The weekly times-record., 1913-06-05
FIRE DETR0YS FOUR SALOONS
THREATENS SECTION OF
m00RHEAD BUSINESS DISTRICT
Estimated Loss Of at Least $25,000---flames
Discovered in Pool Room Spread So Quick
" That No Time Is Given for the
Saving Of Property.

Moorhead, May 29.-In the opinion
of members of the Moorhead and Far
60 fire departments. who co-operatet
last night in fighting a very nasty
fire in the city across the river, the
absence of a southwest wind alone
saved the Minnesota city from having
at least large section of its business
district wiped out by the flames. While
the fire was confined to the one block
in which it originated, where now only
heaps of ashes and lone standing
chimney marks the location of the big
wooden structure, it was hard fight
for the firemen to keep it's destructive
force within bounds.
After it was generally supposed and
was in fact true that the flames
were under control, the hoarse sum
mons OF the fire whistle again set
everyone's pulse leaping with excite
ment in the belief that the fire had
broken out afresh. All sorts of rumors
were quickly afloat, but the second
alarm was sent in because Of burn.
ing barn, which again painted the
heavens with red The barn belonged
to L. Lewis near the courthouse.
Fire which Started in the Lund
poolroom in Moorhead about o'clock
last evening totally destroyed the
Hamm block located on the south
bridge and the stock and fixtures of
four saloons.
The places burned out are: Rustad
& Rustad, Anton Larson, Ed. Smith
and Akeson & Peterson, besides the
Lund Football. The total damage to
building, stock and fixtures was esti-
mated last night at $4,000.
Rustand & Rustad are the heaviest
losers, they estimateing their loss at
about $4,000, fairly we'll covered by
loss at about $500 and the other two
places lost about the same on their
stock and fixtures.
Ed Smith had let his insurance run
out during the controversy between
the Loyal liberty league and the coun-
Gil concerning, who were to remain in
the business, or who were not and ne
elected to renew it afterwards. The
other two carried insurance.
After the fire was discovered its
progress was very rapid no one being
able to save a thing, but barely be-
ing able to make their escape. The
structure was entirely frame one
and burned like tinder, the explosions
of the liquors in stock adding to the
ferceness of the blaze as it progressed
from room to room.
The heat was terrific and but for
the fact that the wind blew towards
the river and away from the adjoin-
ing blocks, the damage would have
been vastly increased. AS it was the
fire department had hard work con-
fning the flames to this block, the
frame building across the alley catch
ing fire several times from the heat.
Streams of water were kept playing
on the Dwight M. Baldwin mill across
First avenue from the burning block
and at times the heat was so great
that it was almost impossible for the
fremen to keep up their position with
the line of hose.
The destroyed building was owned
by the Hamm Brewing company of
St. Paul, and owing to the lateness Of
the hour the company could not be
communicated with and it's estimate
Of the loss on the building obtained.
It was estimated by local parties last
night that the building was worth
about 100000 This was reported to
be will covered by insurance.
The origin of the fire is not known,
10 one in the block being able to give
any definite idea Of how It started ex-
cept that it started in the Lund pool
hall This room was located in the
middle of the building and when the
men in the Rustad saloon, which is
located in the west end of the block
discovered that the building was on
fire it was burning so hard that they
had time only to run out in order to
escape suffocation from the smoke.
All the proprietors Of this saloon
were able to do was to lock the safe,
take some change from one Of the
cash registers and run for their lives.
None Of the other proprietors were
able to save anything from their plac-
es of business, everything in the build
ing being consumed by the flames. The
FIRE department of Moorhead respond
ed in quick order, but it was soon
seen that the fire was beyond con.
a+~o1 as foy a. the Hamm block was