The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-15
ROOF FALLS WITHIN AN
HOUR OF FIRST ALARM
The Total Loss Will Be About
$65,G00-Only Partial In
surance.
Name OF church-HoIy Rosary.
observation-disclosures avenue S and
Twenty fourth street.
Loss on building, 100000; on vest
ments, $4,000; on organ, $4,000.
insurance on building, $4,000; on
vestments, $4,000; on organ, $4,000.
Loss over Insurance., $4,000.

Holy Rosary church, Eighteenth ave-
the largest and handsomest Catholic
edlhces Ill the west, was completely de-
stroyed by fire in less than one hour this
forenoon.
,h Fathe F J. ?: Fowler, prior Of the
Sshurch, first discovered the fire when the
IN the rear wing. He immediately
turned in the alarm and in spite Of the
fact that the. department was handi-
capped by having large part of its APP
partus at another fire, a dozen streams
were soon playing on the altar and
flames.
From the first 1t was seen that the
fight was to be against great odds
and when the flames reached the CEN
ter of the roof, Chief Canterbury an
nounced that the building was doomed.
The powerful streams which the fremen
persistently tried to force to the heart
OF the fire seemed to have as little eff
framed with steel and covered with
slate, was at Kissing heat and the
water was converted to steam.
Al! efforts OF the iremen to reach the
burning timbers were futile. The heat.
was too intense to permit chopping
holes in the roof and the falling debris
threatened the lives of any who dared
enter. 511. ..r ....' -
Starting at the extreme rear the
flames, aided by a strong breeze, rushed
| toward the front and giant steeple.
Little by little the roof burned away
| and fell into the interior, but to throw
water into the openings thus made was
only to Ndrench already smoldering
beams and hot STEEL The flames per.
,sistently kept beyond the reach Of any
| mir hot Ia L.
holes. 49,.
Fight for the Spire.
| AS soon as it was seen that the build
ing proper could not possibly be saved,
! the fremen directed their attention to
ing residences and spectators. A dozen
men, in charge of heavy pipe lines, were
placed in the steepie to keep the fire
from breaking thru the doors leading
into the main body Of the church.
Altho the heavy oak doors were burned
away and the threatening flames once
or twice leaped up the narrow stairway
ceeded in beating them back until the
last bit of roofing had fallen in and
helped to smother the fire.
Other Buildings Saved.
Altho the beautiful edifce was entries
ly destroyed, the other buildings includ-
ing the convent, convent school and DOR
mitory, were saved by the strong south
erly, wind, which carried the flames di-
rectly away, toward the center of the
| church.
Back Of the church and connected
with it is the convent. Here the fire.
men made heroic fight to keep the
flames fla from breaking thru. Assistant
|
the two buildings, and took his station
in q balcony in one of the rear wings on
the burning church. There he could
throw a good stream Of water almost to
feet could be noticed the hose was
burned in two, and he himself narrowly
escaped falling timbers.
| From tho time the fire was discovered
until the last piece Of roofing fell was a
few minutes less than an hour. Not
even an attempt could be made to save
any of the valuable paintings or altar
the flames travelled made it impossible
to enter the place.
Electric Wires Blamed.
While the origin of the fire is not
known, Father Fowler thinks it was
caused by the electric wires. This be-
lief is based upon the fact that when he
first went into the church, the flames
were burning about the wires on the
ceiling near the altar.
Said Father Fowler: 'tWe have q
careful engineer, and I cannot see how
the fire could have started from the
furnace. Besides, the place where the
fire seemed to have started was in the
ceiling of the church and there is no
connection from the furnace in that part
of the building. Wires must have
started the fre''
| A Fire Department Emergency.
j The fire department worked in per-
feet order, altho it was some time be-
fore the required number of streams
could be brought into play. Five min
utes before the alarm came from the
church second alarm had been turned
in from the Lincoln school, on Washing
ton avenue N. AS soon as that was un-
der control the apparatus had to run
almost three miles to the church. Two
large fires in distant sections was an
unusual handicap. Father Fowler said
it was doubtful whether the building
could have been saved had every piece
!, of apparatus at command been on the
scene five minutes after the fire was dis.