The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-03
MOORHEAD
FIREKILLS
TWO MEN
Gust Nordgren and Charles
Hanson Killed in Blaze
During Night.
BOTH had BEEN DRINKING
So Declares Operator Of
Arcade, Scene Of the Dou-
BILE Tragedy.

Gust Morgen, 80, and Chris
Hansan lost their lives in a
fire that destroyed the Ar
cade, at Eighth Street north
and the Great Northern
tracks last night. Both men
are believed to have died of
suffocation as Hansan's body
was not even scorched and
Morgen's remains were not
badly burned.
Both of the men who lost
their lives were intoxicated,
when they went to their
rooms, according to the hotel
proprietor, and a partly
emptied bottle of whiskey
was found at the side Of Han
sans body.
Coroner c. G. Vincent ordered the
bodies removed to A. ]. Wright & Sons
morgue, where an inquest will be held.
The time Of holding the inquest will
be decided upon tomorrow morning
when County Attorney Dosland re-
turns from st. Paul.
The Arcade was owned by Mrs. G. II.
Bronte Of Pierre. s. D., and was val
ued at about 800, with $4,000 insur-
ance. Richard Anderson. who con-
Quoted the restaurant and rooms, es-
foe hic of ~
ST. 900 insurance. The loss Of K. G.
Ingersoll. who operated a soft drink
500.
Chemical Users Fail.
The fire was discovered at 1858 p. m.
by Rollie Wambach, who was on the
platform of the Great Northern depot.
George Armstrong, a waiter. and Fred
Jackson, who went upstairs and made
an attempt to operate the chemical fire
extinguisher. They did not know how
to use 1t and the flames continued to
gain Roadway.
They then went through all the
rooms and warned everyone to leave.
1t was supposed that all the guests
had made their escape when Glen
Weise, a Great Northern section man,
climbed through the window Of his
room and dropped to the ground. He
was taken to a local hospital where
his burns and other injuries were
dressed.
Find Bodies in Rooms.
The men who lost their lives were
not missed until the fire was out, and
Dick Anderson remembered that
neither of them had been seen about
the ruins. He then went with some
of the firemen to make a thorough
search. Norgren's body was found
L III u T~,aw- f-~-.A -
Part of his clothing had been burned
away and his face and one hand were
also burned.
1t was after 2 o'clock when the body
of Hanson was found lying on the
bed in his room as though he were
sleeping. His underwear was not even
scorched and his hair was not slnged.
The window in this room was parry
open and he could have escaped had
he made an attempt to do so.
Norgren was formerly a porter at
Monson's saloon and had worked as a
farm laborer since the saloons were
voted out. Recently be had been en-
ployed by James Kennedy the Fargo
contractor.
Not much is known about Hanson.
who was a laboring man.
H. Greenfield, the cook for Mr.. An
derson, had a narrow escape. He
crawled through a window in the sec
ond story and his Undertaking
caught. While getting loose he fell on
a fence, breaking the fall. and bounced
back against the building.
Cisaret Likely Cause.
It is thought that the fire started in
a room occupied by a switchman who
changed his clothing there about 8
o'clock. AS he was a cigaret user
the theory is that the fire started from
the stub of pill" he had thrown to
the floor.
The fire was a stubborn one and was
not put out until after 1 o'clock this
morning. Three streams Of water
were used by the firemen who confined
the flames to the structure. The upper
part of the building was completely
destroyed and the first story is a
wreck.
The Arcade was known to old timers
in the northwest as the best eating.
place in this part Of the country. When
it was conducted by Babe" Daubner
1t was headquarters for the horsemen
Of the country. 1t was one of the land
marks of the city and was originally
located on First avenue south near
Fourth street. John Mason built 1t in
1882, and when the Grand Pacific hotel
uyas hYIiIf Ar WAS rnovad fo the nreSenf