Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-02
A FIRE HORROR.
Terrible Work of the Fire Fiend
at Minneapolis.
THE TRIBUNE BUILDING BURNED.


where.
MINNEAPoLIs, MINI, Dec. 2.-Eleven hui
man lives and $4,000 worth of property
was sacrificed Saturday night by fire that
originated in the rooms Of the Union league,
on the third floor of The Minneapolis Trib-
une building. The fire was discovered shortly
after 10 O'Clock by district messenger, and
almost before an alarm could be turned in
every door and window Of the immense
seven-story building was belching fire and
smoke. There were upward Of eighty men,
including the editorial staff and force Of
compositors, at work on the seventh floor,
and these were penned in like sheep by the
sheets of flames that separated them from
the elevator and stairway
Rush to Escape.
Then begen frenzied stampede for the
windows and roof Meanwhile the fire de-
partment had got ladder up TO the sixth
floor, and from there thirty OF forty men
were taken out OF the building and landed on
terra firma. Those who were on the roof
dared not descend and several jumped TO
the roofs of adjoining building and escaped
with a few bruises. DIR. Olson. president of
the university of Dakota, at Nermilhon, was
among those on the roof, and seeing all
means of escape cut off, he essayed 20 jump
TO an adjoining building He slipped and fell
to the ledge OF the window on the sixth story,
and from there 10 the ground. He fell head
foremost and was instantly killed, every
bone in his body being broken.
How some Met Their Fate.
j. =. lgoe, night operator for the Associ-
ated Press, stuck to his post until il was too
late TO escape He was frightfully burned
about the head and in his agony he. too,
jumped from the burning building and was
killed Agent Miles, of the Associated Press,
Whose home Is in Detroit, Mich, attempted
10 follow lgoe, but fell back into the crater
OF flame and was burned to a crisp. Milton
A. Pickett, a reporter for The Pioneer Press,
whose Office was in The Tribune building,
was caught, with companion named Pierce,
on the stairway, and there they were roasted
to death, and subsequently crushed to pulp
by falling timhers. While the fire was at it,
height J. McCutcheon appeared in one Of the
windows Of the composing room and jumped
into net held by the fireInen below The
weight of his body carried the net TO the
stone pavement, and he died few minutes
after being pickel up
a.
other Of the printers appeared at II window
on the opposite side Of the rooms He was
told 10 wait a moment, and "A ladder would
be sent up to him. He appeared crazed by
fright, however, and instead of waiting,
pullsd a revolver and. placing the muzzle 10
his head. fired The report was heard in the
street, and the man was seen 10 drop 10 the
floor. His name could not be learned 1t
was rumored that another man had also shot
himself. but this report could not be verified
Narrow Escape of the Foreman.
Some of the printers who were the last To
leave the building made their escape on the
extension ladders put up by the firemen
Among these was Frank Hoover Just ~
he left the ledge and got on 10 the ladder
which the treInen were lowering. ". II
Williams, the foreman, appeared upon the
ledge. The ladder was then too far for him
20 reach ''Clood-by, Frank" he called out 10
the 10y below him rs he l-ened over aud
saw the ladder disappear. The tiremen bs-
low saw him the ladder came down and
rushed il up aga in just as the flames reached
Williams. He lost no time in getting on the
ladder and was lowered to the ground as the
flames swept across the ledge upon which he
had just stood, sweeping all before it. His
hand was badly burned, and he will be dis
abled for several weeks at least.
The Origination of the Fire.
The fire originated in law office in the
third story of the building about lU:3O D. IN.
The elevator man noticed the smell of smoke
and called the attention of some OF the per
sons around the building To IL. The cry of
fire was raised, and several persons went
down stairs from the seventh story to inves-
tigate and then returned To work Before
long smoke began TO I'LL the narrow stair
way, the only one in the building. and every
body began to make leisursy preparations
for their departure. No immediate danger
was feared The only exits 10 the building
which was enormously supposed b. he fire
proof, were narrow staircase scarcely wide
enough for two persons to come down
abreast, the eleN ator, and single fire escape
at the north end of the building Several
persons had made their escape in the mean
time, but in less than ten minutes the
flames sought the elevator shaft, which,
acting as a mammoth fiue, conveyed the
flames TO the top story, and soon the editorial
room in the same side Of the building where
the fire originated were a seething mass Of
flames.
Terrible Situation of the Printers.
In a few minutes they reached the other
side, where the composing room was situated
engines in the city responded to the call.
The imprisoned printers gathered at the
windows in the south end and shrieked
wildly, despairingly for aid. Hurry the
ladders" was the awful refrain that bur
dened the air Hurry the ladders for Gods
sake" shrieked with all the vehemence and
power that the snguished souls Of the dozens
In peril Of their lives by an awful death, was
all they could utter. The vast crowd that
from the opposite side viewed the fire
wreak its work shouted words Of
encouragement and good spirits to them in
strenuous endeavors TO buoy them up. The
long ladder seemed TO move up at a snails
pace, but was finally rested in position, and the
crowd began to descend, the flames making
steady Entertainments in the corner where
the frightened men had huddled like COVER
ing animals The life-nets were brought,
and some were saved by this means.
The burned Building.
The Tribune building was five years old,
seven-story brick structure, and valued at
t30O 600. IL contained The Tribune news
paper, The Tribune-Star, and The Journal,
The Tribune job printing establishment, the
editorial-ruoms OF the Minneapolis depart
ment Of The ST. Paul Pioneer Press, The
Svenske Folkets Tiding, Swedish newspa-
per, and numerous law and real estate offices.
The loss will easily reach over 81 ,OOO. 900; in
surance not ascertained at this time
>taid Too Long at His Post.
james F. Igoe, the night operator Of the
Associated Press met with n sad death rs a
result of his fhithfulness 70 his employers
He was at work on the seventh floor when
the report Of the fire was first received aud
immediately opened h is key, stating the the
fact to the head Office in Chicago, and asking
Tor minutes time 20 investigate Soon he
returned to his instrument, apparently
thinking he wa safe, and told the sending
operator 60 continue In moment he would
have % skip, and found too late that escape
was cut of. He jumped from the seventh
story window, and was 50 badly injured that
lie died bofOre reaching the hospital He
leaves family.
List of the Dead.
Milton Pickett assistant city editor of the
The Pioneer Pres; James +. IgOe, Associated
Press operator; Edward Olsen, president Of
the University Of South Dakota at VerInillion;
Jerry Jenkinson, printer; Robert Me-
Cutcheon, "a printer; ". II. Millman, com
mercial editor Of The Tribune: Walter Z.
Miles, operator and agent Of the Associated
Press
Tn. Injured.