The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-19

: Had the fro been just twentyfoul
hours earlier there Is no telling
what might have happened, as or
Sunday morning, there was strong
gale blowing, but Monday morning
, the weather man had given slight
air current that could hardly be
called breeze, while a drizzle oil
! rain put an end TO all the sparks
which rained as far as North Sec
!, 0nd street But what called for the
admiration OF the large crowd which
lassembled TO watch the fire was the
methods used ia fighting the flames
| Instead of spreading the water In
hit or miss fashion, the fremen
directed their efforts TO the side oil
the building facing Main street, In
such way that when the top hall
of the building crashed to the
ground, it fell away from the street
toward the Northwestern freight de
pot. while one part OF the top settled
over the ruins like shed roof.
Thought saulpauoh Was Attire.
Shortly after the fire whistle blew
people began rushing TO windows
and peering at the red glare. which
was for while thought TO come
from the Saulpaugh hotel. and think
ing that the large hostelry was on
fire. they streamed to the scene al
once. by Two o'clock the street and
sidewalks were as crowded with
people as on a circus day. Many
braved the drizzling rain for IN hour
to see the fire.
About 100 feet north oil the eleva
tor stands n small gasoline house
and for while it was thought that
this would be ignited from the large
sparks which were cast that way
The firemen directed their efforts TO
ward this shed and stream OF wa
ter soon had the shed thoroughly
saturated.
About three o'clock this morning
when the hardest part OF the fIghl
was over. the hose connected witt
1.-THE hydrant ut the corner OF From
and Main streets, burst and
stream shot across the street a
Fred Kron's store. The defective
! hose was quickly replaced, however
and the fighting resumed.
Discovery of the Fire.
OFFICER Andrew Lundberg. while
passing North Front street in from
of Fred kron's store about half pas
one, looked in the direction OF Ih'
elevator but saw no fire al tina
time. Night Sergeant Charles SEQ
Vile was standing outside The dool
| OF the police station, when Officel
Lundberg arrived and he remarked
that there must be fire somewhere
He noticed a reflection of the flames
| in a window across the street to
ward the corner of Front and MaiI
streets. Mr.. Scoville turned in thu
fire alarm from box No. &c.
Switch engine No. TIC of thu
Northwestern road passed the eleva
ltor few minutes before the fir
was discovered and at that time tn
crew saw no indications of fire
However. when the engine reached
| the place opposite the pumping sta
ton, Fireman Chauncey Brink dis
covered the elevator to be on fire
Calling to Engineer Arthur Leland
he told him that the elevator was IL
flames. The engineer promptly re
turned 10 the cab and blew the en-
CINE whistle, while Fireman Drinl
ran into The pumping station and no
tilted the men there.
A minute later the fire alarm hal
been turned in from the police sta
ton, and the engine crew then bus
lied themselves with their work. Sey
1 eral box cars were on a side tracl
which passed the elevator, but few
| feet away, and the switch engine
Ipulled these away at safe distance
1.-THE train crew had just finished
! eating supper about half past on
when the fire started. J. A. Schaus
brakeman on the Northwestern, say
the flames just as he was COMING
out of the Northwestern freight de
pot. He said the flames started from
nowhere in particular, but seemed
to come from all parts of the build
ing.
Fire Origin a Mystery.
Just how the fire started is mys
terry, although there is suspicion
i that there was incendiarism connect
ed with it, Harry Summers, wh'
!, was in the interlocking tower At tn
! time, said that no train passed with
/ in an hour before the fire started
so that no sparks from the traii
could have ignited the building. bu
1T is known that switch engine III
i passed 4 few minutes before. al
;, though it would have been practical
! ly impossible for sparks from thi
lengine to ignite the building. as tn
!, structure was wet from the rain
and then again. the engine passes
:, but n few minutes before entir
. building was in flames.
| Fireman Brink stated to TIL
! Free Press that when his engin'
i passed the elevator just before tn
fire was discovered he heard a rock
ct near the building, as though SOM
one was pounding on boards, How
49,, 10 h