The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-27
PAIR OF COSTLY FIRES
ST. JOSEPH's CATHOLIC CHURCH
TOTALLY DESTROYED EARLY
YESTERDAY MORNING
TAILoRs' SUPPLIES STOCK
William Cunningham's Store, mt
342-344 jackson Street, Damaged
About 10000 Also-some Crit
icism of the Fire Department for
Letting the First Fire Go So
Far.

Fire almost totally destroyed St. Joseph's
Catholic church. Carroll street and Virginia
avenue, at $3.50 O'Clock yesterday morning
causing loss of $4,000. Nothing but the
walls are left standing. while the interior
is entirely burned out. except in the base
ment where the damage to the school rooms
was mostly from water. The building is in
sured for $780,
The fire was discovered by Ignatius Duncan
living next door TO the church, at 366 Car
roll street. Mr.. Duncan was aroused by the
glare of light through his bed room window
He Immediately hurried to the Rondo police
station and turned In an alarm. At this
time the fire appeared to be of an almost in
significant character as 1t is said to have
been wholly confined to the sacristy, small
frame structure, built adjoining the brick
church building proper, in the rear. When
the fire department arrived 1t thought
certain that the church was in no danger.
A few minutes after water was turned on
the frame structure the flames seemed to be
quenched. The glare died out and the
chilled spectators, who had been attracted to
the scene started for home. Hardly. had
they reached their doors when suddenly
another glare of light broke forth and the
whole roof Of the church abiaze TIE
fire had crept Though the door of the
sacristy into the main edifce, and with al
most ineXplicable rapidity had communicated
building
who the seriousness of the fire was realiz-
ed another alarm was turned in and additional
apparatus was soon throwing water into the
flames. The high northwesterly wind that
was blowing at the time increased the fury
of the fire. and It was soon apparent that
the church was doomed. Streams were di-
rected uoon it from every available point,
however, but without much avail for the roof
burned completely Off while the fiery embers
dropped down into the auditorium, setting
hfS ~ Of hrriI1
of the auditorium did not burn through,
but the pews, and in fact all of the con
tents were ruined before the fire was finally
eXtinguished.
The fire is believed to have started from
Goals from a stove left burning in the
sacristy over night. When the church was
closed. at 9 O'Clock in the evening, there was
no indication OF fire.
The church venee ed brick structure
100 feet long by 60 feet wide. The original
edifice was erected twenty five years ago,
when 1t was only about three fourths of its
ultimate size Some years ago the church
was enlarged by twenty five-faot addition,
erected on the front. The church complete,
with its furnishings and vestments, cost
SZ5.OO0. OF the total loss nearly half was
on the contents, many valuable orna-
ments, a comparatively new organ, and costly
vestments were destroyed. Rev FIR Harri-
SON pastor of St., Joseph's parish, went
charge of the assistant pastor, Rev. FIR.
Walsh. The parish has membership of
$500, representing 500 families.
Father Wash says he consid RS the church
total loss. Another church will probably
not be built on the old Site Father Walsh
Says There has be;n q demand for more
commodious edifice for some time Father
Walsh says, and plans have already been dis
cussed for new church. The site of the
new church has not ben decided upon, but
Father Walsh says that site at Dayton and
virginia avenues, opposite the Aberdeen, has
been favorably considered In speaking of
dina Eath WoIch
said:
1T appeared to me that the fire was badly
handled. do not know who may have been
to blame. but it does not seem that the com
paratively small blaze in the sacrlsty which
Is practically separate from the church ex-
cept for doorway, should have been allowed
to spread completely through the main
building. l UP when the fire depart
ms MT arrived and there seemed little or no
danger to the church proper at this time
or course the sacristy, being frame, burned
nerceIy, but 1t was small structure, and
the fire seemed to be almost out shortly after
water was thrown on this part of the building
When the danger appeared to be over, how
ever, the fire burst out in the church proper
Mrs. Duncan whose husband discovered the
fire, says her family watched the burning
of the sacristy, and had retired, believing
the fire to be out, when they were shortly
afterward aroused by the glare from the
burning church building
Assistant Chief Irvine who responded to
thu fret alarm, Still" says the reason the
had gotten into the main building before the
arrival Of the department. He says the flames
reached the upper part OF the main buildin e
first, and did not communicate through the
lower doorway between the sacristy and the
church proper. He says but two companies
responded to the first alarm, and that this ap-
paratus could lay but two lines of hose.
The fire, he says, appeared to be confined to
the rear frame building. and both lines were
run to the rear of the church. Eighteen min
utes after the first alarm, Chief Irvine says,
the fire was discovered to be in the main
building, and another alarm was turned in.
When additional hose lines could be laid, he
says the fire was attacked from in front.
Chief Cook responded to the second alarm
and assisted in fighting the hre.
WOODEN STOCK sCORCHED.