St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-02
Ieath-trap known as the Tribune bull, :

right hand is nearly all gone. scarcely
any of it except the bone remaining.
There is not spot on it as large as
pin head that has not been touched BY
the fire. His left hand is not quite so
bad, but is still severely burned. His
face and head are almost one complete
blister. The hair was burned from his
head in some plaees.and the skin on his
face was so badly bliStered that it comes
off on being touched. He is being
"arefully tended, however. and will
undOubted be out again in few
weeks, although there is question as
to his ever being able to used his right
hand. TO his coollIeSS and herOiSm art
due IN great measure the escape OF so
many of the printers from the cOmpOs-
ing room. Had he ever lost his head,
had he ever thought of himself, more
than one poor soul would have gone to
meet his Creator i'll addition to those
who were called. Williams was the
last man to leave the composing room,
and his story of the frightful scenes
there are best told in his own words.
About 10 O'clOck, as near as l could
judge, the elevator man stuck his head
through the door of the composing room
and called 'Firep Several of the men
Immediately started for the elevator. l
did not believe there was any danger
and told them so. l said: There have
been lots of alarms here before
this and they never amounted to
anything. You might as well keep
OH with your work. But they were evil
IDENTIFY little frightened, at least some
of them, so told Jenkinson. father of
the chapel, to call time, which he did.
Poor Jerry! He seemed to think as l
did about the fire, and now he is gone!
| then walked around the room and ont
iuto the hall. crossed to the editorial
rooms aud told my brother that there
seemed to be a little fire
down below, and that the boys
ought to see about getting out.
| was not the least worried yet, and
went back to the composing room. Sew
eral of the men had left their gas jets
burning, so | turned them down. l
then walked back to the hall door to see
what was going on. The whole elevator
shaft and stairway was in blaze. The
flames whirled up as through a
chimney and the air was hot and
sufocatlng. rushed across the hall and
looked into my brothers. room. He was
gohe. Every one in the editorial rooms
seemed to have disappeared. went back
: to the composing room. and saw that the
flames had invaded that, and then for
the first time the situation began to look
serious. But was not at all nervous:
in fact, l was never cooler in my life. |
secured my fur cap, neck scarf and
Overcoat from the copy box, put them
on carefully and buttOned them up. l
called all of the boys into the
front Of the room. as the back part was
on fire and the flames were rapidly
gaining on US. Most of the boys had
%lk.a afn ho tni.
the fire escape, but there was quite a
number left. The fire department showed
up ladder at about the middle of the
building. We were all collected near
there, with our heads out of the win
dows, the heat being so intenee that we
could not breathe the fiery air. Some
few fellows escaped at that point. call
not tell exactly who. when the
flames drove US further toward the
First avenue side. There we gathered
at the second window from the end.
The ladder truck was also moved oyer
to us, and from that point Frank Hoover,
George Miller, William Lown and Man
vilfe Marks reached the street in safety.
There were still five of us left, Veins
heimer, Dickinson. Vanderhoever. q
sub named Blackwell and myself.
Tie floor was already sinking un-
der US. Cases were falling within
ten feet of where we stood,
settling of the floor. Frames were on
fire. and the smoke was becoming so
thick that we could scarcely breathe.
Again we shifted our ground to the
very last window. Foot by foot the
flames were crawling up on us, and it
seemed that the ladder would
never come, Some Wept, some
prayed and some said moth
ing. My utmost efforts were
necessary to restrain the boys from
Jumping. They seemed to have taken
leave of their senses. At last the lad
der came. 1t was poor one. but it
held out hope. 1t was scaling lad
der, but the bottom seemed too close to
the wall and the hook would take no
hold on the window ledge. / grabbed
it with both hands and succeeded in
holding it until tour of the hoys went
down. Dickinson went first. VEIN
sheimer second and Vanderhoe-
yer started as the third, but
Blackwell acted so like one bereft of all
reason that was afraid he would jump
and called toVanderhoever to let him go
first, which was done. When all had
descended the ladder fireman called
out to me: You had better get out of
there, Young fellow. or it will be too
late.' replied that the foot of the lad
der would have to be moved out before
it would hold to the win
dow. This they did. Before
leaving the room. called for any one
remaining to come over there, designat-
ing the locality so that no one could
mistake it. Nobody answered, and do
not believe that there was soul left
there when swung ont of the window
and down the ladder. As soon as l
reached the bottom was crazy. Never,
for q moment. before that had my
senses deserted me; but when the
strain was removed | collapsed.
While waiting for the ladder
the last time, talked the matter over
with Dickinson. and we agreed that we
had probably set our last stickful of
type. but resolved not to give up until
all hope was gone. Several times the
boys urged me to take off my overcOat
and fur cap and make myself as light as
possible, but | believe that wearing
them was all that saved me. Every
part of my body exposed was So bliS-
tered that the skin dropped off at
the slightest touch. The heat was
unbearable. The bricks and stones of
the walls were like those of a furnace
and it was the pressing OF my hands
against them while holding the ladder
that caused the severe burning of
those members. As left the room the
fire was so close to me that felt the
floor sink, and the cases within yard
of me were falling. 1t was close call
for me, and l am glad to get out alive.
II have knocked around the world a
good deal and have seen some pretty
hard sights, but the most heart-rending
anguish | ever Witnessed was last
night. want to work in no more seven
story buildings which have but one fire
escape"