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Show FIRE IN THE BUSINESS PART OF MINNEAPOLIS DOES $700,000 DAMAGE MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 14. Two firemen fire-men lost their lives several persons were injured and property valued at $700,000 was destroyed by a fire 'Which starting last night, was not brought under control con-trol until this morning. The Dead. JACOB F. MILLER, insurance patrol-man. patrol-man. JOHN FELLOWS, pipe man. Seriously Injured. Fred Klrcheff, substitute pipe rrfan, burned about face. Tony Wilson, pipeman, burned about legs. Lieutenant J. P. Barrett, back Injured. For a time the entire retail business district was threatened and its escape from destruction was due as much to the absence of a strong wind as to efforts ef-forts of the firemen. The fire started in the photographic supply house of O. H. Peck & Co., and quickly spread to the adjoining building, including the Blx-story furniture house of Boutell Bros., one of the largest establishments es-tablishments of Its kind In the Northwest. North-west. - The losses Include the following: O. H. Peck A Co., photographic supplies, sup-plies, building and stock, $80,000. Boutell Bros., furniture, building and stock. $450,000. Bintllff Manufacturing Co., picture frames and art goods, building and stock. $120,000. Powers Mercantile Co., building and stock, $60,000. Other miscellaneous losses will bring the total loss up to $727,000; total Insurance, Insur-ance, $605,000. Jacob Miller, a member of the Insurance Insur-ance patrol, staggering under a heavy load of tarpaulins on the fifth floor of the Peck Photograph Supply company, stumbled into a elevator shaft and fell to the basement.' Every effort ' was made to rescue him, but in the rising flood of water and the roaring furnace of flames his body could not be located. John Fellows, a pipe .man. was caught on the fifth floor of the Boutell building with three of his comrades. It was a critical moment, for all at once the wires that controlled the automatic sprinkler system turned a dull red and In another Instant the whole building from top to bottom burst Into flames. The sprinkler wires had in some, way touched a live t heavily charged electric wire. The three men who were with j Fellows succeeded in making miraculous miracu-lous exits down the fire escapes, but Fellows made the fatal error of running to the elevator shaft and sliding down the- cable. In the belief that the lower part of the building had not yet begun to burn. He slid Into a cauldron of flame and was seen no more. H. J. Buckley, another member of the Insurance patrol, was caught by a fall-I fall-I ing wall and killed. |