The Saint Paul Globe – December 4, 1889

Pillsbury Hall Badly Damaged by Fire Last Evening,

But Quick Work by Chief Stetson’s Men Prevents Total Destruction

Many Specimens in the Zoological Department Cannot Be Replaced

Scarcity of Fire Hydrants Handicaps the Firemen to Some Extent

The handsome structure on the university campus, East Minneapolis, known as Pillsbury hall, for the completion of which ex-Gov. Pillsbury gave $10,000, was badly damaged by fire last night, which occurred from some unknown cause about 10 o’clock. Janitor Kingsley discovered a blaze in the windows of the basement and hurriedly informed Officer Tollefson, who sent an alarm from the box at the corner of Fourth street and Fourth avenues southeast. When the firemen arrived the flames were bursting out the windows of the basement and first floor in the center of the building over the engine room, and Chief Stetson immediately caused a second alarm to be sent out, calling additional apparatus to the scene. The entire building was filled with 

A DENSE SMOKE,

which greatly retarded the work of the firemen. They were also handicapped by the scarcity of fire hydrants in the vicinity of the building, but they made a gallant fight and prevented the total destruction of the hall. The fire apparently started in the subbasement under the engine room, and burned its way through a pile of lumber which had been stored there temporarily for Prof. Hall’s geology class room on the second floor. The firemen succeeded in checking its course in this room after the floor had burned away and the furniture of the room had been destroyed. Fortunately Prof. Hall had almost all of the valuable instruments in his department removed to another part of the building yesterday, and although they are

BADLY DISCOLORED

by smoke and heat. most of them will be saved. The geological museum was separated from the classroom by a wide hallway, but the heat was so great that the glass in the transom was broken out. Some of the specimens were badly damaged, and the cases will all have to be finished. Prof. Hall says that most of his specimens which are ruined can be replaced, and he thinks that the loss to his department on specimens will not exceed $500, although an examination may show it to be more. Every room in the building was badly damaged by smoke. All the furniture in the different class rooms and libraries will have to be refinished. On the upper floors were situated the botanical and zoological museums, where the loss is the heaviest. The zoological museum contained many rare and costly specimens and was one of the most complete of its kind in the country. Many of the specimens which have been ruined by the heat and smoke can not be replaced, as their

SPECIES ARE NOW EXTINCT

and the loss cannot be computed in dollars and cents. Prof. Nachtrieb, who has charge of the museum, said that almost all of the specimens had been ruined by the heat and smoke. In the museum was a magnificent specimen of an albino buffalo, which the smoke had practically ruined. This specimen alone was worth thousands of dollars. Many rare birds of beautiful plumage were in the room, but their feathers were blackened so that it would take more than extraordinary skill to restore them to their former colors. In the botanical department the same state of affairs exists. Everything is blackened by smoke. Many of the specimens and instruments used in Prof. Nachtrieb’s department, however, had not arrived from Europe, although they were daily expected. The

DELICATE INSTRUMENTS

 n the chemical and physical laboratories were more or less affected by the heat and smoke, but the professors could form no estimate of the damage before daylight. The reference books in private studios occupied by members of the faculty were all badly damaged by smoke, but the loss in this direction will not prove to be serious, the most damage being done in the museums. The cause of the fire is a mystery, as there was no fire in the building when the janitor closed it early in the evening. The heating apparatus had not been completed yesterday. Lumbers were at work in the sub-basement, where the fire started. It is supposed that the men went off and left a candle burning in the place. Prof. Winship estimates the loss on the building at $6,000, but he said he could not make an estimate of the loss on the specimens, but he was afraid it would be heavy. The specimens had lately been removed from the old hall into Pillsbury hall. In the old hall they were insured, but no one knew whether the policies had been transferred or not. The loss on the building is covered by insurance.