The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-12-05
COULDN'T EscAPE.

CS9OlON'T ESCAPE.
~ sai.ssspoais Z, Tribunen Rni,d,n~.. .
vsritable IsFireJTrap. Destsoyod g Ed.
ltoEs, Prlnters, Reporters and Other.
nelaaned IL BY the Flames . Ton 81
1hose Caushtsin tho Fla,ninx Prison
Lose Their Lives - Among Thorn Wa
Prof. Olsen. well-known Educator
Awful scenes-Fixing the Blame.
.MIN.ss'Es:A4poLIs, Mimi, Dec. 2.--Ten
human lives and $500, 600 worth Of prop
erty was sacrificed Saturday night by a
dre that originated in the rooms of the
Union League on the third floor of the
Minneapolis Tribune building. The
ire was discovered shortly after
10 O'Clock by q district nnessen-
ger, and almost before an alarm could
be turned in every door and window of
the immense eightrstory building was
belohing fire and smoke. There were
upward of eighty mon, including the
editorial staff and force of compositors,
ut work on the seventh door, and these
were penned in like sheep by the sheets
of fame that separated them from the
elevator and stairway.
Y So eager were the men to get out of
their scorching prison that they would
have fallen headlong out of the window
and been dashed to pieces on the side
walk seven stories below had not they
been restrained by their more cool-head-
ed fellows. As it was, however, two of
the terror-stricken men broke away
from their would-be preservers and
dropped from a window to the sidewalk.
They wero both instantly killed.
While the work of rescue was going
on from the window where the crowd of
printers and others had assembled: Prof.
Olsen, president of the Vermillion
Is. d. University, met a terrible fate.
Olsen got out of the window all right
and had proceeded down a short distance
on the fire escape, when from some I'M
to the sidewalk. A couple of firemen
rushed in and carried him to the nearest
drug store, where 1t was found that he
was dead, his body having been terribly
crushed by the fall.
Seven bodies were found around the
building last night, all of which have
been identified. They were:
. Milton Pickett, assistant city editor OF the
Pioneer Press; james F. Igoe, Associated
Press night operator; Walter f. Miles, night
agent and day operator OF the Associated Press;
Edward Olsen, president of the University OF
South Dokota at Vermilion; w. II. Millman,
commercial editor OF the Tribune; Jerry Jenk.
tnson, printer; Robert McCutcheon printer.
While the fire was at it's height J.
McCutcheon appeared in one Of the win
dows of the composing-room and jumped
Xnt<1 Not hold INV <h~ hi
The weight of his body carried the net
to the stone pavement, and he died
few minutes after being picked up.
Other bodies are known to be in the
building, but just how many is uncer-
tain. Two men who could not be iden-
titled 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 victims will reach
twenty and perhaps twenty-five, but I'M
til the debris cools off positive informa-
ton as to the loss can not be obtained.
The building, which stood at the COR
ner of First avenue, South and Fourth
streets, was an eight-story brick, and is
completely Quilted. In it were one
weekly and three daily papers. The
total loss is estimated at $500, 600. The
Tribune loss is placed at $4,000, with
$50, 900 insurance.; the Journal loss is
$40, 600 and it is half insured, and the
Tribune job Office lost sec, 900, on which
there WAS about SIS. 900 insurance. Other
minor losses make the aggregate given,
and the insurance foots up S15c, 000.
Chief StetsOn, of the fire department.,
lays the blame for the great loss of life
to the lack of flre-escapes, and says the
department did what it could to save
lives, and if there was any delay it was
because life was considered of more
value than property.
Minneapolis Typographical Union
No. 40 met Sunday afternoon and
adopted series of resolutions concern
ing the calamity of Saturday night.
After setting forth the fact that A. 3.
Nettleton, who had charge of the build
ing, and others connected with the
management of the paper had been re-
peatedly urged to provide suitable fire.
escapes, the resolutions condemn those
whose duty 1t was to provide fire-escapes
for their neglect in so doing, and de-
c!aring it to be proper subject for in
vestigation by the coroner
General Nettleton has written an
open letter in which he denies any con-
nection with the burned Tribune build
ing for over two years past, and says
that while he was in charge of the build
Ing no person or persons occupants
thereof had ever requested of him bet
tes facilities for escape in case of fire.
VERMILroN, S. d., Dec. .2.-News of
the death of DR.. Olsen in the Minneapo-
i. lis fire caused a feeling of sorrow in this
city. DR.. Olsen was about 40 years old,
a graduate Of the Chicago University,
and for several years a professor of Greek
in that institution. He was a man of
large culture, spoke several languages
f1uently, and travelled extensively in
Europe, and was among the best-known
OF the younger educators Of the country.
About two and a half years ago he was
called to the presidency of the Univer.
sity Of Dakota, founded by the Terrific
rial Government Under his efficient
~, and at the time of his death there
were over 500 students, in the insti-
tuition, and President Olsen's faculty
numbered about twenty professors and
teachers. He took large interest in
the educational work at Chautauqua,
spent several summers at Chautauqua
Lake, and was known all over the land
among the students in the Chautauqua
assemblies.