The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-01-18
Emmanuel Hospital Was in
Flames Early Today
LOSS ESTIMATED AT $4,000
Patients Were Cotton Out Safely;
Nurses From st. Joseph's Lend
Every Assistance.

loss early this morning from fire, which
apparently started from defective cleo
trio wiring. The damage to the build
ing and contents is roughly estimated
at $4,000 to $4,000 The building is
insured for $4,000 with the Minnesota
Mutual Fire Insurance company of New
Ulm, but there is no insurance on the
furniture.
There were fourteen patients IN the
hospital at the time of the fire, and two
of these were removed to st. Joseph's
hospital, and nine were taken to the
homes of persons living in the neighbor-
hood, who thoughtfully threw their
houses open for the purpose. Three bed
patients chose to remain in the build
ing, and they will be cared for there il
possible The sisters of st. Joseph's hos
pital kindly offered their assistance IN
the work of removing the patients, and
all were gotten out without possibility
of bad results. The nurses of the burn
ing hospital were calm and worked de-
votedly for the patients in their charge,
doing everything like clockwork.
Fire Discovered By Nurses.
The nurses who were asleep in their
rooms on the fourth floor were the first
to discover the fire. They were awak-
ened by a cracking sound and smelled
smoke. They notified the night nurses
and the janitor, and sent a telephone
call at once to the central fire station,
but before the firemen had left the sta.
ton someone had turned in a general
alarm from box 10. Having notified the
firemen, the nurses got out the fire hose
with which the building is provided, and
with the janitOr attempted to locate the
fire, but after doing so were unable to
make any progress, although they stay
ed heroically at the work until the fire.
men arrived. The fire first seemed near
the ventilating shaft. They then turned
their attention to removing the pa
TENTS.
When the firemen arrived and saw
how bad the fire was they at once sent
III another general alarm from box 10,
and this brought out the remainder of
the volunteers, including the West Man.
kato hose company. The fire was seen
to be located entirely in the walls in
the upper part of the building and more
especially under the roof. 1t seemed to
have started from near the press button
in the second operating room, which is
located in the northeast corner of the
building on the third floor, and to have
worked up from there into the parti-
lions Of the kitchen and pantry above
and then under the roof, where it spread
over the top of the entire building.
Firemen Had Hard Fight.
The firemen were at work from q a.
M until 6:30 a. m, and had hard fight,
owing to the difficulty of reaching the
flames, that were so concealed in parti-
lions and ceilings. They finally got the
fire entirely out, and their work was
highly creditable. The only damage done
the building below the fourth floor, ex-
cept in the second operating and steril-
izing room was in the wetting of the
walls. The walls of large part of the
building are water soaked, and the plas-
tering may come off.
The greatest damage is in the kitchen
and pantry, on the fourth floor, and in
general at the northeast corner of the
building The under side of the roof is
badly burned and an entirely new roof
will have to be put on. 1t is estimated
that 1T will take from month to six
weeks to get the hospital restored to it's
former condition.
One Man Overcome.
The firemen used but two streams of
water and had goou pressure, consid-
ering the heighth of the building. stub
lhrodahl, who went up under the root
with a line of hose, was overcome by
the smoke, and was only resuscitated
after two physicians had worked over
him. No other accidents of any kind oc-
Cured. The fremen were unable to
make much use of the hose attached to
the stand pipes in the building, owing
to lack of .pressue.
1t so happened that the operating
room was locked last night for the first
time. Had it been open, there would
nave been more of draft and the flames
might have spread in that direction.
The building is as near fire proof as
possible. There is layer of asbestos
IN each floor, and iron doors shut off the
elevator shaft on each floor and are also
placed at the head of each flight of
stairs. This confines any fire to the
floor in which it originates. There are
besides this two large stand pipes in
the building, with hose on each floor.
The trustees and building committee
VIII hold meeting tonight at the Ger
man Lutheran school building .to. discuss
the situation and take such action as
Is necessary. 1t is the intention to re-