The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-27
Big STORES STOCK
ALMOST TOTAL LOSS
Fire, Smoke and Water Leave
Little Salvage for Ban
non & Co.
Bannon Fire Estimates

Bannon & Co.. loss on stock $150, ,OO0
partly covered by insurance.
Bannon & Co., loss on building S2O,-
ooo, covered by insurance.
Mahier estate, loss on building $4,000,
covered by insurance
Damage to Max Herman. flrrier
including stock and store, $2,50O.
Damage to Reardon hotel, $1,000.
Loss of Timothy Reardon ON building,
$4,000.
Total, $1S4,000.
Number Of men and women thrown
out of work 200
Estimated amount of water used on
the fire, 100000 gallons.
Blackened rafters and ice-coated walls
are all that now remain of the three
upper stories of the Bannon depart
ment store which was gutted by fire
"Wednesday night, and the first floor
and the basement are flooded.
Water drops continuously from the
floors above and the stock on the main
floor is almost completely ruined.
The fire smoldered until 10 O'Clock
yesterday morning, and some of the
engine companies remained on duty
during the entire night.
William Bannon, one of the firm, es-
Inmates the loss to be in the vicinity of
$l50,O00 ON stock and s25,O00 on the
building, and say that about 200 clerks
are thrown out of employment.
Old Chimney Blamed
An examination of the building
showed that the partition between the
store and the rooming house over Herr
mans fur store was not very thick
and that a chimney ran between the
walls. All of the rooners used stoves,
and the pipes led into this chimney,
which was shut off on the store side by
hue cap 1t is believed that this cap
blew out and that sparks from the
chimney set fire to the draperies.
The building was erected years ago
and Is built on an old-fashioned plan,
being cut up into numerous small
rooms, which accounts for the diff
Guilty experienced by the firemen in
getting at the flames.
Early yesterday morning Seventh
street, between Cedar and Robert, was
solid mass of ice, the car tracks and
several lengths of hose being invisible.
Hook and Ladder Truck No. was
firmly embedded in the ice and the fire.
men were unable to move it. Finally a
chain was attached to the truck and
the other end fastened to a Seventh
street car, which, with the assistance
Of another car, managed to pull the
heavy truck out of the ice.
The Seventh street cars were delayed
during the early part of the morning,
the westbeund cars being obliged to
turn down to Fifth street at Broadway
and Seventh and run up Fifth to Wa
basha and then switch on to Seventh
street again.
The westbound track was not as
heavily coated and after a short delay
the cars were able to run along Seventh
street ON this track. All during the day
crew Of men was employed on the
street removing the ice which was on a
level with the sidewalks.
Crowds Ordered From Street
The front Of Bannon's store resem-
bled an ice palace, being covered with
a solid coat of ice and from the win
dow sills and ledges hung huge icicles,
some Of them two feet in diameter and
ten feet long. Towards noon huge
sheets of ice began to fall and the by
ISLANDERS were ordered from the street.
1t is estimated that 100000 gallons
of water were poured into the building,
as there were sixteen streams playing
ON the fire for fully four hours, and
according to Secretary John Caulfield,
of the city water department, one
steamer will use up 5000 gallons of
water in an hour.
From early morning until late at
night the scene of the fire swarmed
with onlookers, who, in spite of the
warnings of the police, attempted to
force their way across the street and
into the building. A special detail of
officers was on duty all day and night
and the crowd was kept at a distance
by main strength. Detectives were on
duty on the inside of the store and no
one not connected with the firm was
admitted.