The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-21

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While thousands stood near by
watching the flames eat up the
building. while every fireman in the
city and North Mankato worked like
beavers, the malt house on Rock
street, between Front and the rail
road tracks, slowly but surely burn.
ed to the ground, last night. This
large, tive-story building, parts of
which were constructed of slow.
burning concrete, is now heap of
ruins, a total loss, and an eye-sore
to Mankato. Last evening it was one
OF the monuments of the business
enterprise and ability of Mankato
citizens, forming ready market for
the farmers barley, and shipping
out large quantities of it's products.
Thousands of bushels of barley
and malt went up in smoke, and
after one has included the improve
ments, the cost of machinery and
contents, the value of the building
as it stood with contents, was from
$4,000 to 100000, with olny ST..
500 insurance on same. The burned
plant stood in the heart of the man.
plant shared it's fate.
Only the favorable weather con-
ditions under which the firemen work
ed, and the heroic attempts on the
part of the firemen, saved the sur
rounding buildings from complete
destruction For a while it seemed
as though the gas plant of the Con-
sumers Power company would catch
fire, as the wind was from the south
east and blowing toward the gas
plant.
Discovered BY SignaIman.
The fire was discovered about
eight o'clock by Signalman Anthony
Murphy, who is stationed in the sig
nal tower in the Omaha and North.
western railroad yards. At that time
Mr.. Murphy saw smoke coming out
OF the elevator and realizing that
he could not leave his post. in the
signal tower, he shouted Justify to
the crew of switch engine in the
yards. The. crew was attracted by
his shouts. and started to blow the
whistle. Other engine crews in the
yard heard the fire whistles too, and
took up the alarm. However, the first
alarm turned in at the fire station
was by telephone, and afterwards
from box No. II at the corner OF
Elm and Front streets. Later, two
more alarms were turned in for
more help, and every hose and lad
der company in the city as well as
the fire department of North Man.
kato responded with apparatus and
men.
Before the department could
reach the scene, the flames had
gained considerable Roadway, not
wlthstanding the heavy rains of the
day, as it is supposed that the fire
started in the top of the building
in the elevator shaft, which form
ed f1ue and draft for the flames
The fire was coming out of the roo
when the fireboys' arrived, and was
too high for the pressure of the wa
ter. Several lines of hose were con
nected to the water mains, which
lowered the pressue, so that nc
stream of water could reach up tC
the third story.
The falling of tins, sheet iron
link, timbers and lumber, forced the
firemen back, SO that they could MOI
get near the building for some time
At one time. they were under &
sort of alley-way between two
buildings, connected by shute
above, shooting streams of water a.
the structure. but were forced back
Just as they got out from under
the top of this alley-way, large tim
bers began to crash to the earth
and the firemen narrowly escaped
injury.
Little Hope For Building.
1t could be seen by this time
. that there was little hope for tn,
building, and the attention of sew
eral crews of hosemen was directed
toward the gas plant of the Consum
ers Power company, the plant o
the Minnesota Packing company ant
ether nearby buildings. The ga
plant is constructed of brick will
good roofing, which does not easil,
take fire. yet. two streams of waite
were kept playing on this buildin,
for many hours. while anothe
stream was brought across the rail
road tracks and turned on the pack
ing house.
Near the top. of the malt house
the flames glared and flared a
fiercely as ever, eating all the wood
work rapidly and the flames sho
skyward with such brilliancy tina
they could be seen for many miles
at the same time creating shove
of sparks The wind was light, We
it blew a regular path of smok
from the southeast in the direction
of the packing plant, like a hug
black snake.
In various places in the burnin
building could be seen bright blu
flames, which were caused by tn
link that was being burned. Figh
ing the fire within range of tn
building was dangerous. Burning tin
bers and large pieces of sheet iro
fell at frequent intervals. There wa
danger at all times that some el
plosion would occur, and early stage
of the fire, a loud crash drove tn
hordes of people away, but the
gradually came back.
Moved the Box Cars.
On the railroad tracks stood SCI
eral strings of box cars, but thes
were hurriedly switched to othe