ramsey
street, Smith avenue and Thompson ave-
nue.. The part destroyed comprised the
northeast end of the building, a section
about 100 feet square, which was used in
earlier days as a horse car stable. The
southwest half of the building, facing
Ramsey street. the lower floor Of which
is used as offices and in tine upper story
of which there We're 100 winter cars
stored. was saved by a stone wall sepa-
rating it from the older part of the build
ing.
Within a few minutes after the fire was
discovered 1t spread throughout the en-
tire building. From an apparently small
blaze over a car in the rear of the build
ing, toward the Thompson avenue side,
the fire quickly burned through the cell
ing to the second floor, and by the time
the department arrived sheets Of flame
were leaping from windows up stairs
and doorwayS below.
Night Foreman Wagner and half a
dozen conductors managed to get three
cars out of the barn, but the electric cur
rent was soon grounded by falling wires
so nothing could be done toward the
| saving of the other cars. By the time
the first stream was directed against the
fire it was apparent that the whole east
ern half of the building was doomed.
AS soon as Second Assistant Chief r.
vine arrived he. called out two additional
| engine companies and an extra hook and
| ladder company. The engines got to
work quickly and a dozen streams of
water We're soon pouring into the seeth-
ing fire from three sides of the building.
When this force was seen TO be INSULT
Client Chief Cook ordered a second alarm.
Every effort was exerted to keep the
fire from spreading to the southwestern
part of the building. The fire burned
over the roof several times, but crew
of firemen each time averted the danger
at this point. while a heavy stone wall
between the two parts Of the building
kept the flames back on the inside.
The fire had not been burning fifteen
minutes when the flames burst through
| the roof. Showers Of sparks went heav-
onward as the roof fell in, but fortu-
nately there was but a slight wind, and
houses in the neighborhood escaped be-
ing fired from the sparks. In fact, the
absence of the wind rendered safe all of
the adjacent property, as the flames
from the tinder-like barn sleaped from
fifty to seventy-five feet in the air, and
had they been blown literally must have
set fire to several dwellings close to the
barn.
From the Thompson avenue side the
fireynen seemed to fight the flames more
effectively. and the wall on this side re-
manned standing. At the rear was such
another stone wall saved the front
part of the building, which headed off
the-1lre from this direction. From every
part of the building the heat was in
| tense. The cars made excellent material
| for the flames when once ignited the var
nish and the furnishings burning fiercely
Many residents in the vicinity of the
| barn were awakened by the glare of the
| flames and were at first badly frightened
| A hasty investigation, however, quoted
| all fear, as 1t was seen that there was
| little danger to surrounding houses. The
| dwelling Immediately back of the barn,
| on the Thompson avenue side, 26 Thomp-
| son avenue, occupied by I. E. Kneeland,
| was seriously threatened, but several
| streams of water were kept constantly
| playing on the roof and side of the build
ing until the flames in this part of the
barn were under control. The home of
| A. J. Carey, directly back of the barn.
| 81 Smith avenue, was saved by the rear
stone wall and the close attention of the
| fitemen. The contents of the Kneeland
| home were Somewhat damaged by
water, while the building was slightly
| scorched
The cars kept att the Ramsey street
barn are those operating on the La
| fayette and Rondo, Mississippi street.
| Jackson street, s5Grand avenue. Hamline
and the depot loop lines. All the cars
had not yet pulled in or the loss would
have been much heavier. Supt Dow
Smith says the burning Of so many cars
! will seriously affect local car service,
This will not be so on week days so
much as Sundays. An extra lot of cars,
however, will be brought here from Min
| neapolis, Supt Smith says, and for the
weekday service the company hopes to
be able to as comfortably care for pa
| irons as formerly.