Friday morning at 2 o’clock the gasoline in the city waterworks pump house exploded, sending the majority of the engine and pump house beyond reach of the naked eye, the balance being demolished by fire. M. E. Carson, who was in charge of the pump at the time, was severely burned. It looked at one time as though the water tower would be enveloped in flames, and only for the prompt action taken by the fire department it
would have been burned to the ground. (Jan 2, 1902)
Exploring the Rich History of the Bemidji Area