The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-14
MINNEAPOLIS is
LOSER $4,000
Flour City Suffers a Disastrous
COnflagration.
BUSINESS BLOCKS BURNED
TWO FIREMEN AND A CITIZEN
KILLED.

IA INNEAPOLIS. Dee. f4.-Fire which
IvI broke out in the Photographic sup
ply house of the 0. II. Peck COM
pany on Fifth street south at 1880
o'clock last night, spread 10 adjoining
buildings and caused a loss roughly es-
timated at S5,0O0,000 The Peck build
ing was entirely Quilted, while the six
story furniture house of BOUteIl Broth
ers, one OF the largest Establishments
OF Its kind in the northwest, was ruined
and a number of smaller buildings al
so destroyed. The Powers Mercantile
company. an immense department store
Just across Fifth avenue south. was
threatened with destruction. bur the
heroism on the part of the MINNEAPOLIS
and St Paul fire departments prevented
the destruction. although immense
damage was done to the stock by
water. For a time the best part of the
retail district of the city was threat
ened and the firemen seemed unable 10
stay the onrush of the flames, which
were driven by high wind from the
north BY allowing the buildings al
ready on FIRE to burn themselves ont
and combining their efforts TO adjoining
buildings, the firemen had the confa-
grafton we'll under control at 2 O'Clock
this morning. One man was reported
killed by coming into contact with a
live wire, and two firemen are also be-
lieved to have been killed.
Soon Beyond Control.
The fire was discovered in Peck's
store at Fifth avenue south and Fifth
street. II was soon beyond control and
attacked Boutell Brothers store. The
big store. filed with draperies and rugs,
hung from display racks. was easy prey
for the flames and the store was hope
lessly ruined.
With the firemen still working on the
Boutell building the walls fell with a
crash. Two firemen were seen in the
glare that lighted the whole city TO be
buried beneath the avaIanch Of brick
and mortar. One of the men caught in
the fall of the walls was a member of
the salvage corps The other was
fireman from one of the engine com
panies. The fire spread to the New
England Trading House furnishing es-
tablishment across the street from the
Boutell store. Then it leaped to the
Powers Mercantile companys great de-
partment store.
High Wind Blowing.
The district in which the fire 5fca red
is closely built up, most OF the buildings
being substantial brick and stone struc-
structures. The high wind carried burn
ing brands and sparks in all directions
and many small blazes were lit within
a radius of four blocks. The principal
newspapers of the city were located but
a block from the scene of the fire and
for time were thought to be in dan
ger.
Appeal For Help.
The Northwestern bank building. the
Phoenix Office building. the National
Bank of Commerce, the New York Life
buildings and many other big office
buildings were within the fire zone and
for a time seemed in danger of being
wiped out. As soon as tn extent of
the fire was seen an appeal for assist
ance was made to the St. Paul depart-
ment and two steamers were dispatched
ty special train.
The cold weather and high wind de-
tcrred the 6remen greatly i'm their eff
forts TO subdue the flames. but fortu-
nately the wind died down about ,
o'clock and further danger of the fire
seems to have been averted.
The o. II. Peck company. one of the
lcading photograph supply companies
Cf the city. sustained total loss. The
building was owned by the Hale Home
s'ead company and was valued at SSs.-
90; insurance. $4,000 The BoutelI
company had stock stored I'm this
Luilding valued at between $50 600 and |
$50 COO
The Dead.
Gustave Miller. salvage corps.
- Buckley salvage corps.
The Missing.
John Fellows. hose company No. Is.
George Sincoe, hose company No. Is. /
Badly Burned.
Leon Kirkhoff, hose company No. Is. /
Losses So Far as known.
Boutell Brothers. building. 500. 600:
stock, 100000; nearly covered by in
'urance.
Bintlih Picture Frame company, /
building, 100000; stock, S2OO, OOO
Peck's Photographic Supply house.
building $4,000; stock. $500. 900.
Miss Irene Hale, buildings, $500. 900:
'ther losses, $500, 000
Powers Mercantile company. build
ng, 500 600. stock 1900 600