The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-23
BARREL FACTORY is
BURNED TO GROUND
Fire Destroys Northern Coop
erage Company's Shops In
flictIng Loss of $4,000

The factory of the Northern Coop
erage company, Concord and Arthur
streets, was burned to the ground yes
terday afternoon by one of the most
destructive blazes that the fire depart
meflt has had to contend with in years.
The fire, which Started in the engine
room few minutes before o'clock,
spread with remarkable rapidity and
within an hour the two-story struc-
ture, covering nearly half a block, was
flaming heap.
So quickly did the fire spread that
some of the employees at work on the
second story had their escape cut off
and were obliged to jump from Win
dows to save their lives. The loss is
estimated at about $50,900.
The warehouse and office building in
front of the factory was saved, owing
to space of twenty-five feet which
separated it from the structure which
was destroyed. When the fire depart
ment arrived the factory building was
doomed and efforts were devoted to
saving the warehouse.
The fire broke out on top of a boiler
in the engine room and caught on the
ceiling before it could be extinguished.
Hans Nelson, the engineer, said that
the blaze originated in a pile of dust
on the boiler and burned a hole in the
floor above. The fire spread so quick
ly that an emergency hose which was
brought into play had no effect.
Draft Famed the Flames
Fed by shavings and dust the flames
few through the factory, the windows
of which were open, affording an ex-
cellent draft. The workmen who had
made an attempt to fight the fire with
apparatus in the factory were COMPEL
ed to retreat, and the foreman, F. e.
M. Smith, together with William Lee
rach, Alfred Ward and Fred Hoffbauer,
We're cut off, from the. stairway by the
fire.
Smith dashed through the flames
and reached the ground floor; Ierach
and Hoffbauer jumped to the ground
from a window, and Ward was over
come by smoke and carried out by
firemen.
The factory building, which was so
by $50 feet in dimension and two
stories in height, contained the engine
room the dry kiln and the workshop.
Much valuable machinery, which was
recently installed. was totally destroy
ed.
Fire carried by the wind from the
factory caught on the residence of
William ST John, driver in the en-
ploy of the eooperage works. The
building was damaged by the fire, but
ST Johns household furniture was re-
moved.
Warehouse Scorched but Saved
The warehouse which stood in front
of the factory was scorched by the
flames, but the wall was not burned
through. The fire in the rear building
was extinguished within two hours,
but the ruins of the factory continued
to smolder all last night. The first
alarm was turned in at 1858, and was
followed by a Phi at 4:08 and a spe-
cfal call at s. Is. Seven engine COM
panies were at the fire till it was
brought under control.
Traffic on the Concord street car
line and on the Great Western, be-
tween st. Paul and South st. Paul,
was tied up for three hours on ac-
count of the fire.
The buildings occupied by the
Northern Cooperage company were
| erected by the St. Paul Stove works
fourteen years ago, and were vacated
nine years ago when that concern
went out of business. The cooperage
| company bought the property four
years ago. w. J. Murray is president
and manager of the -coOperage COM
| pany; Stephen Reynolds. of Oshkosh,
Wis, vice president, and Edward Yam
| ish, secretary and treasurer. The COM
| pany has a paid up capital stock of
ST., 900.
The company carried $4,000 insur-
| ance on the factory building, $25, 900
on the warehouse and $4,000 was car
ried on the building in the rear.
The loss, which was nearly all con-
fined to the factory building, is placed
at approximately $50.000 less than half
covered by insurance.