The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-02-19
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
J. F. Connelly's Livery Stable
Burned, and Seventeen
Horses Perish.

An alarm of fire at Sis on Wednes-
day morning summoned the depart
mentto fight u fierce fire under most
unfay orable conditions. The wind
was blowing a gale from the north,
and the thermometer indicated nearly
25e below zero. The fire was in the
livery stable of James F. Connolly,
which, with it's valuable contents, was
totally destroyed. Irving Ca was
the first to discover the fire and give
the alarm. He had the care of two
teams belonging to G. P. Mcclure Of
St. Cloud, used in hauling wood and
lumber from the mill in Meirose, which
were kept in the Connolly stable. Ar
irving at the corner of Third and Elm
sts., where he could see the stable, he
discovered fire breaking through the
roof at the north of the building. and
gave the alarm. Arriving at tie
stable he had to awaken Mr.. Con-
nelly and his son Fred, who sleep in
the office. AT that time the loft vas
mass of seething fame. Mr.. Carr weat
to the basement where eighteen horses
were stabbed to do what he could ~
ward saving the two teams under his
care. The only egress really avail
able is by an incline from the main
floor, but as the barn above was burn
ing furiously escape that way was cut
off completely. There is door lead
ing to the yard in the rear of the
stable-cut in halves, and the lower
half is banked from the outside, SO
that it is impossible to open it.
Throwing open the upper half of
this door, leaving an opening three
feet square and almost three feet from
tn" GROUND, Mr.. Carr succeeded II
getting one vi III ain whtc" II.
dives 10 follow him through it TO
safety. One would hardly believe it
possible for horse to getthr ough the
aperture under aay. circumstances.
Returning to the basementhe ATTEMPT
ledto GET the snimafss mate 20 follow,
lbut was unsuccessful. -,
b. Mr.. Connslly had twelve aiorses Ia
the stable and about ten O'Clock the
evening before stranger. who was
driving through town with a lead o
household goods, put two horses in tn
barn, and these with the three OF MIR
McClure's make total of seventeen
They were not burned, but suffocated
The floor above the basement vas no
burned through, and very little fir
found its way down there.
On the first floor Mr.. Connolly ha
twenty huggies and cutters, a. full
equipment Of harnesses, robes. blank
cts and whips, dnd a quantity of groun
feed, all of which was destroyed. /
fact the only thing saved was his OF
fee desk, quantity of wearing appar
ell of both himself and son bein!
burned.
In the loft, where the fire mysteri
ously originated, there were about tw'
tons of hay and load ofstraw. AM
that was we'll to the front, whereas tb
fire started in the rear, where Their
was a mere scattering of hay.
The origin OF the fire Is, and prob
ably always will be. deep mystery
In addition to Mr.. Connelly's losses
Arthur Lyman had surrey in tn
barn worth $75; DR.. Du Bots bugg
valued at $50; B. F. Carr a two-seate
carriage worth $75; Albert Dahlem
cutter worth $25, and as mentione
above three valuable draft horses be
longing to G. P. Mcclure we'll wort
$500, and the two horses of tn
stranger worth 500 each.
Mr.. Connolly loses everything, an
he is of opinion that he could ne
} duplicate the property for less tina
81, 500, upon which there: is insuranc
Of $1,000 on building in the Home, writ
ten bv G. A. Morse. and $500 on horse
and equipment in the Spring Garde
written by A. J. Smith. The loss fall
very heavy upon Mr.. Connolly, VIII
had but recently purchased the prop
erty OF the Day estate, and equippe
with first-class livery outfit, and wa
doing fine business. His net los
will not fall short of $1,000.
1t was a fearful experience for tn
department, and some of the boys froz
their cheeks, ears and noses. They cou
pied first to the hyaranta at the Mile
corner to find it completely disabled
but three streams were finally secure
from the hydrant atthe corner ofThir
and Oak-sts. n
This occasioned delay, but it is nc
probable any loss resulted, as til
building was past valuable salvae
when the boys arriyed-in fact whe
the alarm was given. They worke