The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-14

the cove In which the shops were To-
Gated north Of the village of South Park
proper. An oil house Is also standing.
but considerably disfgurud.
Since the machinery was removed from
the shops to Oelwein, TO-, year or more
ago, the buildings have D-en used FOR
storage purposes, and there were 100, 900
Washington shingles in the various build
1gs or in cars ready for shipment Less
than half Of the shingles were saved.
The fire was discovered by the watch
man shortly after 10 o'clock in the shin
giles about midway Of the long platform
between the store house AID the planning
mill and spread rapidly.
At the time the shops were in use thew
were equipped with efficient fire protec-
tlon with system of mains, pumping
statlon, hose and fire brigade, but the
water had been shut off the mains, and
there was practically no efficient means
OF lighting the conflagration of yester-
day.
Aid was summoned from South St.
Paul and from this city, the St. Paul
department sending q detachment by
wagon road to the scene, but when they
arrived they worked under serious dis
advantages, 1t being necessary to lay 5000
feet or nose to turn an effective stream
on the burning buildings.
That the paint shop was saved was due
to the direction of the wind, which gave
the firemen a chance to turn their atten-
ton to this building before 1t was taken
by the flames
An exciting incident of the fire was the
passage of the Chicago-Kansas City limit
ed train, which Is due in ST. Paul at 1880
p M Although the fire started on the
opposite side of the store house from the
main track of the road 1t was pretty
hot when the passenger train arrived, but
after study of the situation the train
crew decided to make the trial and clos
ing all the windows on the west side of
the train, backed some distance down the
road and made a run for it" at the shops.
Although the paint on the coaches was
bl1stered somewhat by the terrific heat
no serious damage was done to the train.
The usual suburban service of the road
was completely blocked, however, the fire
burning fiercely till a late hour last
night.
The shops originally included ten brick
buildings, four frame buildings and five
sheds. OF the frame buildings no trace
is left The walls of the larger shop
buildings showed their substantial char
acter by standing through the intense
heat, although not subject to great
structural strains The store house,
however, Wnere the fre was especially
hot among the dry shingles, is in ruins,
the walls falling early.
The buildings destroyed were the ma
chine shop, car shop, planning mill, black
smith shop, boiler shop, tin and copper
shop, lumber shed and upholstering
shop.
The oil house was damaged, but not
destroyed, being purposely well pro-
| tected.
The paint shop, which is not shown in
the picture accompanying, being the view
point of the scene, was saved, although
smaller buildings close to 1t were razed
to the ground.
Fifteen box cars were burned with the
| shingles, the cars belonging to the Great
| Northern. The loss on these will be
/ about $500.
Gen. w. B. Bend, auditor of the Chi
cago Great Western, says that the build
| ings at South Park were valued at up
ward of 100000 and were insured for
$S0,000. The contents were insured for
s16,5OO, which represents their actual
! value.
Part of the st. Paul fire department was
| brought home by special train.