The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-12
FIRE SPD|LS HOTEL PLAN
REMODELING OF HALE BUILDING
WILL HAVE TO BE START
ED ANEW
GUTTED BY AvENGING BLAZE
Live Wne Charged with Fire
That Causes IA Heavy Loss
to Owners and
Tenants.

Fire broke out in the Hale block, on the
northwestern corner of Sixth and Jack
son streets. at 1O:3O last evening, and with
In half an hour had wrought $4,000 dam
age. The loss is largely covered by in
surance. The building was damaged TO
the extent of 5000, and is insured for
$1,000 The haberdashery stock of James
e. Bailie, in the store at 397 jackson
street. valued at $4,000, was damaged by
smoke and water to the extent Of ST. 900,
and is insured for SIC, 600, while the stock
of the Palace Furniture and Carpet COM
pany on the three floors of 405 Jackson
street, valued at So, ,000 is nearly a total
loss, with $1,000 insurance. The Hale
block is a brick building extending from
S97 to 405 Jackson street and sixty-five
feet deep on Sixth street OF the five
stores on the ground floor only the ones
tenanted by Mr. Bailie and the Palace
Furniture and Carpet company were oc-
cupied, while the entire upper stories Of
the building. save the part occupied by
the furniture company. was vacant.
The fire started on the third floor, where
workmen are employed remodeling the
building, which was soon to be fitted up
throughout as a hotel "A live electric
wire was cut In the building yesterday,
and it Is believed the fire started from
this cause. The spread of the fire was
remarkable. From an apparently tr:fiing
blaze when discovered it developed into
roaring furnace on the third floor by
the time the fire department arrived. Be
fore water was turned on, flames were
leaning from ha u-inI
side and rear of the building With such
a headway the fire soon spread to the
second floor. In the furniture store 1t ran
down an elevator shaft to the first floor,
and entered the basement so that this
part of the building was the more seri-
ously damaged. 1t was necessary to at
tack the fire from all sides, and in its
early stages the efforts of the department
seemed to have little effect The fire
burned away f1ercely and destroyed the
roof, when flames shot high in the air.
Some alarm was felt for the safety of
adjoining property, but in a comparative
Iy short time the department had water
pouring into the building from every
available point of attack, and 1t was real
lied that the fire would not spread be-
yond the Hale block
The new Monitor nozzle did excellent
ScA VIC III diOWI IliiiS out the names In the
furniture store having been located di-
rectly in front of this store. The fire
was checked before it had burned down.
ward below the second floor, except in the
furniture store, so the furnishing goods
stock of James G. Bailie was damaged
only by smoke and water. The salvage
corps had the stock covered before the
water went through, but the store was
hooded before the fire was extinguished
When the fire first broke out some
alarm manifested itself among guests at
the Ryan hotel, but early assurance that
the fire could not reasonably reach the
hotel quieted the rising fears, and the
guests watched the blaze from their win
dows In safety
The loss on the building would have
been heavier, except for the fact that
much of the interior of the two upper
floors had been torn away In the remodel
ing process going on. The American Baby
Carriage company vacated the store at
No 401 Jackson street Tuesday, thus pre-
serving its stock from damage.
insurance on the Hale block is carried
by Clarke & Fletcher, agents of the build
ing. The insurance on the furniture
stock, mostly secondhand goods, was
placed by ]. Q. Haas. Mr.. Baflie says
he carries $4,000 insurance, but was sun-.
able to name the policies last evening.
John Rohde yesterday filed plans with
the building inspector for the remodeling
Of the building for hotel. The property
is owned by Mrs. Mary E. Hale, and the
plans for the change in the structure have
been drawn by A. H. Stem The change
will involve an outlay Of 500.