The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-09
FIREBUGS CAUSED
BIG LOSS In 1905
MINNEAPOLIS PROPERTY WORTH
$4,000 DESTROYED.
Fiendish Ingenuity Shown by Flrebugs
in Starting Blazes in Business and
Lumber Districts Furnishes Serious
Problem for Police and Fire Depart
ments-Offenders Hard to Catch.

Incepdiary fires, many of them show
ing fendish ingenuity on the part or
the .frebugs, destroyed Minneapolis
property worth $4,000 last year.
The firebug has become unusually
bold and the fact that he has started
fires in the heart Of the business and
lumber districts shows that he cares
nothing for the results. In some cases
fremen and others have narrowly es-
capped from these fires with their lives.
These cases have not been passed up
lightly by the fire department., and the
police have on several occasions been
asked to help in the work of running
down some of the fenHs. ,.....-
In most cases the persons who set
the fires were clever enough to nave
them start when they were far away
or in the presence Of others who could
furnish a good alibi in case of arrest.
Slow burning fuses are too expensive
for the ordinary frebug and he inventss
q substitute One of these is a lighted
candle set in the corner of box filled
with oil-saturated cotton. After sew
eral hours the candle burns down to the
cotton and raging fire is soon under
bottle of oil or gasolene at an angle
of about forty-five degrees and hold it
in place by a long string suspended
r from the ceiling The waste string
below the neck Of the bottle is attached
to the lower part of the candle. This
string. saturated with oil, finally takes
fire and burns up to the bottle neck.
Then the bottle is freed, throwing the
oil about the dying candle.
Ratholes in floors also furnish good
opportunities for the incendiary. They
are filled with some infammable oil
and lighted. A fire started in this way
is often hard to detect and no arrests
follow. Kerosene spread about build
~ ing, however, always leaves its traces
and a trained man is sure to learn if
!, the fire has been started with it. Alec
hol leaves no traces and many resort
to this to accomplish their results.
Every fire department Of any size
has to cope with this evil, and the Min
neapolis department has been unusual
successful in running down. the guilty
persons. The law makes it easy for
: the firebug to escape punishment, fol-
the man has to be seen as he starts
stop to the malicious work for some
time. There are two persons now
awaiting trial on charges of arson
This year the frebug is to be hunted
even more diligently and an effort may
be made to get the legislature to broad
en- the law in order to stop the evil.
The heaviest fire loss caused by the
nrebug's work last year was the burn
ing Of the Diamond sawmill at Eigh
teenth avenue N and the river. TIL.
building burned in April at loss O.
about $4,000. Immediately following
this fire several incendiary fires brok,
out in the lumber yards in the district
and later attempts were made to burr
the plant of the Diamond Iron work
in the same vicinity. After months O.
hard work Fire Marshal Ringer is OF
the track of the persons responsible TO
some of these fires and arrests may b
made at any time. Some of it is know
to be the work of boys who have
mania for that sort of fun, and the res
Is done by adults either for revenge O
as means of getting Insurance.