The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-15
FIRE
CAUSES STAMPEDE.
CAP EXPLOSION SENDS EMPLOY
EEs scURRYING FOR SAFETY.
Ford Factory Burns as Result of Spon-
taneous Explosion, Soaring Every
body in Neighborhood and Causing
Panic---S $4,000 Worth Of July
Noise Is Prematurely Fired Of.

Z d r.t % 81 i = = y. Z. ? + Ks Z ( Il / !
Open windows and previous warn
ing to run at the first sign of danger
saved the lives of twenty men today,
when an explosion occurred in Luther
Ford's fireworks warehouse. near Sixth
avenue N and Dupont.
The spontaneous explosion of a box
of percussion caps gave warning to the
workmen who were busy handling thee
Of Giant afw Crackers At the
crack Of the small caps, the men and
est exits, some leaping headlong thru
the open windows and others dashing
thru the door.
The building is one.story brick
structure with a frame annex covered
with sheetiron. No sooner had the men
reached the open air than there was a
violent explosion, tearing out large
part Of the roof and creating strong
draft for the fafes. Rockets, devil
in rapid succession, throwing debris
and burning fireworks high into tt
air. ~
Everybody Gives Alarm.
The workmen turned in an alarm
but the flames had gained such headwa1
when the fire department arrived thai
| it was necessary to send in a SECOND
alarm. Excited spectators ran for dis
tant alarm boxes, sending in half
| dozen calls. ar-,r. 49,. 81 So. n.
Shortly after the fremen started tx
work, a large box Of some powerful
explosive exploded, completely demol
ishing the roof an dtearing away a part
of the brick wall. The fremen were
prepared for this, however, and were
fighting the ames from the unburnet
| -oo,4:o, ~ bo b,,;11tpn. u,boro tho don
ger was the least. The building is IL
shaped and the flames scarcely touched
/ the frame structure. AS soon as the
fremen began playing on the stock the
j danger was lessened and the men were
able to work in comparative safety.
/ Boys Are Sorrowful. s.a
The plant is situated on the bank Of
Bassett s creek and on the opposite
bank nearly 1000 small boys gathered
to watch the fire. It was no joke t.
every one of them busy on the Fourth
was. sputtering. and Sizzling withou
giving them bit Of enjoyment. On
little fellow said he wouldn It care 81
much if the fremen had allowed tn
plant to burn, for then there woult
have been more. noise All the boy
feared that the fire would cause a ter
rible famine in the fireworks line AM
that the coming Independence da,
would be quiet one for Minneapolis
AS soon as the flames were under con
troll many Of the boys attempted t.
rescue some of the water-soaked pack
ages. but were driven back by tn
police. IL. >.'@
Resumes at Once.
| Luther Ford, proprietor of, the place
was standing in the doorway. when tn
first explosion occurred, and his pres
enee Of mind and timely direction
helped many to get out of the buildin
without injury. After the fire he ST
nerintended the work Of clearing. gu
the ruined stock. r. IA
The loss has not been accurately est
mated, but under ordinary eircun
kept in tn place. Much Of the stoc
was stored in the frame building an
will be saved, but everything in tn
brick portion, and the building itsel
was destroyed. No one was eve
} slightly injurey and business will be RI
sumed at once.