The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-12-17

aged to hold the fire to some extent
confined for a time, but, when the
floor of the third story gave way II
was evident that their position was
dangerous in the extreme. for they
were over a colossal furnace. and
the frail support that they had was
likely to give it at almost any time.
So they left off their daring feat and
went TO work elsewhere.
II was not long before the rodf
gave way, and great showers Of bits OF
burning wood, carried upward by the
draught, fell over the roofs of ad-
joining buildings and on the ground
for many rods TO the southwest. The
wind was rather light and was from
the northeast. II was well that this
was so. as ii blew most of the sparks
in a direction, where there was lit
tie chance of anything taking fire.
Glowing embers fell I'm showers over
the roof of the Omaha passenger
depot, and Il was fortunate that this
was of slate, for IL IL had been a wood
on shingle surface, il would without
doubt have caught fire. and greatly
increased the difficulty OF The situa-
tion that the firemen had 10 encounter
Even beyond this building over the
brick platform, the shower of sparks
fell.
Saved the SauIpaush.
If the wind had been blowing IN a
nOrtherly. instead of southerly di-
rectiOn, II would probably have been
impossible to save the Saulpaugh
hotel. Even as II was. II required a
hard fight to rescue that magnificent
hosiery, which is OF such vast i'm
portance to the commercial interests
of Mankato.
AS the heat that was created in the
tophet within the four walls became
more and more intense, the windows
began to burst. and the flames shot
out from the openings. The flames,
bursting through the windows on the
side of the burning building adjacent
to the alley, leaped angrily across to
the wall Of the Saulpaugh, and some
of the windows there. too, began to
crash to pieces from the intensity OF
the heat. Window easements on the
second floor caught fire. II seemed to
those who were viewing the situation
from Front street below that the great
hotel was doomed to go.
The fire fighters, however were
right OH hand. Streams of water were
playing through the windows OF the
Saupaugh right into those OF the
college building. Several Of the hose
reels that are kept in constant readi-
ness in the hotel for just such emery
encies were soon in use. and large
hose, attached to the fire truck. ran
over the top of the building from
Main street, and kept playing on the
flames in such way as to keep them
back from the hotel. The defense was
. perfect success. The foe was re-
pulsed in attacks that were made re-
peatedly, each time through diff
ferent group of windows, as the panes
OF glass crashed to bits. and the flame
and smoke burst forth in building
, clouds.
Hotel Guests Were Aroused.
AS soon as the fire became known
to the manager of the hotel, work was
begun to save the property of the
guests, and the more valuable articles
belonging to the hotel itself. An alarm
OF fire was quickly communicated to
the sojourners and employees, and il
was not, long before all were dressed
and had their property in safe place
Trunks were removed from the bag
gage room. which Is on the south side
Of the building. next to the burned
block, and they were piled up where
they could be readily saved, in case
the hotel itself took fire.
There was little comfort In the
hostelry at this time. Water kept
dripping over the floors here and there
and before the break of day, the only
light was that of candles. which were
! placed here and there on. the various
floors. AS measure OF precaution,
, the electric feed wire, which fur
nished electricity to that block. was
cut. IL was wise thought. In the
tangle and confusion that must in
evitably result from such catastro-
| phe as occurred. II would have been
extremely dangerous to allowed any
live wires to remain anywhere around
the place
Thickness Of Walls.
One feature OF the Saulpaugh hotel
| that helped greatly IN saving II was