The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-12-06

PEMBINA, PEMBINA G
campaign literature in the room just at the
end of the hallway. There was no fire in
the other two rooms adjoining, also used by
the league. There are two large tanks of
water in the attic but these only fed the
ravcnous flames, wlicl, licked and levuured
everything, human or inluman, in their
pathway. The fire naturally spread to the
top floors first and then worked its way to
the bottom. The building was guttcd as
well below by the falling of heavy ma
chincry through the burning floors. Por-
tions of the walls also
FELL INTO THE STREET WITH ROAR
that could be heard blocks away, endan-
gering the lives of firclncn and spectators.
The spectacle of the mighty fire iic,d would
have been grand one, had dnot the presence
OF death cast deepening shadows over it.
MIR. Blctl:en, proprietor of the Tribune,
took the late night train for ST. Paul, going
directly TO the Globe office. lie will use
the Globes presses and the frs,
page of that papcr's edition. He
estimates his loss Mt $4,000. calculating that
the presses and all the other fixtures To be IL
total loss. The insurance will not exceed
$M.OW. Mr.. Bletl,cn will get out paper
as soon us he possibly can.
According to another estimate, the loss
on the building is about $l40,OOO, with
100000 insurance. This will have to be
borne by the Tribune building company
The Journal will lose about S;;;5,GGO, with
about $35,OW insurance. The Tribune
Is insured for S5s,UO, and its loss
will be fully covered by insurance. The
Tribune job Printing company will lose
about S25,1H. with $1,000 insurance.
George i. Hitchcock, court stcnogranlcr,
occupied All office on the fourth floor.
He will loose all the evidence taken
i'll cases in the district court for Il number
ofycars. Hart Il Brcwcr and Cross and
rics. The Tribune and Tribunc-Star, the
evening cnition of the Tribune lose all
their files. The loss of life is
not accurately known, but it will
number ut least fifteen persons, us many
were seen To fall back into the fire. Mill
man, the commercial editor who lost his
wife few weeks ago by asphyxiatior,, lost
his life The Tribune Job Printing COM
pany are probably the heaviest losers. as il
loses u number of valuable presses ills full
completcnt of type and its bindcry.
ANOTHER PORTRAYAL.
The associated press gives the following
version Of the calamity: cone Of the most
horrible hOlOcallsts which ever happened in
this city took place last evening at i0:.a
An alarm Of fire was turned in, and il was
soon known that the Tribune
building was on fro. This is IL
tall cght-story building occupied almost
wholly by printing Offices. In an incrcii-
bic short time the flames were bursting
through the roof and the windows of the
upper stories. The fire department was
ir"mWly on the ground but were pow
crless To seay the flames. How came
IL scene HAT stout ,neE turned from in hor-
ror, ono that frozc the blood of the thou
sands who looked. hut were powcrlcsS tn
save. Faces white with terror were seen at
lie upper windows, pitcous cries for help
and >llricks of agony filled thcair. Tho larg-
est ladders hardly reached To the liiih-storv
windows. The flames at the very first
seized on the elevator and the only stair
way, and all The means of exit from the
upper stories vera G,it of excepting the fire
afforded a means of escape to II number
but many were cut off from this by the
flames. Some men were seen to leave the
building by means of telephone wires.
They went fifteen or twenty feet
HAND OVER HAND,
and then dropped and We're cruskcd out of
all selmblancc to humanity. Thrc" others
jumped from windows near the same place
and were instantly killed. One poor wretch
i'll the upper window was seen in his,lcsl,cr-
alton I" place II revolver to his head
and fall backward into the flames.
The iirclncn did everything possible, but.
most of the doomed men being in the sixtl.
and seventh stories, were ont of reach, and
little could be done for them. One man
Jumped from the seventh story ON the First
avenue side and was crushed to pulp. II is
now thought that at least fifteen
Or twenty rcrisl,cl IL, the flames
The printers held Il meeting at | o'clock
this morning; aud appointed Il committee
of five To meet various local unions and
take some action. There is intense in,lig-
nation felt at the owners of the building.
There are doubtless several people in
the ruins who were working in other parts
of the building, but just how many
will not be- known until the debris is re-
moved. Jimmy Kohl, the messenger boy,
has turned up without a scratch. Several
persons suffered injuries from burns, bu,
none will result fatally. One printer rather
| than To he burned to death deliberately shot
himself. W. il. Williams. foreman of the
Tribune, saved himself by dropping out of
the window of the seventh story, he then
went down Il ladder. Frank Hoover, IL
printer, followed linn. Both were badly
burned about the face and hands At2
O'Clock the fire was under control, but the
entire building is g,ttel. All of the papers
burned out will resume publication within
II week, or rs soon us material can be
secured
THE TRlnt'SE RnOMs
About 10:lj p. III. some one in the Tribune
editorial rooms shouted Fire" At that
time the members of the force i'll
the editorial rooms were Charles
Alf Williams, managing editor: George
Cavcn, night editor; John II. Leonard, tel
csraph editor; W. II. Millnan. CONNER
cial editor; ii. Il. Hudson. city editor; W.
W. Jcrmanc, assistant city editor: 4. NJ.
WelIcs, reporter; J. +. Ignc, telegraph nlc-
rator. Mr. Wcllcs tells the following story
Of his escape: "Whcn heard the cry of
fire rushed out into the hall
and looked over the stairs. Smoke was
coming up in small quantities from below
and the smell uf burning paper was dis
| tinctly noticeable. Al the same time that
rushed into the hall, Mr. Hudson came onl
of his room and ran down the stairs. Some
twenty-five printers came out of the com
posing room at the same time that ran
into the hall. Most ofthc,n had their coats
on their ;fnis and their faces were
EIASrIIED WITH FEAR.
Just about the time Hudson ran down the
stairs some one called out from below tina;
the fire was out ! then went back i, to he
room and sat down to write. Mr.. Jcrllanr
was sitting ut his desk. Just then
Mr. Millinun and Mr.. LEONARD
began putting on their things to
leave. ! thought might us well
join them and deliberately put on my coat.
overcoat, hat and ovcrSlocs. Starting out
into the hall met Mr.. Leonard coming
from the room on the other side. The
elevator was still running but we took the
stairs. The smoke was then pouring up the
stairs in dense volumes. The further down
we went the hotter it got. When we
reached the third floor the flames were
shooting out into the hall. We had barely
room to r,lsl, past them and down to the
street. 1t Imiist have been impossible for
anyone else to have escaped by the stairs
after we did When we left the editorial
rooms Messls. Williams Cnvcil, Millman,