The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-12-19
DAMAGED BY FIRE.
Minneopa House Partly Burned
This Morning.
Efforts of the Firemen Stop Blaze
That 1t Was Difficult
to Reach.

The Minneops House was badly
damaged by fire this morning, and
that. it was not totally destroyed is
due to the efficient and persistent
work of the fire department.
The origin of the fire is not known.
but Amos Riley, the lessee and man
ager, states that it started in the
closet. There was a stove in the
basement, just back of the closet, and
a fire was built in it yesterday, but
there was no fire in it this morning.
Mr.. Riley is perplexed to account for
the starting of the blaze that threatened
for a long time to destroy the building
The blaze, once started, worked its
way up in the partition wall, back or
the closet, and then crept along under
the roof. Between eight and nine
O'Clock smoke was seen issuing from
the cornice, and an alarm was turned
in, bringing the entire ire depart
ment out. Smoke was then issuing
from many parts of the roof, both of
the main part and the addition. Lit
tie curls of fame broke out here and
there, and the 6remen turned two
streams of water on the roof 1t was
impossible to reach the fire until holes
coula be chopped in the roof. Then
the fire was gradually extinguished by
literally drowning it out. 1t took a
couple of hours to get it entirely out,
owing to It's having spread through
the partitions. The building is bad
wreck, and it is question whether
it is worth repairing 1t stands with
in the fire limits, and the ordinance
provides that where a frame building
burns it cannot be repaired If the re-
pairs amount. to more than half Of
the value of the building. In this case
the repairs might not ..amount TO half
the value of the building, but the lat
ter is a very old structure and some
what of an eyesore. We're it down
down, a modern building would soon
be erected in its stead, as the location
Is an eXC6llouG Ouo.
The property is owned by J. A. Pei
ton, q we'll to do farmer OF Belgrade
township. For some time past, Amos
Riley has leased it and conducted the
hotel. The place was originally thu
Barrett House, and was quite fam
Gus hotel in it's day. Later, the name
was changed to Minneops House
which has chung to it.
The building is insured with Theo
dore Williams for 81, 600. Until las
spring the insurance carried on it wa
81, 500. The damage to the building
is mainly confined to the roof and tn,
plsstering, ssand $500 would probabl!
put it back where it was before thu
fire
Mr.. Riley had his household good
insured with D. L. Rose for $500. 81
succeeded in removing some of them
but the carpets and nearly all the bed
and much of the other furniture wa
damaged by water, smoke and falle
plaster. Mr.. Riley's loss will be sew
eral hundred dollars.
The fire department is deserving c
credit for it's work. The flames wer
kept down, so that adjacent propert
was at no time placed in any danger
Mr.. Riley states that the buildin
is so badly burned that he does nc
think that it can be rebuilt. He hs
not determined what to do in the fl
ture, and Goes not know just what b
own loss is. He had fifteen reguls
boarders, the most of whom wei
away at the time of the fire. Onl
one met with any loss, Sam Hutchil
-. Io,;oo, n emit IF clothipu