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Show I : THREATENED I i BY BIG I FIRE H 4- -- H , . i B ( MINNEAPOLIS, Maroli H j -t- Ono of the moat disastrous flroi H - thin city has ever known de- M stroyed today tho Syndicate B f block between Fifth and Sixth H -r- rtre'ets. The total loss is cstl- H ' -- mated at $1,000,000 and it Is H -t- possible that two lives woro -f H -f- lost, although this has not yet -4- H been definitely determined. -t- H ' H I Twelvo persons were rescued from B 4 tho upper stories of the building, whllo H . "the flames wero roaring around then H ( "Some of theso sustained slight ln- Hj Juries, but nono were seriously hurt. H I The origin of tho flro Is unknown. H - The alarm was given by passers-by H on Nlcolleto avenue, who saw the H flames bursting from the second story B ! -window. Before the firemen had ar- B ;rlved the tenants of the building who B 3-o'ero aslcop In tho upper rooms begnn B ) to appear at tho windows, calling for B B , Fire Department Inadequate. B J A strong wind was blowing and In B ( . a vory few minutes tho west halt of B i the building was a furnaco. The, en- H tire flro department of Minneapolis H , was called out, but It was totally In- Bj adequate to check the flames. B I On tho second floor were Mrs. M. B H , Buck and Miss E Buck, proprietors of B , a lunch room. Mr. and Mrs. Charles B ' JTranson, Klmer Fransou, aged 19, Iler- B hert Franson. aged 20, and Mrs. Inga Bj iFranson, Miss Etta Parsons, 22 jears B old, Miss Merlle Downend. 13 years H j old, and Miss Marie Heller, were on B I i the third floor On the fifth floor Mrs. B ;tMaxy HolllBtcr and Miss Trelcr woro H i t hummed in by flames. H , Heroism of Boy to Save His Mother. H I Tho members of the Franson fam- H ! ily, finding all exit by stairways and H front windows cut off, made for tho B fire escape In the alley sido of the B , building. Elmer leaped to the fire B Bscapo through u blast of flames. B Holding to tho hot Irons of the lat- Br cr, ho aided his tnothor to climb H i through tho window and step upon Hj I the platform beside him. As soon as H I her hands touched the rolls Mrs. B I Franson screamed and would have Bj ) fallen to tho ground had not Flre- H man Caldwell leaped to her rescue H from a ladder leaning against tho Hj Now England building, which adjoins H tho S-ndlcnte building. Caldwell H mado a leap of fully ten feet and H took a chance of falling to tho pavc- H ment, forty feat below, if he missed H tho fire escape. Fortunately ho H struck it right and reached Mrs. Fran M sen's side not a second too soon. H Firemen Rescue Twelve. B H ,1 , Ho assisted her to tho ground H I i while EUmer Franson followed shout- Br -t j Ing; "Thcro aro two women back M' 1 1 tbore in tho flames. I saw them M H The firemen mado every effort to H break Into the building at this place, H 1 1, but the h&at was too great and they H were ropulsed. H All other members of the Franson H , family were then assisted down the H fire eEcape and tho firemen had llt- H tlo difficulty In rescuing tho peoplo H from the second and fifth floor? H Twelve persons In all were taken out H '' of the building by the firemen. Hi None of the tenants received sen H ous Injuries and all occupants of tho H L upper floors were finally accounted H , for. It is believed that young Fran- H I son was mistaken when he said ho j saw two peoplo in the building. Dur- H ing tho progress of tho flro thero H . were several explosions at the west H !' rnd of tho building, which lifted the H heavy otonc sidewalks high In the air M and scattered huge pieces of stone H jj about tho street Thoy were attrlb- H I utcd to breaking gas pipes. Tho high H wind carried embers high over the H 'I business district and a number of 1 small flret started on the roofs of H fieveml buildings. Some of theso cm- H f bcra fell 14 snunrcs from tho flro H burning awnlnge. H Owned by Boston Trust Co, H I The Syndicate building was erected j In 1S82 by n number of local business H men. About three years ago It was H purchased by the Boston Trust com- H The west one-third of the building m was occupied by the Model Clothing 1 company, whose store occupied fivo B stories. Tlie enst one-third of the building, from basement to roof, was occupied bv tho i.ilnncapolls Dry Goods company. Tlirec stories In the :iifr o'C tho. block"-woro occupJvd-by Voung & Olilnlan. Indies' tailors, l J. B Hudson Son, jewelers. antTAVool-w'ortk's antTAVool-w'ortk's B und 10 xont, store., The upper floors m -tho center of tho building oro occupied by numerous numer-ous doctors, restaufunts and othpr ton.ints. about fifty In all. Theso lout all their property The loss of tho Minneapolis Dry Goods company wns nioflilv by water nnd smoke, as that end of tho building" was untouched by flro, Tho largest Individual Ioodog are: Modol Clothing company, $175,000; Minneapolis Dry Goods company, $350,000; J B Hudson & Son, $100,-000; $100,-000; jutslde of the safe, which contained con-tained merchandise valued nt $20,-000. Lobs of building, $200,000. Tho windows In Donaldson's "glass block'' department store across Sixth street woro shattered by tho heat anJ lea In window glass Is ostlmated at $2,000. A loss of $5,000 was also caused' caus-ed' In this store by water. Tho New England Furnituro company In a building adjoining tho Syndicate block, suffered a loss of $10,000 by water from bursting hose that wus run through tho building Although tho fire broke out early Ir. the morning, It was almost noon before be-fore It was undor control For bov-oral bov-oral hours It was feared that tho entire en-tire buntness district of Minneapolis would be Bwopt by tho flumes. Tho principal losses aro covored by insurance. |