The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-24
Firemen Poured Water on the Flames While Further
Explosions Threatened. s@... ..


were relatives of one of the young girls
who persisted in the fire, and nothing
could induce them to leave the scene
They remained on watch during the
greater part of the night.
A man who is believed to have had
more than ordinary interest in one of
the young women whose lives have
been sacrificed. beseeched both fire.
men and police to permit him inside
the fire lines. He declared that he
would not get into danger. but begged
for a chance to find out something
that would ease the minds of anxious
people. He was refused permission
to enter and patrolman was detailed
to see that he did not run into unnec-
essary danger.
Shook the Town.
When the explosion occurred it
shook the town. The Chamber of
Commerce was given a tremendous
shock. Members rushed from the floor,
convinced that another mill explo-
sion had been added to the troubles of
the milling trade. A rush for the roof
soon convinced them that the trouble
was on the other side of the river and
business was resumed.
The Pillsbury A mill may be COM
PEELED to close on account of the fire.
A large consignment of wheat for i'm
mediate use has been hung UP on ac-
count of the fire, and If 1t cannot be
got to the mill before this morning at
9 o'clock another shut down may be-
come necessary.
The total loss on plant and contents
is estimated at $4,000. The insurance
is complete. Seven different compa-
MES are concerned. G. U. Colburn said
last night that the loss would far ex-
coed the insurance estimate The stock
he declares to have been worth $50, 900
and the building $4,000.
May Have Been a Spark.
There appears to be no doubt that
the catastrophe was precipitated by
the dropping of spark from a passing
switch engine into one of the oil tanks
The fact is thus emphasized that a
similar disaster may be precipitated
at any time in the cases of other oil
companies, whose stores are housed
inside the city limits and subject, to
constant danger from switch engine
SpoutingS.
Tanks Were in Ground.
The total tankage capacity of the
company was in the neighborhood of
$4,000 gallons. The four large tanks of
the company were on the north end of
the building and were separated from
the office portion of the building by
sixteen-inch fire wall.
Inc tanks were fifteen feet in diam
eter and sunk fifteen feet into the
ground so that the tops of them were
even with the first floor All of the
tanks were full or nearly so. In the
basement under the office were about
200 barrels of benzine, turpentine and
other oils, all in barrels.
When the explosion occurred the fire
wall separating the tank room from
the offices remained intact and pre-
vented the flames from the tanks from
spreading to the basement on the other
side.
Two Separate Explosions.
Residents in the flats near the build
ing say that they heard two distinct
and separate explosions, one close upon
the other. AT f1rsti it was believed that
the boiler, which was located under
meath the sidewalk and separated from
the rest of the building by an iron-clad
door, had exploded, and that it was this
explosion which wrecked the building.
Thomas Craig, the engineer stated
however that this was not the case.
as the boiler had been inspected only
last Wednesday and that it was pro-
n0Ilnn66 in