Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-02-01

stairs the flames burst up through the new
elevator shaft from the basement. Nothing
had occurred indicating the explosion up to
that moment. The flames rushed up the
shaft like flash of lightning and almost as
quickly up the stairway in terrible torrent OF
fire with dense black smoke, which almost in
stantly cut off all possibility of egress. Pass
| ing back through the building calling the
alarm, came out on the Park Row side. The
engine room adjoins the elevator shaft and
the fire must have begun there, and gained its
| impetus before any alarm was given. fear
that the rapldity with which the flames and
smoke filled the narrow stairways cut OH the
escape for any occupants in the upper stories.
BRAvING DEATH.
An old gentleman with white hair got out
of the fourth story window on the Beekman
street side. He stood on the sill fully five
minutes, holding on to the window-top piece
with his hands, The flames were approaching
him, but he saw no chance of escape. The
f1remen raised ladder, but it only reached the
story below him. A crowd in the street got a
tarpaulin and score of willing hands braved
the danger of the falling debris and cinders,
and shout went up, plainly heard by the old
/
Well save you!' But he looked at the sixty
feet distance below HIM and could not muster
up courage enough to make the attempt. He
turned forward, facing the street, and with
| his hands behind him, stood like statue,
| Drawing death. Meanwhile two brave men
got short ladder, went up the long fire lad
der and held it up to him and steadied 1t while
he slowly climbed down. just as he reached
the long ladder the flames burst through the
window where he had stood, but he reached
the sidewalk in safety, amid the cheers of the
crowd.
SOME OF THE SUFFERERS.
Among the occupants of the burned build
ings were the Scientific American, the Scottish
American Journal, the Turf, Field and Farm,
Thompson's Bank Note and Commercial Re-
porter. Also, the following advertising
agents: Pettingill & Co., John F. Phillips &
Co., Chas. Meyer & Co. j. Walter Thompson,
Nicholas Marechessi, A. r. Thompson, Levi
A Desbrow, and Leander Fl. Croll. The top
floors of the burned buildings were occupied
by various manufacturers, and by weekly
newspapers which employed women as COM
positors. A woman and two men are said to
have been seen at the window on Nassau
street, and then to disappear in the flames.
man who gained the roof and escaped by
way vi LtHtcS oeANuiuS ohOopSu w tAio ~
curers that other human beings were perish
ing there. Three men appeared in the fourth
story window, imploring aid with outstretched
arms None was possible from without, but
quick witted negro, a boot black in Park
Row, named Chas. Wright, climbed the large
telegraph pole in front of the Evening Mail
office, and cut the wires, enabling the men to
slide down them and escape.
STORY OF ONE OF THE RESCUED.
Carlos White, of the Pacific Newspaper
Publishing company, had an office on the
fourth floor of the burned building. He said
you can see have been pretty close to the
flames, as my hair, beard and eyebrows are
slnged, but only found that out after my es-
cape from the building. The fire was not
altogether surprise to me. In fact an hour
or two before it broke out spoke to workmen
engaged in the building, and told them some
thing of the sort was about to happen There
was something wrong with the heating
apparatus, l fancy, although i can't
say just what it was, at all events
the walls about the closets were SO hot there
was evidently danger of some kind. put
nv hand upon them and Immediately directed
the workmen's attention to the fact. They
were getting hotter and hotter "We are 60
ing to have fire here" said I, but they treated
the matter very lightly, merely saying that 1t
flames did break out they ragged with extra
ordinary fury. They leaped from the bottom
to the top of the building like a flash and
rolled upward in great sheets.
Another occupant said: 81 was in the Office
this morning, when 1 smelled smoke. went
out into the hallway and saw heavy volume
of smoke coming up the hoistwaY. l went
l. IT,. IL f3oa osl TO- ho
were in the Office, the building is on fire and
you had better get out" Justas quick as pos
sible grabbed my hat and overcoat and ran
out into the hall and then the flames were
raising up the elevator shaft and also up the
we'll hole in the center of the building. ran
down the stairway on the Park Row side of
the building, for the flames were all about the
and it was impossible to escape
in that way. I am certain was the last man
down stairs for turned about as I reached the
doorway and looked up stairs and the whole in
terror of the building was apparently in
flames. The two men whom left in the office
were named Steel and Brown and have not
seen either of them or heard from them since. l
escaped from the building: am almost GER
tain they persisted for had to hold my breath
as ran through the flames. AS came out
of the door of my office I heard
SCREAMS AND CRIES OF TERROR
on the upper floors as I ran along the hallway
and fully believe len or twelve women and
girls were caught on the fourth floor and were
unable to escape. l never saw fire spread so
quickly. There were probably 400 or 500 peo-
pie in the building when the fire broke out.
Three men appeared on window sill, but while
ladder was being put in position one man
dropped in the hope of catching it and, miss
ing his aim, fell to the street. His head struck
the curbstone and he was fatally injured.
With the aid of desk and score of stalwart
arms the ladder was placed directly under the
feet of one man. He was young mau and
nearer the flames than the others but with
display of bravery that called forth cheers of
the hundreds who saw the act, he stretched
out his hands to the older men and helped
him to ascend first. As the older man reached
the sidewalk his appearance was greeted by
cheers. His name was A, M. Stewart, editor
and proprietor of the Scottish American Jour-
nal. Then the ladder was shifted and the head
of the Office descended. His name was Ed
ward More, composition in the Scottish
American Journal. The fire burned through
into the Times building but did not damage
the editorial rooms. The composing room
was flooded with water and two large holes
made in the walls and ceilings by the firemen.
Some offices south of the Times editorial
room on the floor above and below were so
hot that offices in the Park Row side were
closed and the heavy iron shutters fastened.
Among the repOrted missing and who are