The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-15
HEMOTT, HOWlgD G. co. STOCK
STORED IN BUILDING OVER ST.
PAUL GAS LIGHT COMPANY
DESTROYED
THREE STORIES ARE GUTTED
Firemen Preventing the Spread Of
the Flames Below the Third
Floor by LabOriOus
Effort

oSo jackson street, the lower floors OF
which are occupied by the st. Paul Gas
Light company, and the three upper flo -rs
by Wemott, Howard & Co.. broke cut
shortly before I o'clock this mo.niag.
causing loss estimated at $155, 900.
The greater part of Wemott. Howard
& Co.'S 100000 stock is In the building dl-
rectly north of the one burned, and wa,
not damaged
The furniture stock of De Coster &
Clark, in the building south Of the one
burned was equally menaced but equally
fortunate
FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY.
The fire broke out in the rear Of t5e
building, on the third floor. By the tim,
the department reached the scene the
flames had spread with remarkable rap
idity to the fourth floor, and huge vol
umes of fire were seething and rolli 2
from the rear windows. 1t was at once
realized that dangerous fire was IN
progress and All alarm, calling out all
of the apparatus with the exception OF
that in the suburbs, was turn in AL
most before the hremen could get to
work the fire was beyond control AS the
glass melted from the windows a west
| erly wind swept the flames to the front
OF the store, and soon smoke was pouring
from every crevice. Running up the ele-
Fator shaft at the rear the fire quickly
spread to the fifth and sixth floors, and
swept toward the front. With a crash
the windows on the third and fourth
floors, in the front of the building, W Mt
out, and tongues of flame leaped half
way across the street. With draft clear
across the store, the fire roared on with
| increasing fury directly against the many
| streams of water playing through the
! windows, and spread to every part of the
four upper stories. In the front part Of
the store flames shot about every floor
before the floors and roof burned through
| and as the fourth
FLOOR FINALLY GAVE WAY,
/ the ferceness of fire increased. Difficult
| of attack, the fire seemed to defy the
efforts of the department and in its early
stages 1t looked as though the whole
building and even adjoining property
would be destroyed.
With one floor burned through. the In
/ terror Of the building was like a roaring
furnace. Released from their previously
| confined quarters the flames increased in
| volume and from front 70 rear the third
and fourth floors were almost a solid
mass of lurid, seething fire. At this stage
front windows, and serpentine tongues OF
| fire darted to the upper stories The fire
had already reached the fifth and sixth
floors in the rear and soon began eating
through the roof. From ladders in front.
and from the roofs of buildings in the
rear the department poured perfect del
uge Of water into the building
The Monitor nozzle was busy on the
Jackson street side, but still the flames
seemed unchecked. Anticipating that the
fire might spread TO the building adiJi1.ns
on either side when the roof should fall,
Chief Cook stationed crews with several
streams in Wemott Howard & Co.'S main
building, and also in De Coster & Clarks
furniture store, while the salvage corps
spread tarpauins in both places. Foru-
nately there were separate walls to pro-
tect the adjoining buildings, and danger
was only imminent from the roofs. With
the fire steadily spreading beyond en-
troll the department fought on against
the odds, and took advantage Of every
point of attack.
STREAMS POURED IN
at every window, but the fire was every
where, and dehed all efforts. Tho Igh
gradually driven back from The front and
rear Of the building, 1t progressed upward
until the four upper stories were prac-
tically gutted. In places the fire daste1
through the roof but az this stage was
met with a deluge from hose manne1
from the adjoining roofs Finally the
work Of the department began tC tell, and
the fury Of the flames diminished.
In its downward path the fire was
checked at the third floor, where the
greatest damage was done in the rear,
but above this floor the damage was al
most complete to the roof. At o'clock
the department had the fire practically
under control and had kept the flames
from spreading to either of the adjoining
buildings The two lower floors of the
building and their contents were badly
damaged by water and smoke
The building partially destroyed six
story brick structure, S8-Ss3 Jackson
street, was owned by the MayaH es-
tate, and was occupied jointly by the
ST. Paul Gas Light and Power company,
Edison Electric company and Wemott,
Howard & Co. wholesale and retail
crockery dealers, who also occupy the
adjoin ng building at 3S5-S6 Jackson
street. The Gas Light company occupied
the three lower floors, having its Offices
on the first and second floors and re-
pair shop and store room on the third
floor The three upper floors were cccd-
pied as store rooms by the crockery hrrn
and were connected with the main store
by doors cut through the walls. Fire
proof doors kept the flames from reach
ing the main building by these avenues.
The furniture store of De Coster q
Clark occupies the six story building, No.
S75 Jackson street, Immediately adjoin-
ing the partially destroyed building, on
the south side.
ESTIMATING THE LOSS.
Wemott Howard & Co used the fourth.
dfth and sixth floors for store rooms for
general stock, and H A. Boardman, man
ager, places the value OF what was in
that portion of the store at about $4,000.
insured for about the same amount
Some damage has been done 10 the
stock in the other portion of the building
by water and breakage, although not an
actual fire loss
Figures on the gas light companys loss
are not obtainable, but it is believed II
will be chiefly by water.
Tho loss on the building is estimated at
about $4,000.
The Edison electric had a large stock
of electric machinery, which was high
priced and officials of the gas and cleo
trie companies figure that the loss On the
| two stocks may reach 100000.