The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-12-06
HOLOCAUST.
The Minneapolis Tribune is
Burned Out and Several
Lives Lost.

The Financial Loss Will Az.
gregate $4,000. Insur.
ance $l95.OO0.
A fire broke out on the fourth floor ofthc
Tribune building in Minneapolis at ~
O'Clock Saturday night, causing the death OF
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 DIR. Ed
ward Olson, president of the Dakota uni
versity, and 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 ofthc 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
the seventh floor, where the composing
room and the rcportorial offices are situ-
atcd.
NOT ALARMED IN TINE.
Not much attention was paid to it ut first,
and the flames burned slowly in among the
pamphlets, while Il number of printers and
Others ran about the Railways and rooms
searching for water. Al Blctllen, the pro-
prictcr of the Tribune, was one of the first
upon the ground, with his associate. Dr.
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
vcritablc fiery furnace. Joseph Mannix.
police reporter of the PIONEER Press. had
been trying TO crush out the fire by means
of u table. That proved useless and three
hand grcnalcs in the elevator were next
used. They fell with hollow, sickcnng
sound upon the floor, hut 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 We're still
left i'll the composing room some twenty or
twenty-five comlp,sitors. who were entirely
unable to get out. All they could do was
to rush to the end of the building farthcst
from the flames and from there out onto
the roof. In
THE rIOSEEE PRESS EDITORIAL EOOMs
on the sixth floor were City Editor ii. c.
Chaplin, Assistant City Editor Milton Pick
cit and Reporters $. +. Jones and j.. i.
Barnes. The last named had been dow,
stairs watching the fire and, approaching
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 hc and his associates faced il:
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,
they would not believe me. oh, psliaw!'
said Chaplin. The fire will all be out in Il
few minutes Just then gust of fright
fully hot air shot into the r oOin. and We
made for the windows. We all got ont
upon the ledge of the roof, Pickett will, us.
The flames were then coming out of the
corner of the editorial rooms ut the north
west, and We stood seven stories above the
immense crowd on the street almost par
alyzcd with fear. Before we were conscious
of it Pickett had slipped back into the
room. l turned round and said where's
Tickc:t?' The room was then like IL perfect
hcll-i and it would have been instant
death to have gone into II. Chaplin replied
lie must have gone back This is what
lie probably did.
PICKETTs HORRIBLE FATE.
"Terriiicd with fright he thought risking
his life in the flames was not as bad as risk
ing il from Il sixth story window. My the
Org is that he rushed through the flames up
into the composing room, and there was
one of the number WHO met their death by
falling to the ground below or bcing sufIo-
Gated. When | saw his body stretched out
on the floor of the drug store later there did
not appear to be- y dropof blood upon his
face. His hair and beard were singcd, and
only slightly at that. The expression on
his face was ns one who had met his death
by snfTocation. Poor fellow! hope
his soul has found resting place
at last. After Pickett hud left
WE STOOD UPON THE LEDGE
of the building, and shouted ourselves
l,oarsc for the fire escape to he sent up to
us. it seemed an hour to me before they
raised the long, gladsomc ladder Even
then it was doubtful ifit would reach us.
We thought of taking to the telegraph wires
that ran from the building to the poles be-
low. Finally we saw the iad.lcr coming
higher and higher, and We fairly ran along
the ledge to the other side of the building
to meet it. The poor compositors
in the story above were unable to
reach the ladder, and for at least ten min
utcs, perhaps fifteen, their appeals for help
were the most pitiul have ever heard.
Tl,n,, frnu.J,.I IN tI.. MI aud Il
like crazy men, the vast crowd below them
at times as silent at if not breathing, and
again shouting encouraging words. AS the
ladder went higher inch by inch the crowd
fairly shrickcd with delight. Finally il
touched the southwest corner OF
the seventh floor, and the happy
printers ran down its blessed rungs.
Some of the more vcnturcsolnc and less
patient ones slid down the telegraph wires
before the ladder reached the floor aud
were badly bruised.
HORRIBLE AND sIcKENISG.
Then occurred most horrible sight. The
firemcn, in order to protect their ladder, no
doubt, and thinking that everybody had
been rescued, pulled it away and lowered
it. Just then the crowd in tho
Hlictt gave sHput tIlat Seut tnG
blood wl,irling quickly through every ones
veins. There was man left still in the top
floor. His face showed itself at the the
window on the First avenue side of the
street. lie crawlcd out of the window, and,
losing either his hold upon the ledge or
his senses, he fell hcadiong the ground
meeting instant death. The sight was a
sickening one. and powerful, strong-mindc'l
men turned their heads away. Strong arms
carried the litclcss body away from the
building. This scene was repeated at the
rear Of the building, where it was said Prof.
Olson and some Of the others met their
death. The tiremen fought the fire nobly,
working like true-hcartcd soldiers. Their
livcswcre in constant danger from the falling
walls"
INTERRUPTED FOR THR LAST TIME.
At the time the fire broke ont the Tribune
people were busily engaged in getting out
their large Sunday edition. and the PIONEER
PRESS had just sent their next ~ the last
package on the 10 o'clock Milwaukee
Short Line train TO St. Paul. An nhour later
most of the compositors would have been
out of the building eating their midnight
lunch and loss of life would probably not
have occurred; at least it would not
have been so disastrous. Mr.. Blcthcn,
the proprietor of the Tribune, had
the presence of mind to give an immediate
alarm to the fire department, while the
others foolishly thought they could ex.
tinguisl, it without aid from the tirc,ncii.