The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-03-17
Estimated Entire Loss Will Reach to More
Than $50, Notwithstanding Structures
Scorched and Plate Glass Shattered.
Telephone Operatives Have
Thrilling Escape==Company Crippled
Arrange New Exchange at Once.

eral of the merchants in nearby stores
began to move their goods out, in order
to be prepared for the worst.
Finally the roof and second floor fell
in with mighty crash. and these took
the first floor with them into the base
ment. Then the heat was greatly miti-
gated, and danger of fire spreading was
at an end The remainder of the bust
ness section was safe, and the crowd
heaved a sigh of relief Streams of
water soon began to reduce the flames,
and in another hour very little blaze
was to be seen, except where the gas
main entered the basement. The walls
fell in, one by one, until only portions
of them were left standing. Today it
is only a smoking and cnarred mass where
the handsome Glass block stood yes
terday. Iron beams are partly covered
with heaps of brick, and under them
some remnants of dress goods are smok-
ing. 1t is not likely that there will be
a dollars worth of salvage.
Fires Origin Is Mystery.
j. B. & d. Richards have been clos
ing at six o'clock in the evening, and
closed last evening at the usual hour.
David Richards remained half an hour
longer, to see that everything was at
rights, and locked the store at $50
o'clock. No one reentered the store. The
members of the firm are at loss to
know how or where the fire started. un-
less possibly it could have started about
the heating plant in the basement. The
last fire was put on at five o'clock.
There was nothing on the first floor that
could possibly have started fire, so
far as the firm knows of.
The employees of the Northwestern
Telephone exchange had narrow es-
cape. Four of them were at work, with
Manager Eaton, and they were uncon-
scious of the fire below them until it
had gained great Roadway. When
they did become aware of it they had
just time to run out. leaving their
wraps. Manager Eaton seized por-
be abandoned. Mr.. Eaton was the last
to leave. All of the books were lost.
As matter of preeaution, all of the
electric lights in that portion of the
city were turned off, to avoid any live
wires.
Mayor Taylor furnished coffee and
sandwiches to the firemen, when the
fire had died out sufficiently for them to
leave in relays. This was thoughtful
act
Owing to so many windows having
been broken out, it was decided to APP
point two special police, and Messrs.
Richardson and Bragdon were appointed.
This prevented any looting of stores
during the night.
Richard Bros Heavy Loss.
j. B. & d. Richards bought the Glass
Block property at the receivers sale
after the Longini & Thoms failure.
and have occupied it since with their
drygoods stock, which was one of the
largest in Southern Minnesota. They
leased the entire second floor for Off
ces. The Glass Block cost originally
about $4,000, and the loss on the
building is estimated at $4,000 or
more. j. b. & ID. Richards carried $l9,-
900 insurance on the building. They
had a stock and fixtures valued by them
at between $4,000 and 100000. They
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