The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-08

sisters of mercy in charge of the insti-
tuition were all at their posts, and an
effort was made to keep the fact of the
conf1agration secret from the patients.
A few cinders fell on the roof of the
hospital, but were extinguished by the
physicians of the house staff
Eighteen women, two babies and
seven nurses were taken from the
Maternite hospital on West Lombard
street in police ambulances and given
quarters at the city hospital. A woman
who was i'll in bed with typhoid fever
was taken to the city hospital.
AT o'clock a tremendous explosion
of about $50 barrels of whisky stored
in the upper floors of "a Hanover street
hurled tons of burning matter across
the street onto the roofs of the build
/ fngs opposite, which the f1remen were
drenching with water in a vain hope to
make Hanover street the eastern
boundary line of the confiagration. The
flames quivered for few moments I'M
DEF. the water, but soon ate into the
buildings on the east side
Two truck wagons caught fire and
were consumed and an engine was bur-
led by falling wall, the firemen flee
Ing for their lives.
The whole city was notified Of the
confagration by a terrific explosion
| which occurred some minutes after IL
O'Clock. A sharp, splitting roar went
up with reverberating thunder. This
was followed by peculiar whistling
noise, like that made by a shrill wind
The churches in the central section of
the city We're filed with worshipers
many of whom became frightened,
and, while no panics ensued, hundreds
of men and women left their seats and
/ went outside to see what happened
In few moments the streets and
| pavements all over the city were
crowded with excited people. Another
| deafentng crash occurred, and dense
columns of cinders and smoke shot up
| over the central section of the city
and in huge brown column moved
rapidly toward the northeast. Borne
! on the strong southeast wind, the col
umn of smoke, blazing cinders, and
even pieces of tin roofing spread over
the center of the city and a rain Of
cinders fell, compelling pedestrians
to dodge red hot pieces OF wood.
Two more explosions followed and
! thousands of people hurried to the
scene of the fire. OF all the specta-
tors, comparatively few saw the fire
itself. They could not get within half
block of it. Even the policemen
guarding the approaches to the fire
| had to repeatedly shift their positions
and dodge falling cinders. Pieces Of
tin six by eight feet square were lift
i ed into the air by the terrific heat,
! coiIpd Nd
when they reached a point beyond
the zone of the most intense heat, fell
gathering to the streets.
Rain of Red Hot Missiles.
The firemen and police, who were
! obliged to stick to their dangerous
posts, lodged into doorways for shell
ter from the rain of hot missiles
Crash after crash could be heard
within the burning district, but even
the fremen could not tell from what
building they proceeded. In the seeth-
ing furnace of flame all sense of the
direction or location Of buildings was
lost. Walls and flooring fell in thun-
derous roars and echoed for blocks
! away.
Hundreds of merchants and bus
mess men with offices in the threat
ened district were notified by watch
men and police. Nearly all took steps
to have their books removed to a place
of safety. Hundreds of men and bows
! were impressed to move the books
Wagons, handcarts and dry goods
boxes were used to remove them. The
Adams Express company sent hurry
call for it's men and wagons to come
to the office at once. The books, desks
and files were all placed into wagons
for removal to places of safety.
A. c. Meyer & Co. and the Carroll
ton Chemical company removed boxes
containing explosives to point sew
eral squares away from the fire.
List of Buildings Consumed:
Among the buildings consumed are
| the following:
Roxbury Rye Distilling company, AL
| len & Sons, feathers; Shear & Shear,
clothing; L. Stein & Co., umbrella man
ufacturers; M. Friedman & Sons,
! Crockin & Co., dry goods; Schwarz
Toy company, Mullins hotel, Burgun-
der Bros, clothing; Mas & Kemper,
manufacturers confectioners' tools;
Lewis Lowery & Co., dry goods: Dry
Goods Exchange, S. Neuberger & Bro.
dry goods; A Sauber, clothing and
sponging establishment; A. c. Meyer
| & Co, druggists; Carrollton Chemical
company; William T. Dixon & Bro.
wholesale paper; Burger & Co.. whole
sale clothing; Blanke's saloon; Thomas
Burke & Co., liquors; James A. Gary
& Sons Cotton mills) office; Charles
Burger & Co., wholesale clothing;
American Cigar company, Cook San
derson, local agent of Cluett. Peabody
q Co; John E. Hurst & Co., dry goods;
5. Hecht Jr. & Co., carpets Daniel
Miller & Sons, dry goods; Stanley &
Brown Drug company, r. M. Sutton &
Co, dry goods; Diggs, Curran & Co.,
boots and shoes NoIans restaurant
Cy Davidson, gas fitting establishment;
F. Schleunes & Co., cloth dealers; OPP
penheimer. Koshland & Co., wholesale
| jewelers.; w. Catzen & Co.. clothing;
A. Federleicht & Co., wooden goods:
Z. j. Stewart & Sons, hardware;
OConnell & Bannon, restaurant; build
| ing occupied by the National Exchange
bank and the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' association; Hopkins Saving
bank; building occupied by Thornton
q Co., printers; Carr, Owens & Heine-
mann and Blancke's saloon; Ambach
Bros, clothing manufacturers Conrad
ZeaFs Son. trunk manufacturer build
ing occupied by SHERMAN & Todes
dry goods; Thalheimer Bros dry goods.
and the Florence w Mccarthy com
| pany; Blake company
wall paper; RaSch e. Garnor, window