The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-12-17
From F''day's Daily.

From F''day's Daily.
Seldom has a fire of such magnitude
occurred in the city of Mankato as that
which early this morning destroyed
the interior of the four-story block on
South Front street. where the Man
kato Commercial college. the New
York department store and the
Unique theatre were located. IL was
Thought this morning that 100000
would by no means cover the loss
Men of experience along that line
thought Il would lie somewhere be
tween that figure and $4,000 in
Guiding the vast stock of the depart
ment store. and the splendid fixtures
OF the college.
Last night that building was a
handsome business structure, one OF
the points Of pride TO all who are in
terested I'm the commercial progress
of Mankato. BY dny-break this
morning there were four Gaping and
blackened walls, filed with huge
clouds OF smoke, which arose from the
great mass of burning debris at the
bottom of the great open space
within.
for the Coy livery stable, went over
TO the Omaha depot as usual about
4:2C this morning, TO meet the 4:SO
Omaha passenger train. He went by
way OF Front and Main streets and
noticed nothing unusual. There were
no signs of the fire then conspicuous
enough to draw his attention.
Just a few minutes later, and in
time to catch the same train. came
Philip Fredel. who is employed at the
Coy barn, and who brings the mail
each morning to the station. He
drove as usual down Jackson street
and over Pike street to the depot. He
got out from his rig and walked
around 4 while at the depot and then
remembered that he he'd not attached
the weight TO the horse. He went
back to the pace where tho outfit was
standing. and saw O CLEAN of light in
the basement of the New York store
I. was about such 4 glcam as would
be emitted b. an ordinary bonfire. II
seemed TO he about the foot of the
elevator SHAFT, which is at the rear
OF the building. He hurried to the
ticket office. where he told the night
ticket clerk John Russell. The latter
quickly tClcrhcned over 10 the central
fire station, and the force was quickly
rushed to.tha scene with all the
available apparatus.
Alarm From Locomotive.
Dad" Ward. engineer on the Oma
ha switch engine, was also among the
first To see the blaze, as Il shot up the
elevator shaft. He quickly took the
alarm. and sounded long, piercing
note with his engine.
II was we'll that the fire truck was
at hand and in good working order
Five lines of hose were soon run
from this TO various sides of the build
ing, which soon emitted a great red
glare over the landscape, as the
flames shot out from the rear
About 4:30 a. m. some man rushed
into the police station which IL a few
doors frcm the Inflated block and
told Night Sergeant Donahue that
the back part OF the Commercial
college building was on fire. The
sergeant would have given an alarm
Immediately, but this had already
been done.
The various night policemen were
off on their beats. They, like other
people, were appraised of the fire by
the huge volumes of rising smoke,
and the red glare that illuminated the
sky. -
The whistle at the pumping sta
ton kept footing from time to time to
call out all the firemen. II was
quickly seen by the authorities that
the blaze was a serious one. and that
not only this building, but adjoining
ones were I'm imminent danger. The
response was very quick. Volunteer
firemen and hundreds of other people
quickly focked TO the scene and long
before daylight. there were crowds on
Front street and over In the railroad
yards.
Flremen On the Roof.
Four OF the FIRE fighters. Al Rose.
Ike Schauss. Ernest Fallenstein and
Al Kircher, were on the roof. not long
before n gave way. and were keeping
the flames back, rs well as possible.
from the front part of the fourth story.
They cut a hole through the roof and
poured In the water. Thus they man
n ia