The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-04
A HOLOCAUST OF PRINTERS
DEATH VISITS THE comPosINe-RooM
Many Lives Lost by the burning of the
Minneapolis "Tribune' BuiIding-Jump-
ing From Tenth-StOry Windows
A Sacrifice to Duty.

on the third floor OF the Tribune newspa-
per building in this city and the building
Is totalloss with loss OF life of over half
dozen and possibly ten or more. This
building is a ten-story building at the
corner of First-ave. and Fourth-st. Il is
occupied by the Tribune, the Trjbme-Star
(evening edition of the Tribunel, the
Minneapolis Office OF the Pioneer
Press and the Erening Journal,
besides a large number OF Offices
The Tribune editorial force is on the
seventh floor and their composing rooms
above it. Access to the building is by
way of an elevator around which mar
row and dark stairway wound. At night
this stairway was the only means of in
gress or egress. The building might be
called veritable fre-trap, and the danger
to those located there has been often COM
mented upon.
The fire broke out on the third floor, and
soon the upper stories were cut off from
the street. The building was on the cor
ner, and the only adjoining buildings were
only one story in hight, so that no means
of escape was afforded in that direction.
The flames cut off the escape of the Pioneer
Press force on the sixth floor as
well as the Tribune folks on the
seventh and eighth. Reporter Barnes OF
the Pioneer Press bad a narrow escape from
the building and left behind him Milton
Pickett, the assistant city editor, and one
of the oldest men in the service of the pa
per. Pickett was lost in the burning
building
But the Tribune force suffered
most. They were located higher in the
building. and had less warning of their
danger. John Olsen, the president OF a
Vermillion (Dak.l college, was in the COM
posing rooms at the time the flames broke
out, looking after an advertisement TO be
inserted in the morning paper. He
jumped from one Of the windows to
escape the flames, and met with an even
more horrible death. from shattered
limbs and body.
James F. Igoe, the night operator of the
Associated Press, met with a sad death as
the result of his faithfulness to his en-
pioyers. He was at work on the seventh
floor when the report of the fire was first
received, and Immediately opened his key,
stating the fact to the head office at Chi
cago and asking for a minutes time 10
investigate. SO he returned to his instru-
ment, apparently thinking he was safe,
and told the sending operator to continue.
In a moment he said he would have to
skip" and found too late that escape was
cut of. He jumped from the seventh
story window and was so badly injured
that he died before reaching the hospital.
He leaves a family.
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. -Four smOke-biack-
ened and crumbling walls towering up about
steaming smoking, smouldering mass of
machinery, brick and building debris, is all that
now remains OF the eight-story brick building
at the corner of First-ave., South aud Fourth
sts., in which until to-day had been printed
three daily and one weekly newspapers, and
where was located the Minneapolis Tribune,
besides numerous other offices. All day to-day
a constantly changing and ever-increasing
crowd of sight-seeTs thronged the streets,
watching the efforts Of the 6remen to subdue
entirely the flames which they had brought
under control about o'clock this morning.
was due TO the effective work of the department
that the flames were kept from spreading to
the frame buildings on the adjacent lots The
plan Of the building was such as to make it
well nigh impossible for any who delayed after
the alarm had been given to make his escape
from the building. As there were not less than
one hundred men at work on the upper stories
at the time the FIRE broke out and the warning
was late as well as the means of egress limited,
some loss of life was a certainty. Several times
there have been small fires in the building but
they were quickly extiDguished, so that
although all realized the cOmbustible nature of
the building. warning was less likely to be
needed. The building has been considered
dangerous for some time, its loose construction
permitting the heavy machinery to jar the
whole building There was but one fre-escape,
and il was at the end of the building where the
fire ragged iereest. The single stairway was
spiral, narrow and dark and wound around
the elevator shaft Three years ago the made
quate fire protection of the building was con-
siderably agitated the matter being taken up
by the trades and labor assembly, and carried
finally 70 the the city officials, an attempt he
ing made to have the building properly pro-
teeted or condemned, but nothing came OF it.
Since that time no changes have been made in
the building.
Last night few minutes after 10, when the
alarm was sounded, il was not regarded seri-
ously by the men at work and many of them
started down stairs. No serious results were
thought of when the men started out, many Of
them jokingly speaking of it as a false alarm.
This feeling of safety resulted in the death of
q number and a narrow escape of others.
For some time the Union League club room,
where the fire started, has not been used and
the fires origin is a mystery. This room is
close TO the elevator shaft and in the attempts
20 put out the flames a window was broken
open, bringing in draught OF fresh air. The
flames then shot across the ball, and up
the elevator shaft in a moment and
cut on the escape of those who had
delayed. A few broke through the sitting
smoke and scorching lames but others sought
escape elsewhere. Being at the south end of
the building, while the only fire escape was at
the north, the printers found their way TO the
stairs as well as down them cut of. A number
of them climbed out the windows and chung to
in several cases came too late. Their piteous
cries for help directed the firemen 20 them, and
a number were saved. Others fell off their mar
row resting places and dropped from the tele-
graph and telephone wires, over which they
had tried 10 escape, TO their deaths on the
frozen ground below.
The sight of the suferings of the burning
struggling men brought tears TO the eyes of the
bravest, and women prayed and strong men
breathlessly watched Operator Igoe's brave at
tempt 70 escape. He had got clear OF the
building and was gradually working his way
along the wires to safety, while the silent,
prayerful crowd below anxiously and help
lessly watched bis brave attempt TO save his