Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/586

 506 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY still burning another cry of fire was heard over on Broadway. This fire commenced in the rear of the barn belonging to the Na- tional hotel. Soon the barn was on fire, and the hotel, with a building adjoining, were all reduced to ashes. It seemed that all the firemen could do was to prevent the destruction of the furni- ture factory and the dwelling of Mr. Hastings. The National hotel was owned at the time by Charles Betcher. His loss was estimated at $5,000; insured for $1,000. March 4, 1883. the Diamond and Bluff mills, with several ad- joining buildings, were totally destroyed. These mills, together with the Bluff saw mill, were all owned by a joint stock company, which employed about one hundred men and turned out one thou- sand barrels of flour per day. The saw mill only was saved from the devouring element. These mills occupied the whole front of Levee streets from Barn Bluff to the foot of Potter street. At about twenty minutes after midnight George King, engineer, and Charles Bailey, fireman on the yard engine of the Milwaukee railroad, noticed an unusual light through the windows of the fourth floor of the Diamond mill. They immediately started their engine down the track to get a clearer view and soon decided that the mill was on fire. They commenced giving the alarm by blow- ing the engine whistle. The mill whistle commenced sounding at almosl the same time, and very soon the bells of the city added to the dismal chorus. The fire had evidently been set by some person who was familiar with the const met ion of the mills during the change of the night watchmen. The early watchman had com- pleted his rounds at 11:30, as shown by his time detector, an instrument which the watchmen were required to carry. He had turned over the watch to the other watchman and gone home. The later watchman had come, put on his detector, examined the water gauge, looked into the fire room, went to the engine door to lock it. and. looking out, discovered the fire and immediately gave the alarm. Engineer YY. A. Potter was the first at the mill and W. II. Norris was there soon after. Potter started the pump and Norris rushed to the fourth floor to turn on the water, but was driven back by the smoke. F. ( '. BoyntOD made a similar attempt, but failed in the same manner. The fire engine was soon on hand and throwing water, but the flames had obtained such a headway that the elevator and warehouses, with the Bluff mill, were soon destroyed with the contents. The firemen succeeded in saving the saw mill by wetting it down. The fire raged fully five hours before it was under control. The total loss was estimated at rflO.OOO. The total insurance was $173,000. An account of the more recent fires in Red Wing will be found in the history of the city of Red Wing, which appears in this volume.