The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-12-05

four at least, and possibly more, lives. At
IL o'clock, one hour later, two bodies were
identified as Milton Pickett, assistant city
editor of the PIONEER Press, and DR.. Ed
ward Olson, president of the Dakota uni
versity, and a prominent Scandinavian.
Other lives were reported lost, some six in
all, but the reports were very conflicting,
and can only be verified later.
The fire began in the rooms of the state
league of Republican clubs on the north
west corner ofthe third floor, directly up
against the only fire escape the eight-story
building had. 1t was discovered by
the elevator boy, who gave an alarm upon
room and the reportorial Offices are stu
ated.
NOT ALARMED IN TIME.
Not much attention was paid to it at first,
and the flames burned slowly in among the
pamphlets, while a number of printers and
others ran about the Railways and rooms
searching for water. A. ]. Blethen, the pro-
prieter of the Tribune, was one of the first
upon the ground. with his associate, DIR.
Albert Shaw. The latter, in common
with the others, did not consider
the situation dangerous, and so quietly
went back to his work upstairs. Before he
had set foot across the threshold of his
office the flames had shot out of the door in
the hallway and were fast making the place
a veritable fiery furnace. Joseph ManniX,
police reporter of the PIONEER PRESS. had
been trying to crush out the fire by means
of table. That proved useless and three
hand grenades i'll the elevator were next
used. They fell with hollow, sickening
sound upon the floor, but did not break.
Then the little crowd and all those who
could on the floors above fled for their lives
down the little elevator. There were still
left in the composing room some twenty or
twenty-five cOmpOsitOrs, who were entirely
unable to get out. All they could do was
to rush to the end of the building farthest
from the flames and from there out onto
the roof In
THE PIONEER PRESS EDITORIAL ROOMS
on the sixth floor were City Editor H. c.
Chaplin, Assistant City Editor Milton Pick
EFT and Reporters s. P. jones and E. B.
Barnes. The last named had been down
stairs watching the fire and, appreciating
the danger ran back to give the alarm to
his associates. Here, by request of the Pro
NEER PRESS, Mr.. Barnes will give the situa-
ton as he and his associates faced it:
''When ran into the office and shouted to
the boys to get out as fast as they could, for
they were in danger OF losing their lives,
thev would not believe me. 'Oh, pshaw!
said Chaplin. The fire will all be out in q
few minutes Just then gust of fright
fully hot aiF shot into the DOM, and we
made for the windows. we all got out
upon the ledge of the roof, Pickett with us:
The flames were then coming out of the
corner of the editorial rooms at the north
west, and we stood seven stories above the
immense crowd on the street almost par
alyzed with fear. Before we were conscious
of it Pickett had slipped back into the
room. turned round and said Where's
Pickett?' The room was then like perfect
hell-fr and it would have been instant
death to have gone into it. Chaplin replied
He must have gone back This is what
he probably did,
PICKETTS HORRIBLE FATE,
Terrified with fright he thought riskine
his life in the flames was not as bad as risk
ing it from a sixth story window. My the
ory is that he rushed through the flames W
into the composing room, and there wa:
one of the number who met their death by
falling to the ground below or being suffo
Gated. When l saw his body stretched on
on the floor of the drug store later there die
not appear to be drop of blood upon hi
face His hair and beard were singed, ant
only slightly at that. The expression OF
his face was as one who had met his deatl
by suffocation. Poor fellow! | hop
his soul has found a resting plac
at last After Pickett had lef
WE STOOD UPON THE LEDGE
of the building, and shouted ourselve
hoarse for the fire escape to be sent up t.
us. 1t seemed an hour to me before the,
raised the long, gladstone ladder. Evel
then it was doubtful ifit would reach us
We thought of taking to the telegraph wire
that ran from the building to the poles be
| low. Finally we saw the ladder comm
higher and higher, and we fairly ran alOn
| the ledge to the other side of the buildin
! to meet it. The poor COmpositor
in the story above were unable +
reach the ladder, and for at least ten min
utes, perhaps fifteen, their appeals for hel
were the most pitiful have ever heard
They crowded to the windows and yelle
! like crazy men, the vast crowd below ther
| at times as silent at if not breathing, an
again shouting encouraging words. AS tn
ladder went higher inch by inch the CROW
fairly shrieked with delight, Finally
touched the southwest corner
the seventh floor, and the happ
printers ran down its blessed rung
Some of the more venturesome and le'
patient ones slid down the telegraph wire
before the ladder reached the floor an
were badly bruised.
HORRIBLE AND sIcKENINa.
"Fhon oGcRrred most horrible sight. Th
firemen, in order to protect their ladder, n
doubt, and thinking that everybody ha
been rescued, pulled it away and lowere
it. Just then the crowd in IL
street gave a shout that sent tt
blood whirling quickly through every one
veins. Fhere was man left still in the to
floor. His face showed itself at the til
window on the First avenue side of Il
street He crawled out of the window, an,
losing either his hold upon the ledge {
his senses, he fell headlong the groun,
meeting instant death, The sight Was
sickening one, and powerful, strong-minde
men turned their heads away, Strong arm
carried the lifeless body away from Il
building. This scene was repeated at II
rear of the building where it was said Pre-
Olson and some of the others met the
death. The firemen fought the fire nobl
working like true-hearted soldiers. The
lyesYeFe IN constant danger from the fallir
walis.a ''' -.
INTERRUPTED FOR THE LAST TIME.
At the time the fire broke ont the FribHI
people were busily engaged In getting ol
tnei: large Sunday edition, and the PIoNEI
PRESS had Just sent their next to the la
package on the 10 o'clock Milwauk
Short Line tfain t0 gt. Paul. An hour lat
most of the compositoFs would have bet
out of the building eating their midRigl
lunch and loss of life would probably n
have occurred; at least it would n
haye been SO disastrous. Mr. Blethe
the proprietor Rf the Tribune, hi
the presence of mind to give an immsdia
alarm to the FIRE department, while u
others foolishly thought they could e