Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-02
The Tribune" Building Condem1 &c
Three Years Ago-List of the Dead.

IfiOule DuiIu1DR, IN winch, uDtli to day
has been printed three daily and a weekly
newspaper, and where was located num-
Der of offices.
All day constantly changing and ever
increasing crowd of sight-seers thronged
the streets, watching the efforts of the fire.
men to subdue entirely the flames which
they brought under control about o'clock
this morning.
The building has been considered dan
gerous for some time, its loose construction
permitting the heavy machinery to jar the
whole building. There wes
But ONE FIRE.sJAPE,
And it was at the end of the building
where the fire ragged the fiercest The sin
gle stairway was spiral, narrow and dark,
and wound around the elevator shaft.
Three years ago the inadequate fire pro-
lection of the building was considerably
agitated, the matter being taken up by the
Trades and Labor Assembly and carried
finally to the city officials, an attempt being
made to have the building properly pro-
tectsd or condemned, but nothing came
Of it.
For some time the Union Lesgue Club
room, where the fire started, has not been
used, and the origin is a mystery. The
room is
CLOSE TO THE ELEVATOR SHAFT,
And the breaking of window in efforts to
extinguish the flames gave draft which
quickly carried the fire to the elevator and
cut off the escape of those who had DELAYED.
A few broke through the sitting smoke
and scorching flames, but Others sought
escape elsewhere.
Being at the south enc of the building
and the solitary fire escape at the north
fl.a,
Of them climbed out of the windows and
clung to the ledges waiting for help, which
in several cases came too late.
Their piteous cries attracted the atten-
ton OF the firemen and a number of them
were saved, while others fell off the ledges
or dropped from the telegraph and tele-
phone wires by the means of which they
tried to escape.
The sight of the sufferings Of the burn
ing and struggling men brought tears to
the eyes of the bravest.
A PATHETIC INCIDENT.
One of the most pathetic incidents was
the attempt Of James Ig0e to escape. He
had got clear of the building and was grad
ually working his way along the wires to
safety, while the crowd below anxiouslv
watched his brave attempt to save his wife
and four little ones their bread winner, but
his strength failed, and a groan went up
from the crowd below as he was seen to
slip and fall to the roof OF the boiler-house,
receiving fatal injuries.
He was lifted gently and started to a
drug store, but died in g few moments,
breathing lssi word of loving care for his
family.
RECOVERY OF BODIES.
Seven bodies were fonnd last night. all
e IL. NJ
Milton Pickett, Assistant City Editor of
James F. Igoe, Assoc ociated Press operator
Walter E. Miles, night agent of the Asso-
ciated Press
Professor Olsen, President of the South
Dakota University.
". q. Milman, commercial editor Of the
Tribune
Jerry Jenkinson. compositor.
Robert McCutcheOn, cJmpositor.
Other bodies are known 10 he in the
building, but how many is unknown.
Two men, who could not be identified.
were seen to shoot themselves before the
flames reached them, and to-day the body
of man caught in the ruins is in plain
view from Fourth street
THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS.
is believed the member of victims will
reach twenty and perhaps twenty-five, but
until the debris cOols off positive informG-
ton cannot be obtained
The last man of the Tribune editorial staff
to leave the building was managing editor
Williams. He was badly burned about the
head and hands Mr. Williams gives the
following statement of how several of those
named lost their lives
Mile s and Milman, together with q
number OF printers, started down the fire
escape. blast of
HOT SMOKE AND FLAMES
Struck Milman. and he lost his hold and
fell, knocking Miles off, when both fell to
the sixth floor, where they struck and
knocked off Pickett and Professor Olson.
The four men in falling struck against the
lowest platform of the escape and bounded
away from the building, and were dead
when they struck the ground
When Williams started down the ladder
the fire was
BURNING HIS HAIR AND HANDS,
And he narrowly escaped the fate of those
who preceded him.
The printers on the ladder escaped with
slight burns.
Igoe and Jenkinson sought to escape by
the wires. McCutcheon jumped from the
window ledge for an extension ladder, but
his hands slipped and he fell to the pave
mont.
A net was stretched to catch him, but ne
was too heavy for it. aud striking the
ground, be was fatally injured.
So far as learned, ni"e of those on the
building were quite seriously burned or
bruised in escaping, but it is not thought
their injuries are dangerous.
THE OWNERS OF THE BUILDING REFUSED TO
PROVIDE FIRE ESCAPES.
MINNEAPoLIs, December 1st-Minneap
oils Typographical Union, No. AZ met this
afternoon and adopted resolutions stating
that the records of the Tribune and Journal
chepels showed that committees had been
repeatedly appointed to confer with A. b.
Nettleton, who at the time had charge of
the building, and begged him to furnish
proper means OF escape il case of fire. This
he refused to do. The case was then taken
up by the Trades and Labor Assembly and
committee of that body labored long and
earnestly with Netileton, but all efforts
failed.
The position in which the only fire es.
cape on The building was plsced rendered
it practically useless. prominent men,
Der of the Fire Department has said he
had been trying for three months to have
an additional fire escape placed on the
building.
"wE MOST SEVERELY CONDEMN THOSE
Whose duty it was TO place a sufficient
number of fire escapesin the Tribune build
ing, and for not so doing in our judgment
this is proper subject for the Coroner to
carefully and fully investigate, and place
the blame where it belongs.
Anton j. Dahl. book binder, was on an
upper floor, and it is believed that be is
among the lost.
The elevator man. who made three trips
after the fire broke out, says he saw man
come from the Office and try 10 escape, but
sheet of flame struck him and the un-
fortunate fellow drew revolver and shot
himself. 1t is thought that this was Dahl.
Chief Stettson of the fire department
lays the blame for the loss of life TO lack
of fire escapes. BE says the department
did all that was possible 20 save lives.
BRAVERY COMMENDED
The elevator man, whose brave at.
tempts TO bring down The occupants from
the upper floors while the elevator shaft
was on FIRE has been generally commended,
says he thinks there were still several