Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-02-12
4 DISASTROUS FIRE
Lower Livery Barn Of r. p.
Farrow's Totally Des-
troyed--Horse Burns

II.
troyed by fire Tuesday evening, as
also practically all the contents. in
Guiding one of the SIX horses that were
in the barn at the time. The origin of
the fire is unknown, but was first
noticed at about S:15 breaking out
through the northwest corner of the
building. An alarm was turned In
and the fire department responded at
once, but within short time the
flames had spread to every part of the
building. The wooden structure
burned like tinder, and, famed by
heavy northwest wind, which
prevailed throughout the evening,
made very hot fire. Large pieces OF
burning tlndeI were carried through
the air tor quite distance, falling on
a group of houses. Men were placed
among the residences to Keep these
fire. brands from starting ire to them.
but the lce-and- snow covered roofs
made this extra precaution almost
needless. ~,.
Warren Farrow and Guy Shufelt
were among the first on the scene.
and Immediately set to work in
liberating the horses form the burning
barn, In which work they barely
escaped with their own lives. The
six horses were cut loose and they
succeeded in taking five of them out.
BY this time the smoke was so dense
that they were scarcely able to
breathe, and they were unable to see
whether the sixth horse had gone out
with the rest. However. it was all
they could do as they were forced to
get out before they could be overcome
by the smoke and heat. The horse
had not got out and burned tO death.
The animal was the property OF q. H.
Ferguson and was worth about $780,
Had the tire come week or ten days
earlier it is very probable that there
would have been a large number of
horses cremated, as at that time there
were seventeen of the animals sheltered
there, seven of which belonged to Mr..
Ferguson, who took care OF his own
horses himself. He had all but one of
these shipped to a logging camp about
a week previous to the fire, and i've Of
the others had been taken to the other
barn. '<..s9,, r r. .
The barn was valued at $3, 600, on
which 81. 500 insurance was carried.
It had been closed for the winter and
was used as storing place, buggles,
cutters, robes. harnesses, grain and
about twenty toIs OF may, valued at
%, 600 more. being stored In it. These
were insured TO, 81, 400. 1t had been
the intention to open this barn for the
summer on April 1.
F. P. Farrow acquired this barn
about thee years ago, since which
time he had been running it in con-
nection with his larger livery barn on
Second street northeast. Mr.. FarrOw
is as yet undecided whether he will
rebuild the barn, but his business will
require more room than the brick
barn to shelter all the horses. and he
says that the long shed on the back
end of the lot, which Will shelter IA
head will most probably pe used for a
time.
In lighting the fire because of frozen
hydrant. They had stretched hose
from the hydrant near the Batter s
house to the scene OF the fire, but
when they Went to turn on the water
and were forced to carry the hose by
hand and tasten it to the hydrant on
the Moran block corner. Another
l0uSCu WdS SLIcLCfEcu ClS
on the Y block corner on Broadway.
and still another was fastened to a
hydrant some two blocks south Of the
burning building IN case the fire should
spread in that direction. The latter
was not used, however, the fire being
confined to the livery barn.
The place whore the hay was thrown
down from the loft was located in the
back END Of the building on the
opposite side OF where the flames were
first seen to break out. but there
always has been q strong draft coming
up, which carried the flames to the
hay loft, and i'll an instant the whole
building was atire None OF the
articles stored III the building were
saved
The fire burned of the two main
wires which transmit electricity Tor
the electric lights in the south end OF
town and the hospital, and therefore
the lights were turned off all over the
city for a time in order that the
wires could be fixed up and the
current restored on the two lines,
which was completed in less than
three. quarters OF an honr.
LUMBER YARD ON wEsr SIDE.