St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-05
on THE SEVENTH FLOOR.
Charles ALI Williams Describes
the Escape and Death of the
Men,

the Escape ana Death OF the
Men.
Charles Alf Williams. managing ed
ltOr of the Tribune, with bandageS still
covering his wounds, testified that he
was in the building when the fire was
discovered. He said: About 10 o'clock
/ was in my room in the north end of
the building on the seventh floor. An
alarm of fire was given by some one in
the hallway. Mr.. Blethen was in my
room at the time. and went down stairs
to make an investigation, and number
Of printers and other persons followed
him down. l did not think there was
any danger, and I continued work at
my desk. Later my brother from the
composing room came in and told me
they had called time in the composing
room, and there was no use sending in
any more copy. He returned to his
room, and John Leonard, the telegraph
editor; George Cairn. the night editor;
William Gore, the proof reader, and the
North American telegraph editor
started down stairs. Mr.. Wells joined
them in the lobby IN front of my room.
As they entered the hall Mr.. Cairn
said if it WAS getting dangerous
he would come back and let
L
work perhaps a minute longer, and
went into the local room which adjoins
mine, and saw MIR. Millman putting on
his hat and coat. That reminded me
that he had not received his salary. |
went to my desk, got his envelope and
gave it to him, saying that he would
probably need it. | said this In Joking
manner, and he laughingly put it in his
pocket. He then put on his heavy
fur OvercOat and cap. and started down
stairs. Mr.. Jermaine, who was in the
local room, followed me into the lobby
and made sOmeiremark'abOut not having
had time to see whether there was
fire OF not. He and two other men, /
think Mr.. Miles and Mr.. 1gOe, went out
into the hall and looked over the stair
way. Just then party of men turned
up the stairs. and JeTmaine called out
that the fire was cutting US off from the
elevator. The smoke was rapidly fill
ing the hallway, and the party who
came up the stairs, headed by William
Milne, all entered my room. passing me
as l stood in the dOOl, with the eXcep-
ton of one man, whom | now know to
have been Elmer Jenkinson. He
crossed the hall and went into
the washrOOm. l called out that
if there was any one else
there they had better come into my
room. Nobody answered. | went into
NV room and the swinging door of the
lobby swung shut, forming a temporary
barrier from smoke. My room was
filled with men-abOut fifteen or
twenty. l went to the window and saw
that the flames were coming out of
some of the lower windows and wrap
ping around the fire escape. While we
were talking great gust of hot air
swept into the room from the local
room. and l told the men to hurry and
get out or we would all be lost. Mr..
Jermaine SWING himself out on the
fire escape. and l told the others to
follow as fast as possible and then |
fastened the door. Some of the men
hesitated about getting out on the fire
escape, and | urged them to be as quick
as possible, saying that if we didn't get
out that way we wouldn't get out at all.
The room was uncOmfortably hot. saw
the transom over the door wasopen and
[ closed it. l took off my office coat
and put on my street clothes. Two gas
tets were burning in the room, which L
turned out, and the room was perfectly
dark. l tried to find my hat, but
couldn't, the only light in the room
being the reflection of the fire. All
but two men had gone down,
and l hurried them out. While
Rt the window / heard
noise at the door and some one cried
out to open it. l ran to the door and
opened it, and two men rushed in. One
of them tripped over a rug at the door
and fell down. When l opened the
door stream of hot air came into the
room and scOrched my nose. The man
who fell in the doorway didn't seem to
be able TO get up. l caught him by the
arm and his shirt tore. l grabbed him
around the body, set him on his feet and
told him to get out as fast as he could,
and slammed the door shut. The hot
an broke the glass in the door and Twas
almost suffocated by the hot air and
smoke as / ran to the window. The
first man that came in of these two had