Huntsville gazette., 1889-12-07
HORRIBLE.
Burning of the Minneapolis Tribune
Newspaper Office.
Fearful Loss OF Life Owing to the Jnefn
cheney of Fire Escapes-Terrible Scenes
Attending the Confiagration-
The Victims.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Dec. AT
1870 Saturday night a fire alarm was
sounded and soon it was aScertalned
that the Tribune building was on fire.
In short time the flames were burst
ing through the roof and windows of
the upper stories. The seventh story
was the composing room of the Trib-
une, and the terrible report spread that
all escape was cut off and that those i'll
the Tribune's composing room were
doomed. The fire department was
soon on the ground, but was powerless
to stay the fiery demon.
Now came such a scene as it is hoped
may never be witnessed in this city
again. The windows of the upper
stories were crowded with terror
stricken faces. Shrieks of agony and
piteous cries for help filled the air. The
thousands of spectators could only
wiring their hands and turn away
from the piteous sight. The fire.
men worked like wild men, but
the longest ladders hardly reached to
the fifth story, but these aided in
saving many. Two men were seen to
climb out on the telephone wires from
the seventh story. Scorched with heat,
| they soon dropped, and were picked up
crushed out of all semblance of human
ity. Three others threw themselves
from the windows and were picked up
lifeless. One jumped from the seventh
story on First avenue and was crushed
to pulp.
The plan of the building was such as
to make it well nigh impossible for any
one who delayed after the alarm had
! been given to make their escape from
the building. AS there were not less
than 100 men at work in the upper
stories at the time the fire broke out,
and the warning was late as we'll as the
means of egress limited, some loss of
life was certainty.
The building has been considered
dangerous for some time, its loose con-
struction permitting the heavy machin-
cry to jar the whole building. There
was but one fire escape, and that was
at the end of the building where the
fire ragged fiercest. The single stairway
was spiral, narrow and dark, and
wound around the elevator shaft.
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 ele-
vator shaft, and in the attempts to put
out the flames window was broken
open, bringing in draft of fresh air.
| The flames then shot across the hall
and up the elevator shaft in moment,
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 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 off.
A number climbed out the window and
waited for help, which in several cases
came too late. Their piteous cries for
help directed the firemen to them and
a number were saved. Others fell off
their narrow resting places and dropped
from the telegraph and telephone wires,
over which they had tried to escape, to
I their deaths, on the frozen ground
below.
Seven bodies were found around the
building, all of which were identified.
They were: Milton Pickett, assistant
city editor of the Pioneer Press; James
F. Igoe, Associated Press opel ator;
Walter E. Miles, night agent and day
operator of the Associated Press; Ed
ward Olsen, president of the Univer-
sity of South Dakota, at Vermillion;
w. III. Millman, commercial editor of
the Tribune; Jerry Jenkinson, printer;
Robert McCutcheon, printer.
Other bodies are known to be in the
building, but just how many is unceT-
tain. Two men, who could not be
identified, shot themselves rather than
be burned to death, and the body
of man caught in the ruins is in plain
sight of the crowd on Fourth street.
1t is believed that the number of vic
Tins will reach twenty and perhaps
twenty-five, but until the debris
cools off positive information as
to the loss can not be obtained.
AS far as learned the injured are:
William Lawn. printer, burned on the
hands and face; E. G. Andrews, printer,
burned on the hands and face; George
E. Worden, printer, burned on
| hands and face; Frank Ger
Der, a deaf printer, hurt about
head by falling; Charles Alf Villa ms
managing editor of the Tribune, badly
| burned about head and face; w. HI
Williams, foreman of the composing
room, badly burned about the face and
hands; S. II. Jones, Pioneer Press re-
porter, hands and face slightly burned
Frank Hoover, printer, burned about
the neck.
The total loss is about $780,,
600. The Tribune's loss is placed
at $50, 900, with $4,000 insurance; the
Journals loss is $4,000, and it is hal
insured. The Tribune job office lost
s6O, 900, on which there was about s25,
600 insurance. Other minor losse.
make the aggregate as stated, and The
insurance foots up S150.000.