The Republican journal., 1905-10-19
FIRE IN MINNEAPOLIS.


The ". X. Morrison Hardware Co. Sustain q
Heavy Loss, But are Insured.
Mention was made last week of the fact
that Mrs. W. K. Morrison, who was visiting
in Searsport, was called home to Minneapo-
lis by serious fire in her husbands store.
The particulars were not then at hand, but
we have since received Minneapolis news
paper$giving full accounts of the disaster.
The loss on the $4,000 stock of W. K. Mori-
son & Co. is said to be $4,000; insured for
$4,000. The lossof the owner of the build
ing, Mrs. T. B. Casey of Newton, Mass, is
placed at $4,000. The building is valued
at $4,000, and was insured for $4,000. The
Minneapolis Journal of Oct. 9th says:
Famed by strong south wind and fed
by large stock of oils and paints, a stub
born fire caused damage of $4,000 to the
w. X. Morrison Hardware Company at 247-
249 NicOllet avenue yesterday afternoon.
Although the department, by strenuous
work, kept the flames confined in the one
building, it looked for time as though the
fire might leap the narrow alley and destroy
the buildings as far as Washington avenue.
For more than three hours the firemen were
fighting, and half of the force was detailed
to protect the surrounding buildings. Start
ing in the rear of the basement the flames
shot to the fourth and top floor, where they
began to play havoc with the combustible
materials stored there. Thick, black smoke
was soon pouring from some of the half
open windows and excited pedestrians ran
in all directions for the alarm boxes. The
windows were cracked and smoke and
flames were leaping out several feet when
the department arrived. Seeing the threat
enng nature OF the fire, the first arrivals
sent in another alarm.
A large part of the fourth floor was Oc-
cupied by the paint department, and the
stock made so fierce a fire that the first
half dozen streams of water seemed to have
little effect. The heavy iron fire doors were
closed, both at the side and rear, and it was
some time before the fire could be attacked
! from any place but the front.
, Although there was nothing spectacular
about the tire. thousands of people tlocked
| to see it, and an extra detachment of police
| had to be called to maintain order. The en-
tire block from Third to Fourth streets was
rOped Off and the fremen We're unhampered.
The streams of water on the fire finally con-
verified it into a gigantic Smudge, and the
smoke blew across the buildings, driving
the spectators from the roofs
| Several times during the fire the lives of
| the fremen and spectators were in danger.
Seeing ii spread of the fire would be dis
astrous with sucha wind, Chief Canterbury
! had ordered the fourth floor flooded. This
| kept the fire from spreading to the floors
! below, but the flames broke through the roof
and burned pole which supported several
| heavily charged electric wires. The pole
was none too strong, and when it began to
Waver there was d general scramble for
places Of safety. These wires branched
ont in all directions and had they fallen the
casualties would probably have been many.
The flooding soon began to have its effect
through the four floors and into the base
ment. After three hours of steady pumping,
| Chief Canterbury ordered all but one engine
out of service. The fire had been confined
| to the one floor. On the other floors only
small areas around the shaft were burned.
| The heaviest damage was by water, which
came in contract with nearly every article
| in the building.
| The loss on the building was about S10,-
600 but the store was heavily stocked and
| the loss will probably exceed $4,000.
The stock was insured for 100000 and
members of the firm say it was insured for
about 90 per cent of its value.
The fourth floor, which was burned, was
used for the surplus stock, as well as the
paints. The third floor was used entirely
for surplus stock and the second floor was
devoted to the house furnishing department.
On the main floor was the regular hard
ware line. One of the heavy losses will be
in connection with the cutlery department,
which was heavily stocked The rust will
cause a large loss on these goods. The
basement stock is also heavily damaged as
there was three feet Of water on the floor
when the department left