The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-30
NARROW ESCAPES.

NARROW ESCAPES.
Just after the outbreak of fire from the
windows of the building a DOWN town
bound train stopped at Warren street sta-
tion of the North avenue elevated road
1t passed on in time to escape the ex-
plosion, and the few people who were left
on the platform of the station are
thought to have escaped before the great
explosion came
The big explosion completely carried
away the sta ton and the mass of ma
sonry that fell with it broke through the
flooring and almost demolished the struc-
ture just below that building.
Immense masses of masonry. pieces of
cornices, great beams, window castings
and an indescribable mass of debris and
wreckage of every description tumbled
ON the street in front of the building al
most Immediately. The force of the ex-
ploSion had thrown the firemen across
the street, SO that they were not caught,
but their escape from the rain of debris
across the street. was almost .nqiracI Ilous.
Great masses were thrown against the
windows of the Irving bank, on the
northeast corner of the street. The Off
cess Of the Irving bank and the Mecklin
Bros, bankers and brokers' were nearly
wrecked. At the first explosion an at
and paper that was lying on the counters
together and to throw them into the safes
and it was supposed that this had been
done, when the second explosion brought
flying glass and plastering from the Sky
lighted ceiling down about the heads of
everybody and caused them to escape in
a hurry. Capt. McClusky, of the detec-
tive bureau, who hurried every available
man of his staff to the fire, was appealed
IN 10 ,Ic 1o.,aIr
When the captain and his men went in,
however, they found about $4,000 scat
tered in confusion over counters and over
floors. This was hastily thrown into the
vault and the door locked.
THIRTY LIVES LOST.
The action of the tremendous catas-
trophe was more vivid and awful than
the city has seen for a long time.
Buildings fell in on themselves or toppled
over on others, iron beams We're thrown
hundreds of yards away. smashing
through roofs, while debris blocked the
streets and huge splinters of iron and
steel were flung into the streets into
buildings clean through the walls, where
they buried women and children, and
persons walking through the streets were
injured by flying glass, timbers and rails.
horses were blown down, wagons and
store fronts and all sorts of property in
every direction were wrecked and dam
aged. There are thirty persons reported
missing, and 100 men, women and children
are on the list of injured. Search for
bodies is proceeding and will be confirmed
all night. Chief Croker said tonight that
no f1remen had perished in the fire, all
his men having been accounted for
A number of firemen were Injured in
various ways. however, and scores Of
persons received injuries resulting from
falling debris in the street Fire1nen and
policemen covered with blood were COM
mon sights at the beginning OF the fire.
The fire boats were called to the fire
early and thousands of feet of hose were
stretched from the river to the burning
structure.
MILLION DOLLAR LOSS.
At o'clock the fire was under control,
the flames still burning fiercely in the in
terror. At o'clock the fire was out and
gangs of workmen from the building in
spectors department were pulling down
the dangerous walls At the same time
gangs of men were at work repairing the
down town track of the elevated railway,
Neither the police, fire or building de-
partments' officers were willing to give
an estimate on the loss caused by the
fire. That it will exceed 81 ,0GO, 900 is not
doubted by anybody. The buildings de-
stroyed by fire or explosion were:
A seven-story brick and stone structure,
occupied by Tarrant & Co., wholesale
druggists; the sixth story partly by the
Z. f. Wittehar Hardware company and
the second story and part of the third
by Breitenbach & Co., manufacturers of
patent medicines.
A four-story brick building, occupied
by Eppens, Smith & Weiman companV
coffee-roasting house.
A 1lve-story brick building occupied by
" li,l
lass " Co.. cheese; Kahn, bakers supp. les.
and Hopping q Garfield, broomsticIs and
broom straw.
A siX-story brick occupied. sixth AIler
dry fruits; fifth, Havons Drug & Spice
company; fourth, vacant, and second,
flake q Co., lemons and oranges; first
ana nd part OF sixth, fruit dealers; first, Pc
ment, Cuneo, fruit dealers.
TI1!iye-story brick, used as a hotel.
F1Ve-Story brick, occupied, second to
LIth moor, by the Morris Jackson Flag
company; basemen by Hart & Co, butteTr
and cheese.
Five-story brick occupied, fifth, by shig-
foyi,rtS ffey, Sec9nd 9ao hand printers materials;
shieglley, printers; third by Morris jack
son Flag company; basemen and first
nq0r, 9;,. Borne, butter and eggs.
Four-Story brick, unoccupied
Four-story brick, occupied from base
ment to the fourth floor by Behrnan, pro-
Guce, and part of second and third bv
1NornaherenS, storage and screens.
A four-story brick occupied by Ernst
saloon; Hesse & Ohl's, apples; ,Granalto'
bananas.
A five-story building, occupied bv En-
pens Smith & Co, teas and coffee
hve-story brick occupied by Hartman.
embossing and stamping card board fac,
tory; third, fourth and fifth floors: sec
ond, koerber, Mutt Bread company: first.
L1tschitz, cigars, Italian barber: Rosen
berg saloon, basement and first floor and
also In basement a carpenters shop and
Chinese laundry. '--O
The work of the firemen saved the
buildings fronting on Chambers street
from total destruction, and the fire was
halted after 1t had proceeded 100 feet
southwark into the block below Warren.