The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-03-22
Thirteen HORSES :.
BURNED TO Death
SMITH BROS. LIVERY BARN is
COMPLETELY DESTROYED
SUNDAY MORNING
WATER MIGRANTS FROZEN UP
MODERN GARAGE MAY REPLACE
OLD STRUCTURE-SCHOOL
BUSES BURN.

The large frame barn on lower Main
street occupied by Smith Bros. livery
was completely destroyed by fire Sun
day morning, together with 13 head
OF horses and most of the rest of the
contents of the building.
The alarm was sounded shortly be-
fore four o'clock and the department
had considerable difficulty in reaching
the scene because the heavy snow
made the use Of the auto truck ana
equipment very slow and difficult
When an attempt was made to turn or
the water it was also found that ali
but one of the hydrants in the viclnit,
were frozen UP.
The fire apparently started in the
west end Of the building in the hay
NOW. The origin is complete mys-
terry.
Thos. Smith left the afternoon be-
fore to make drive to Ward Springs.
After arriving there both he and his
team were so badly exhausted that he
decided to remain over night. This
Saved the team undoubtedly.
There was Stiff wind at the
time from the northwest. Had it been
coming from the northeast with the
crippled condition of the waterworks
there isn't much doubt but what the
north side of Third street would have
been completely wiped out.
The building was owned by w. .. P
Hilsdale and C. M. Sprague, and was
erected about Is years ago. 1t had
an outside covering of steel sheeting
making fighting of the fire doubl!
difficult. The loss on the building
was complete. 1t was valued at abou'
$4,000 with an insurance of $1,000
The house, owned by Charles Virgin
just north of the barn, and very close
escaped without injury.
In conversation with Thos. Smit
Wednesday forenoon he stated to the
Herald that their inventory showed
that their stock and equipment was
worth SIS, 100. Upon this an insurance
of $4,000 was carried. A policy of $500
was allowed to lapse Feb. %.
By the time people began to arrive
at the scene of the fire it was too fal
advanced to warrant the attempt tt
I save the poor horses. Eleven of those
burned belonged to Smith Bros. Ont
was "Old Ned" the iron gray, so Ions
in the service of the Wedge Hard
ware Company, and another was thu
black delivery mare owned by Laun
dryman Markson, familiar on thu
streets of the city for the past II
years.
The hearse, the coupe on runners
and several sleds and other content
of the barn. wetes saved. Besides thu
horses, Smith Bros. say they los
about Is tons of hay, 200 bushels O.
feed, one automobile, IL sets of driv
/ ing harness, 10 sets of single harness
and three, sets of heavy harness, bug
gies, blankets, robes, etc.
The running gears belonging to tn
school buses were stored in the bari
for winter. The Herald understand
there was no insurance on these, Meth
er did the Wedge Hardware Compan!
or Mr.. Markson have any insuranc
upon their horses.
At this writing, Wednesday after
noon, the insurance adjustors had no
arrived.
! Mr.. Hilsdale stated to the Herals
Tuesday that the barn would not b
rebuilt, but he and Mr.. Sprague hat
considered for some time the erection
of modern garage upon the site oc
cupied by the livery barn. The matter
would be settled definitely up on MI
| Sprague's return from California.
Thos. Smith states that he and nj:
brother Charles are undecided as tx
their future The latter is contemplat
ing withdrawing and moving west, bu
Tom says he intends to remain in Saul
i Centre, and will probably go bach
into the livery business again. Smith
Bros. have two teams for livery wori
and have temporary offices at the
Palmer House.