The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-06
ENORMOUS LOSS IN MINNEAPOLIS FIRE Two Lives Believed to Have
 Been Lost BURNS WHOLE BLOCK Bremen Make Thrilling Rescue of Six Persons Imprisoned on Third
 Floor-Origin of Fire is
 Unknown

Minneapolis Minn., March 5-One of the most disastrous fires this city has ever known destroyed today the Syndi- cate block on Nicollette avenue, between Fifth and Sixth streets, at a loss esti- mated at $1,ooo,ooo, and it is possible that two lives were lost, althoufh this has not been definitely determined.
 Twelve persons were rescued from the upper stores of the building. The origin of the fire is unknown. The alarm was given by passers-by who saw flames bursting out of the second-story window. Before the firemen arrived the tenants of the building, who were asleep in the upper rooms, began to appear at the windows, calling frantically for aid A strong southwest wind was blowing and in very few minutes the west half of the building was roaring furnace The entire fire department of Minneapolis was called out but 1t was inadequate and a call was sent to St. Paul for help and this was furnished immediately. The instant the fire department arrived men were rushed into the building where the entrances were not already choked up with flames, and numerous ladders were hastily adjusted to help the peo- pie on the second and third floors. MT. and Mrs. Charles Franson, Elmer Franson, aged 19; Herbert Franson, aged 25, and Mrs. Inga Franson, Miss Etta Parsons, % years old, were on the third floor.
 Thrilling Rescue The members of the Franson family, the fire escape on the alley side of the building. Elmer Franson leaped to the fire escape through a blast of flames. Holding to the hot irons of the latter he then aided his mother to climb through the window and step upon the platform beside him. As soon as her hands touched the railing
 Mrs. Franson uttered shriek and would have fallen to the ground had not Fire man Caldwell leaped to her rescue from ladder perched against the New Eng land building, which adjons the Syndi- cate building. Caldwell made a leap of fully 10 feet and took chance of falling
  the fire escape. sls ..-s-.- He assisted her do the ground while i Inner E'ranson followed, shouting ''there are two women back there in the flames. I saw them falln The iremen made every effort to break into the building at this place but the heat was too, great | and they were repulsed.
 All of the other members of the Fran son family were then assisted down the | fire escape. Twelve persons in all were taken out by the firemen. | Bremen believe Young Franson was mistaken when he said he saw two peo- pie in the building as he left the fire escape
 During the progress of the fire there | were several explosions which lifted tho I heavy stone sidewalks high in the air. | The explosions were attributed to break l ing gas pipes.
 Itemized Losses l The Syndicate building contained many business concerns. The largest individual l losses are:
 l Metropolitan Clothing company, $175 ooO | Minneapolis Dry Goods company, s350, ,OOO | J. B Hudson & Son, s100,0O0 outside of the safe, which contained merchandise | valued at s200,O00.
 Young & Quinlan. $100,000. | Woolworths, $20,G00.
 | Other tenants, estimated, $100,00O. | Loss on building, s2oo,OO0 Although the fire broke out early in l the morning it was almost noon before | it was definitely under control. For sev- eral hours it was feared that the entire | business district would be swept by the | flames and 1t was only by the desperate efforts of the firemen who were aided I by the St. Paul department that the loss was not far greater. All of the principal | losses are covered by insurance.