The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-05-13
PREY OF A HOT FIRE
Omaha Freight Depot and All
Contents Are Entirely
Destroyed
Loss on Building and MerChan.
disc Estimated About
$4,000
Origin of Blaze Has Not Been
Determined; Books Are
Consumed

The Omaha freight depot was de-
stroyed by fire at an early Dour this
morning, together with the entire
contents OF the warehouse, which was
we'll filled with merchandise, and prac-
tically all of the Office records. The
flames and smoke spread so rapidly
that ,hen the office force became
aware If the fire they had just time
to call the central fire station by tclc-
phone and siczc the car books that
they were working on and run, lcav-
ing the other records. The loss of these
records, which cover the operations of
the local office during the past six
years. is II serious handicap, but it
may be that some of these may be
recovered, as quantities of records Win
only the edges burned were sboveled
out this morning from the debris.
Loss on Building and Contents.
The loss Oh the building is csti-
mated at about $1,000, and on the
merchandise piled in the warehouse at
about $4,000, roughly guessed at. The
building was thirty by eighty feet, one
story high. rather old, and entirely of
frame construction, even to the snin-
giles. The floors were oil soaked, and
the woodwork dry as finder, owing to
the long dry spell A strong north
wind was blowing, which made the
fire burn more furiously, and it was
plain that the building was doomed
from the first. The resources of the
fire department were entirely made
quate to save it,
How the fire started is mystery.
but it is supposed that it must have
started from sparks from some passing
engine lodging on the roof, and ignit
ing the dry shingles, when famed by
the breeze. II was l2:45 O'Clock when
the fire was discovered by the office
force, and a still alarm was at once
sent to the central fire station. The
boys responded promptly with one
truck and got a line of hose attached
to the hydrant near the Milwaukee
depot. 1t was found that more help
would be needed. and general alarm
was turned in. and all of the appara-
tus at the central station was brought,
one of the wagons being driven over
the new concrete in front of the sta
ton, without breaking it. and the 9TH
crs going ont via the alley.
Structure Wrapped in Flames.
Anotbr line of hose was attached
to the hydrant near DIR. Il. NJ. Dodds'
office, and the two streams were play
cd Oh the burning structure ineffcctu-
ally. In half an hour the entire
structure was wrapped in flames. and
by three o'clock the building had burn.
cd to the ground, although the firemcn
remained until five o'clock. playing wa
ter on the ruins to prevent the flames
bursting out again and sending out
sparks to cndanger other property.
When the firemen first arrived, the
fire was on and under the roof at the
southeast corner, and the flames seem
cd to be working up against the wind.
The smoke was 50 suifocating that the
occupants of the office were quickly
driven out and were unable to return
to save anything. The office safe re-
manned intact, and the iremen this
morning turned stream of water on
it for some time to cool it
off, and Agent j. C. Good
sell was able to open it and re-
move the cash that it contained. The
paper money was almost hot enough
to scorch, and the silver was SO hot
that it could hardly be touched.
Wind Carried Sparks Some Distance.
The wind carried "A stream of sparks,
embers and blazing shingles south
ward, and other buildings were threat
cned. Eugene Coy's horse barn on
Minnesota street, a couple of blocks
away, twice caught fire. 1t was neces-
sary for the tremen to attach line
of hose at the liydrant near the barn
and turn water on the roof to save
1T. The horses were all removed and
some of the vehicles, and the rest of
the contents, except the feed, was got
ten in readiness to move out, in case
of necessity. A live tree standing be-
side the barn took fire and the
branches burned, which shows what in
tense heat was waited by the wind
to that neignborhood.
Two telephone poles near the depot
took fire from the heat, which was so
great that it drove the firemen bacS.
A piece of burning wood was found
as far south as the tennis court on
the old G. ID. Taylor residence proc
erty on South Front street.
Laid Many Feet of Hose.
The fire department laid 1850 feet
of hose in all. and was obliged to use
some of the 600 feet of new hose that
tine council has just purchased. This
Is very fine hose. No sections were
burst, and no accidents of any kind
occurred. There were no explosions in
the warehouse, as there was no gaso-
line or oil barrels there at the time
A few days ago it is said that there
was some gac,lipe stored there. as