The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-14

street at the first call, and its men were
busy arranging to save what stock
th osxEs could soon ON b ths lower twf
that their work must go for naught, but
they were 10th to leave. Thick smoke
was rolling down from the upper floors,
and their position became unbearable.
The order was given to leave, as flames
clouds Of smoke.
Jacob Miller fought back the flames
For time with hand extinguisher and
went farther into the building than the
rest. Then his companions were forced
to beat haqsty retreat, and Miller HE was Sas
fought it's way to full control OF the
lower stories and Miller rescue was
out Of question. Like lightning, the
word sped from mouth to mouth thru
forces with destruction, and from that
time on the spectators watched the
progress of the fire with drawn faces
and pallid lips.
Routeu Building Attacked.
With the access of the flames to the
first flooT, it was seen that it would be
ing. From the first, the water tower and
the big turret nozzle had been drench-
ing the front Of the structure. These
pieces of apparatus and many Of the
Boutell building. This building. had
been swarming with sturdy fire fighters
thruout the unequal contest. They had
been on every floor with hose lines play
ing thru the windows upon the seeth1ng
hell just across the alley. Hotter and
hotter it grew, but they stuck to their
posts like heroes. From every window
in the Peck building the tongues of
fame licked out, seeking new hold.
They could not bridge the distance.
blasts of flaming gases, which made the
contents Of the great furniture store
crackle and smoke. It was almost as
If the fremen were on the edge Of Pc
lee, but no fire had appeared, and they
Baffled in spreading itself by ordi.
with fendish ingenuity.
It severed an electric wire in the rear
of the building. This wire fell over
store. Instantly every foot of wire
along the ceilings on every floor be-
came white hot. The cords from which
hung the ineandeseent globes doomed
up thru the infammable vapors like
twisted snakes Of fire.
Out across Fifth street q big electric
cable, touched by the same runaway
current, glowed and blazed and dropped,
cutting wide swath thru the fright
ened crowd which lodged back in alarm
from the path Of sudden death.
The fire had beaten the fighters.
Caught in Fatal Trap.
The fremen thru the furniture store
noted the new light coming over their
shoulders and turned just In time to
meet rush Of flame that seemed to
come from nowhere, from everywhere
and to fill every nook and Granny of
the place.
It was not a conquest; it was rout
Dropping their hose, the men ran like
mad to where the ladders afforded safe
ty, on the First avenue side Of the
building. They DID rot wait to TAX
portions Of the ladders. 1t was at first
supposed that all escaped. Later Pipe
man Follows was missed, and it was
recalled that he had last been seen OF
the fifth floor Of the Boutell building.
What the crowd had seen was, first
and then, almost instantaneously, {
flash that Illuminated every window il
the building. The wires had fred tn
gases created by the heat and tn
building was doomed. Nothing shor
of miracle saved the fremen who es
capped.
Succ essive crashes from the Pee
building, followed by great showers o
sparks and heavy embers which ros
hundreds of feet in air, told Of fallin
roof and floors. The building was no
fully abandoned to it's fate and onl
enough streams were kept playing upo
1t to prevent the spread Of the fire
new direction.
Flames Run Riot.
In the Bouten building the fiam'
were taking horrible revenge for tt
way they had been baked in gettir
started there. Some of the windov
had been broken by the heavy stream
of water. Others had been blown o.
by the explosion so that there was
sudden influx of oxygen. Pieces
furniture standing near the wlndo7
were seen to break into flames VIII.
no fire was near them. In this bull
ING the fire seemed to get its first sta
on the fourth floor on the Fifth sire
side farthest from First avenue
was but minute or two, howev
before every floor was sheet of fam
and within Ave minutes they we
breaking thru the roof.
Powers Building Ablaze.
Knowing the inflamma bic nature Of
furniture stock which is once W
started, the fremen directed their MI
MANY streams were still hur
against the blazing furnishings,
the Powers structure across the aver
was beginning to smoke and its fir
was deluged while large crew OF pl
men was sent to the roof. A unlve1
groan swept thru the crowd as t.
tongue of flame appeared at the V
top of the Fifth street tower. I
tower has wooden framework sheat.