Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-23
INQUEST CONCLUDED
ON VICTIMS OF MINNEAPOLfS DIS.
ASTER,
The COrOner's Jury Find That Eighteen
Lives Were Lost--The Disaster Caused by
Fire Produced by Spark from One of
the Stones--Nobody to Blame.

The coroner's jury reassembled at the coun-
Gil chamber, City Hall building, at o'clock
last evening, for the purpose of rendering a
verdict in regard to the cause of the terrible
disaster In Minneapolis, on the evening of Nav
"a, whereby the largest Touring mills in the
city were demolished and eighteen lives lost
The session was secret one. not even the
members of the press being admitted. After
two hours session the jury agreed upon a
verdict which was as follows:
State of Minnesota, County of Hennepin-ss
An inquisition taken at Minneapolis, in the
county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota.
began on the 9Th day of May, 1878, and con-
tinued from day to day, by regular adjourn
ment, till this ed day of May, 1878, before p.
Nelson, coroner of said county of Hennepin.
Upon view of the bodies of certain persons
then lying dead, and the probable death of
other persons whose bodies have not been re-
covered or, If recovered, not recognized: all of
whose names, with the established facts as to
their death, are herein below set forth by the
oath of the jurors, whose names are hereunto
subscribed, who being sworn to inquire on be-
half of the State of Minnesota, when how, and
by what means the said persons came to their
death, upon their oaths do say:
First-That on the second day of May, 1878,
it is believed that Ernest H. Grundman,
William Leslie, August Smith, Ole P. Sbei'
Patrick Judd, Walter Savage, Charles Henniue.
Frederick Merrill, Edward Merrill, Clark WILDER.
Henry Hicks, Charles Kimball, Cyrus Ewing
and George A. Burbank, at about seven OF clock
in the evening of that day were engaged
at work in the Touring mill at said
Minneapolis, known Washburn mill ga"
and were all killed by the fire and explosion
which took place in said mill at said time: that
at the same time John Boyer was killed in the
Diamond mill, Peter Hogberg in the Humboldt
mill, and Peter Rossenius in the Zenith mill,
by the fire explosions in the said several mills
the same being located adjacent to the
said Washburn big mill; also that Jacob V.
Rhodes was at the same time and near the same
place killed either by the flames or the falling
walls from said mills; that up to the present
time the bodies or fragments of the bodies of
Judd, Grundman, Leslie, Shei, Kimball, Ew-
ing Hogberg, Boyer and Rossenius and no
more have been recovered SO far as to be iden-
titled.
Second-In the light of the very full and
minute evidence submitted to the jury, includ-
ing the testimony of eye witnesses to the dis
aster testimony, also, as to the structure his
tory and management of all the mills destroyed
and evidence, moreover, furnished by the ap-
pearance of the ruins after the fire, visited by
the jurors in person, aided. too, by the opinion
OF very competent experts who were first
put into possession of all discoverable facts
bearing upon the case, the jurors unanimously
believe: That the fire had its origin in soma
easterly side of the Washburn ''A' mill, by
sparks of fire generated between the stones,
caused, either by the stones running empty or
by some foreign substance like iron:
that after smouldering for several
minutes about the stones, the fire burnt into
blaze which ignited the flour dust in the con-
veyors and dust room, causing both to explode,
this explosion jarring the dust of the whole
mill into the air, which ignited,
and then followed the first ex-
plosion of the Washburn ''A'' mill;
that the flames from this explosion and by the
wind, were in a flash carried into the open win
dows and dust spouts of the Diamond mill
which stood cornerlng only twenty-five feet dis
tant, and then set fire first to the -four dust
which already filed the air from IT,
shock of the Washburn mill explosion.
Then followed the explosion of the Diamond
mill. Immediately after from the same cause
and by the same method, the explosion of the
Diamond set fire and exploded the Humboldt
| which stood broadside twenty-five feet dis
tant. The three mills upon the river side of
the canal though set on fire and burned by the
flames from the Washburn mill seem to have
themselves escaped explosion on account
of the fifty feet of open space between them
and the Washburn mill, aided by strong wind
and no doubt further, the two larger mills not
being run for several days. and being especially
| clean.
Third-That at the time of the fire and ex-
!
evidence showing that the mill was being run
in an unusual manner in any respect
no greater speed than usual, no greater proper.
ton of middlings being ground than usual, and
no more dust in the mill than usual, and the
same men in charge and at their respective
posts usual, SO that it is not possibls to fix
upon any one blame for special neglect or care
lessness that occasion. Whether such a
degree Of watchfulness is possible, or should
be required on the part of millers, SO that the
running stones should never emit sparks Of
fire. the jurors do not attempt to decide. 1t il
plain, however, that the open purifiers in gen
eral use in the Washburn mill, as well as tn,
Diamond and Humboldt mills caused need
less amount of -four dust to settle Throughout
the mills, stored ready for explosion wher
the necessary shock should send it floating il
the air. We therefore advise the disuse O
the open purifiers.
Fourth-In conclusion, earnest attention O
all persons interested in -four milling is invited
to the observations and suggestions of Pro
fessors l.. W. Peck and S. F. Peckham, of tn
State University Of Minnesota made in thei
testimony, as experts, in their investiga
ton to the principles and bette
methods involved in the safe construction ant
management of mills.
lSigned, ]. C. WHITNEY, Foreman,
s. C. GALE,
n1rre d.,