The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-07


lifted the limp form of Mrs Brown, placed
it under his arm and stepping out onto
the icy ladder made the difficult descent
to the street. Another truckman carried
the husband down the ladder. A third
fireman searching through the rooms on
the fourth floor found another man who
had been bafled in his every attempt to
get out. He carried the man down the
ladder to the street.
In the rear, truck companies No. and
had placed their ladders at the third
story windows, and truckmen found two
men overcome by smoke, and carried them
to the alley. This work was most preca-
rious. The rungs of the ladders were
made three times their size by the coat
ing OF ice and it was very difficult for the
hremen with their heavy blrdens to make
the descent. There was no accident in
this work, however
In a Tight Place.
In the darkness those on the root
stood about in groups shivering with cold.
and many of them sick because of the
smoke they had breathed. It seemed at
first that there was little hope for es-
cape. Effort was made to let the iremen
IN the street below know of their posi-
ton, but this was vain. From the win
doWs in both front and rear the smoke
was rolling in dense volumes, and the
noise OF the blatant whistles and of the
gushing streams of water, made it impos-
sible for them to make themselves heard.
Then the flames. burst through thef,roof.
There was mad scramble and men and
women tumbled over the high wall and
dropped onto the adjoining building, the
1 Cullom block. The entire roof of the
hotel then being a roaring mass of flame,
the people retreated further, and climbing
another wall found themselves on the roof
| of the Hyser hotel. Attaches of this hotel,
having learned Of their presence on the
roof, admitted them, and all of the guests
of the Vendome who escaped by way OF
the roof, were thus rescued. Many of them
had suffered frosted hands. feet and faces.
| twas a Hard Fight.
| Chief Canterbury arrived In answer to
the fire district alarm. He Immediately
sent in the eli call, which brought out
|
alarms. A few minutes later two special
| calls were sent in, one for No. / hose, the
| other for No. s hose. The fire was first
seen in the basement. The salvage corps
were the first to arrive and they hurried
4 into the basement. At that time the fire
| did not seem to be of dangerous proper
lions. They had hardly begun their work.
| 1@r how G
! plosion. This blew out the WIN
| dows in the front of the build
J ing in the basement and first story.
| The flames being thus given vent, spread
! rapidly, and were communicated through
| to the second and third stories, which
| were in flame in a few minutes. The work
of rescue having been completed, the fire.
I men were able to devote their entire ener-
| gies to fire fighting. By O'Clock it was
believed that the fire was practically
under control Up to that time it had
been confined to the basement and the Sec
ond and third stories.
| A few minutes after the entire attic
and roof burst into flames. This was an
/ entirely unexpected development. The
fire below had been we'll controlled, and
it was believed that it was practically
| over. The flames, however, had eaten
| their way up the walls and partitions
| where their progress could not be seen,
| and the entire underworld of the roof
was afame before the spread was noticed.
Firemen Were Handicapped.
! Canterbury and all available apparatus
4 in the city responded From 4 until 8
o'clock the fight was bitter. Everything
seemed to handicap the fremen in their
| work. A water tower was stationed in
Fourth street dill ectly in front of the
! building. Nine streams, including two
! torrent nozzles, played in at the front
windows and the spray from these caused
! coating of frost to form over the engine
ously until it was frozen fast. On the
sidewalk in front Of the hotel mound
of ice. ten feet high was formed from the
| spray Ladders hoisted in front were
frozen fast to the building and eventual
ly were entirely hidden by the white coat.
Il In the alley in the rear eleven streams.
including one torrent nozzle were at work.
The most efficacious work was done in
that part of the building, the attainable
positions for the engines and hose being
more advantageous.
The fremen were completely covered
/ with coating of ice, which hampered them
1 seriously in their work. Fourth street.
I from Hennepin to some distance below
i Nicollet, was flooded with water, slush
1 and ice that came to be over foot deep.
4 Hundreds of yards OF hose We're frozen
4 fast in the streets. In the rear. the al
I! ley, too, was flooded, and 1t made the
i work of handling the hose and the move
ments of the fremen most difficult and
Iprecarious.
Ginsberg May BE Crippled.
1 Several fremen were injured, and Police
! Lieutenant Martin Ginsberg OF the CEN
1 trail station, who remained on duty several
/ hours and who aided in the rescue of Mr..
and Mrs. Brown, had his feet and hands
badly frozen. He was removed to his
1 home in the patrol wagon, where 1t was
/ found that his injuries were much more
1 serious than at first thought. It may b
necessary. phystcians say. TO smpsstate