St. Paul daily globe., 1889-12-07
NETTLETON SUMS UP.
be Washes His Hands of the Sat.
urday Night Tragedy.

To the Editor OF the Globe.
In bidding adieu to the sOrrowful object
which has so engrossed the attention of this
community since Saturday last, and in view
of the conspicuously unjust manner in which
my own name has been dragged into the de-
bate, it is perhaps not out of place for me
TO add closing word. Amid the mass of
testimony relating to the Tribune building
fire, presented to the cOroner's jury, and the
flood of gossip and romance gathered out
side, the following facts stand as established:
First-The structure was planned by an
architect. and constructed by a building con-
tractor about whose experience and COM
potency there is no question in this com
munity. The fact that it cost Sl64, 90 >, and
that Sl7, ,000 was expended for ire-proOf til
ing alone, shows that there was no intention.
al or conscious skimping of expense in COM
pleting and eauipping the building. The
staircase, we can now see, should have
been of iron.
Second-The property was owned from the
outset by corporari m, and my own interest
in aud control over the company and prop
erty ended more than two years ago. During
my connection with the corporation the
precautions against fire proved adequate for
the purpose, and no trouble occurred. There
my responsibility ceased. What the -precau-
tions have been since l retired do not know,
and / simply decline TO be held to any &C
cOuntability for matters over which had no
shadow of authority.
1nlIQ-ln 1000. lilS OI Iu0 OcCu-
pancv of the building, one committee Of the
labor union conferred with the company as
TO fire escap Shortly thereafter an addi
tional folding ladder escape was put in the
Tribune composing room on the seventh
floor, and in Booths room on the fifth floor.
These remained i'll place from 1885, and
were in position on the night of the fire, but
not used. This additional fire escape has
been found in the ruins below the place
where it was attached to the floors. No other
committee or person, representing tenants or
occupants. ever suggested TO the company
additional fire escape facilities. A thorough
canvass has failed to discover one response
bic person who will say that he ever made
such a suggestion. or that be knows of any
particular person who did so.
The evidence shows that
Fourth-There was abundant time for all
to have escaped in safety, il due attention
had been paid to the repeated warnings given
on the night of the fire.
Fifth-Of the seven casualties, at least
three occurred through persons falling from
the lower portions of the one standing fire
escape, about the good quality of which
there isno dispute. That escape was not hot
at any point (see Williams testimony, and
these fatalities, under such circumstances
raise the question whether any manipulation
of escapes OF the same sort would have saved
the lives in question. II seems improbable
that one falling from the top of this ladder
could kn ock off persons below an d on the in
side of the ladder next the wall, for the fail
ing body would at each story strike on the
iron landing of the escape and thus be either
stopped or DETECTED to one side. 1t could
not fall straight. May it not be that outside
iron stairWays, like those on our school
buildings, should hereafter replace the stand
A. B. NETTLEToE
MINNEAPOLIS. Dec. 6. 1889,