The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1889-12-05
FIRE RIEDD'S CARNIVAL,
Tribune Building at Mfnneapo-
. lis Converted Into a Death
Trap by the Flames.
Eight Lives Definitely Known
to Have Been Lost-The List
May Be Much Higher

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. s.-The eight-stor!
brick building occupied by The Min
neapolis Tribune, was totally de
stroyed by fire Saturday night. Tn
confagration was attended by fearful
loss Of life. Shortly after 10 o'clocl
smoke was seen issuing from the win
dows at the north end of the third floor
The upper floors at that time were filleG
with reporters, editors and compositors
On the sixth floors were the editoria
rooms of The Pioneer Press, in which ,
number of reporters were at work
When the smoke became heavy on tina
floor Reporter Joseph T. Mannix started
down the stairway to make an investiga
ton. In the extreme north end Of tn,
third floor were two rooms which hae
formerly been used by the League O
Republican clubs. These rooms had no
been occupied for about six months, ex
cept as place to store waste paper. II
this room the fire started presumably
From Spontaneous Combustion.
When the door was broken in tn,
flames burst out in Mr.. Mannix's face
driving him down the stairway. H,
made desperate attempt to go back t.
warn his companions, but the fame
were too fierce, aud he was driven back
Several men were on the stairway at TIN
time, and he directed them to turn tn,
alarm at the corner of Fourth and Nicol
let avenues, For some reason no one die
SO, and there was considerable delay il
getting the alarm to the fire department
at least fifteen minutes eapsing. TIL
elevator shaft, in the center of the build
ing
Acted as a Big Chimney,
and sucked the flames up to the roof
spreading the fire through the entir
building. When the fire department
arrived the entire building was in flames
There was only one stairway In tn
building, and that was built around tn
elevator shaft. AS the fire started at tn
head of the stairway on the third floor
Every Avenue of Escape
was cut off, except single fire escap
on the north side of the windows. Tn
flames burst out the windows on tn
third floor, and the frail iron ladder wa
red hot before some of the men had
chance to use it. The Hayes ladder
were hurriedly raised by willing hands
and many of the men were rescued from
the windows.
The List of Dead.
The list of the dead, so far as known
is as follows:
MILTON PICKETT, assistant city editor o
The Pioneer Press.
JAMES F. IGOE, Associated Press operator.
EDWARD OLSON, president of the Universit
of South Dakota, at Vermillion.
JERRY JENKINSON, a printer.
ROBERT MCCUTCHEN, printer:
". II. MILLMAN, commercial editor of Tn
Tribune
WALTER E. MILES, day operator of the A.
so> lated Press.
Milton Pickett,
the assistant city editor of The Ponce
Press, started with four companions VIII,
escaped but became separated from
them. He went to the fire escape on tn
no,th side of the building and started
down it. The flames were bursting on
Of the third story windows, and the lad
dcr'S rounds were red hot. He chung t.
it only for minute and dropped to tn
alley below, dead.
James f. Igoe,
the Associated Press operator, staid a
his post too long. He sent a message t,
his chief in New York: There is fir,
on the third floor of The Tribune build
ing, and I'm on the seventh" Then h,
took" the dispatches as they came for &
few moments. His next words over tn,
wire were: "Boys, I've got to 'stanc
you off, I'm the only one left on thi
floor. Everybody is gone, and I can
stand it any longer" and his key clicked
shut for the last time.
Edward Olson,
president of the South Dakota univer
sity, at Vermillion, had gone into tn,
building to call on friend to say gooc
bye, and was preparing to depart whel
the alarm was given. He started to'fol
low his friend, Policeman Grevstad, bu
became confused, reaching window il
the rear, from which he fell to tn,
ground.
w. fl. MilIman,
commercial editor of The Tribune, die
not go down at the first alarm, but few
moments later appeared in the Ponce
Press rooms, overcoat in hand. 1t was
then too late to so down the stairway
and he hurried back into the room above
He was seen to step out of the window
and grasp the telegraph wires with tn,
intention of descending it the same wa,
as did Igoe. He went only few fee
when he lost hold and shot down lik,
rock to the frozen ground below. H,
was killed instantly. 1t was only abou
two weeks ago that Millman's wife wa
suffocated by gas escaping from leak
ing pipe at his home, and Millman ha(
only just returned to his post from es
corting the remains to her former hom,
in the East.
McCutcheon and Jenkinson.
Robert McCutcheon and Jerry Jenkin
son, compositors, fell from the seventh
story and were instantly killed. Nc
sill on the sixth floor when he lost hi
balance and fell, striking with fearful
force the very projection which he de
signed to make his refuge.
Preferred Bullet to Burning.
AN unknown compositor appeared at
seventh story window at First avenn
side and looked below. A jump below
was almost certain death, while to re
main and be burned was worse. HI
was seen to hesitate moment, and thel
he took revolver from his pocket
placed it to his head and fired. He fel
back into the burning building.
The loss on the building and content
is estimated at $3.50, 900, with about $195,
insurance.
Kansas City Live Stock.
Cattle-Native beeves. $38o@4SS COWS, Sic
@250; stockers and feeders, $22O@3. 10; Texans
$1.S0@285.
Hogs-Good to choice, ss.6a15as67; heavy an
mixed, $3.55636