Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-02
The Minneapolis Tribune Buildin
Proves Horrible Death Tran,

"A NEWSPAPER HOLOCAUST.
The Minneapolis Tribune Building
Proves u Horrible Death Trap.
The Minneapolis tribune building, which
was once supposed to be fire proof, has fur
nlshed the worst holocaust Of the year in this
country. Fire broke out in the third story
soon after 10 pm. Saturday night and before
the alarm could be given fifty printers on the
floor above were in a death trap from which
there was almost no escape. There was but
one fire escape and it was at the end of the
building where the fire ragged fercest. The
single stairway was spiral, narrow and dark and
wound around the elevator shaft. The men
treated the alarm, when it came, as a joke or
more lives might have been saved. No danger
or serious results were thought Of when the
men started out, many of them iokinely
speaking OF 1t as false alarm. This feeling
OF safety resulted in the death of number
and the narrow escape of others. For
some time the Union league club room,
where the nre started. has not been used, and
the fires origin is a mystery. This room is
close to the elevator shaft and in the attempts
to put out the flames a window was broken
open. bringing in draft of fresh air. The
flames then shot across the hall and up the
elevator shaft in a moment and cut off the es-
cape of those who had delayed. few broke
through the sitting smoke and scorching fame
but others sought escape elsewhere. Being at
the south end of the building while the only
fire escape was at the north end the printers
found their way to the stairs as well as down
them cut OFF. number of them climbed out
the windows and chung to the window lodges,
waiting for the help which in many cases came
too late. Their piteous cries for help directed
the firemen to them and u number were saved.
Others fell off their narrow resting place or
drnnnAH hn FOL nd tn1a
wires, over which they had tried to escape, to
their deaths on the frozen ground below.
THE CASUALTIES.
The last man of the Tribune editorial staff to
leave the building was Charles Alfred Williams,
the managing editor, and, although himself
badly burned about the head and hands he
gave the following statement of how each of
those above reported met with his death, hav-
ing been an eyewitness of the deaths of all but
one. Miles and Millman, together with a num-
Der OF printers, started down the fire escape.
blast of hot smoke and flames struck Miilman
as he was starting, and he lost his hold and in
falling knocked Miles OF, both falling from
the seventh floor to the ground, and at the
sixth floor knocking off Pickett and Prof o.
sen, who had reached the fire escape from
that floor. The four men in falling struck
against the lowest platform and bounded
away from the building and were dead when
they struck the ground. When Williams star ted
down the ladder the fire was burning his hair
and neck and he narrowly escaped the fate of
those who had preceded him. the heat and
smoke being overpowering. The printers on
the ladder escaped with slight burns. ISos and
Jenkinson sought to escape by the wires, but
had been weakened by the smoke and flames so
that both soon fell off, striking on the roof of
the Tribune boiler room, Jenkinson being dead
when picked up. McCutcheon jumped from
the window ledge for the extension ladder but
his hands slipped and he fell to the pavement.
A net had been stretched to catch him. but he
was too heavy for it and, striking the ground,
was so seriously injured he died soon after
THE DEAD.
Seven bodies were found around the build
ing Saturday night, all Of whom have been
identified. They were Milton Pickett, assistant
city editor of the Pioneer Press: Jas. F. Igoe,
Associated Press night operator; Walter E.
Miles, night agent and day operator of the
Associated Press; Edward Olsen, president of
the University OF South Dakota at Vermillion;
W. Ii. Millman, commercial editor of the
Tribune; Jerry Jenkinson and Robert McCut-
cheon, both printens. Picket, Igoe, Miles and
McCutcheon were married men and Jenknson
was to have been married in a short time.
Millman lost his wife by asphyxiation a couple
OF weeks ago and had just resumed work.
SHOT THEMSELVES.
Other bodies are known to be in the build
ing, but just how many is uncertain. Two
men, VINO cOulQ not De lQentl1ed, shot them
selves rather than be burned to death, and to
day the body of a man caught IN the ruins was
III plain sight of the crowd on 4th street. 1t is
believed that the number of victims will reach
twenty and perhaps twenty-five. bu until the
debris cools off positive information as to the
loss cannot be obtained. The fire department.
withdrew from the ruins tonight, and the
search for bodies will bel gin just soon as it is
considered safe.
The elevator man, who made three trips after
the fire had broken out, says he saw a man
come out from an Office and try to escape, but
before he could reach him a sheet of ia mes
struck the man, and at the same time he pulled
a revolver and shot himself
Minneapolis typographical union, No. AZ, met
yesterday afternoon and condemned the owners
OF the building.
THE LOSSES.
The loss on the building and contents is
$500, 900, with about $780, 900 insurance. The
Tribune building was eight stories high. 1t
was constructed Of pressed brick, with stone
trimmings. Its front on 4th street was 200 feet
and its depth was about rs feet on LIST avenue.
1t was pastered on wire laths and was reputed
to be fire proof.
Mr.. Olsen was formerly professor in Chi
cago university and was scholar Of promi-
hence in the west. He was leader in the
Chautauqua lake assemblies.
At Belair, Md. W. Scott standiford was on
Co..