St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-04
MINNEAPOLIS.
''ALIFE FOR A LIFE. !"
That Is What Witness Hoover
Swore the Tribune Print
ers Had Resolved.
Building Inspector HaZen and
Chief Engineer StetSon
Tell Their Stories.
City Editor Hudson Describes
the Progress of the
Flames.
A Letter by A. B. Nettleton
in 1885 Put in Evil
denee.

Promptly at 10 o'clock Yesterday
morning Coroner Towers and the jury
selected met in the chapel connected
with Connelly's undertaking establish
ment and continued the inquest on the
bodies Of the seven men killed in the
fire at the Tribune Saturday night.
One witness followed another, and the
testimony so far adduced has led to the
indiSputable conclusion that, had the
proper means of escape been provided,
IT least two of the men would have been
alive to-day. The sensation of the day
was caused by the testimony of Frank
Hoover, eX-preSident of the TypOgraph-
zeal union, who Swore that when the
printers employed in the Tribune office
found they could not get more fire eS-
eapes, they resolved that, if any of the
men were killed in a fire in that build
ing, they would have "a life for life"
THE FIRE ESCATE LAW.
Building Inspector John N HaZen testified
that be had been the inspector for about
eight months. The duties of my Office require
me TO issue permits and TO see that the build
{ngS are constructed in accordance with the
ordinances. A permit is a permission from
our office to erecta building under certain re-
I
In the ordinance requiring an inspector after
the building Is up. The present ordinance in
regard 10 ire escapes has been in force about
tour years. l think the law was passed some
lime in 1854. The ordinance requires that
All buildings, except such as are used for
private residences exclusively, in the city OF
Minneapolis, of three stories or more in
height. shall be provided with one or more
metallic ladders, or metallic fire escapes. eX-
leding from the first story to the upper stories
of such building, and above the roof. and on
the outer walls thereof. in such location and
numbers ann of such material and construc-
lion as the inspector OF buildings may de-
teTmine.
After such determination by said inspector
OF buildings, he may at any time. by notice
In writing, served upon the owner, lessee or
occupant of any Sneh building (by leaving
with such owner, lessee or occupant or at
his. or their residence or place of business,
aopy of such notice., require such owner,
lessee or occupant or either of them, TO
sause such metallic ladder Or firefescape..to be
placed upon such building within thirty
days after the service of such notice.
Provided, however. That all buildings
more than two stories high, used for manu-
featuring purposes shall have one metallic
ladder for every twenty-five persons, or less
employed above the second story, or fire
proof stairway.
Juror B, uleIle-Was that ordinance IN
force for four vears2
i am sure it hasn't been changed for two
passed without looking at the records
Juror Ward-Does the stale law compel the
erection OF three escapes al present?
Il think not
Coroner Towers-Did you say you did not
know what the state law was?
Il cannot tell without having it with me-"
did you ever examine the Tribune build
Ing?''
Yes: the seventh floor. About three
months ago the printers union sent for me.
and said they were afraid the building was
coming down from the jar of the presses. L
examined the sixth floor as to its stability.
and made some measurements. | found the
side walls of the seventh floor was one inch
wider in the center than it was at either end
on the inside. inquired as to the floor and
was told that IL consisted of iron beams and
terra Gotta. which supposed was fire proof.
l Informed the committee that there was no
danger Of the walls coming down from the
Jar OF the presses which were in the build
ing. | advised that the big presses be turned
lengthWiSe with the building. and to set
them close to the wall. They told me that
only year before the inspector had told
them TO set the presses crOSsway. The eX-
animation made was to tell whether the
building was faulty II construction. 1never
examined the building for fire escapes. l
considered the building well constructed for
the purpose il was used. But / said that
those presses were too heavy to go up so high
from the ground. There was no law to pre-
vent them going there. l always considered
the building fre-proof or slow burning one,
but never made special examination.
Coroner Towers-Do you consider one fire
escape enough for sixty or seventy men
working in q building like that?
If it was fre-proof or sloH-burning build
ing one escape would be enough. but it would
be better to have two. lido not consider one
escape sufficient for a building of that
height. The building was poorly arranged
as to means of escape, with the stairs wind
ing around the elevator shaft. In this re-
spect l consider the architecture bad. l
would not want to build a high building
that way for myself. The stairway was
much nearer the escape than the other end
It IS the duty OF the building inspector to or
DER fire escapes to be erected. never noti-
fed any one personally, but my deputy, Mr..
MeHale, has received orders from me 10 see
that all buildings above three-sLories in
height. and where twenty-five persons were
employed in building, two escapes must be
put up. The people look upon fire escapes
as luxury, and it is almost impossible TO
make them put up escapes. The Tribune
building was classed as an Office building and
not as mandatory.
Juror Ford-Have the owners Of the Trib-
une building complied with the law in regard
to fire escapes as II has been in force for the
last two years?
think they have. II it had been classed
as mandatory an escape for every twenty
five persons would have to have been erect
ed: but the law requires one or more escapes
for building over three stories, and they
had one.
Coroner Tower-Is there an ordinance now
requiring the building inspector to examine
buildings as to fire escapes?
No sir. The ordinance, however REQUIRES
all buildings now over three stories III height
to have fire escapes on. / have the authority
TO cause the arrest of people who do not com.
ply with the law. When was in the Tribune
building l noticed that the floors were sat
urated with oil under the presses.
sTETsON TESTIMONY.
Frank L. Stetson-I am Grief Of Minneapo-
lis fire department since March 1, 1882. and
and was IN charge OF fire department at
Tribune building on Saturday night. | re-
Celved the alarm about 1918 p. m. was
there in less than five minutes after the
alarm was sent in. Some of the companies
were alTeady on the ground when arrived.
Three companies were there. They were
Chemical Company No. l, Engine No. and
Hook and Ladder No. L. No attention was
paid to extinguishing fire on my part, fer the
first half hour. Immediately after my ar
rival l sent out %, the call for general
alarm. calling the entire department to the
ground. This was the first time I have
ever sent out general alarm
Ny first act was to raise the big ladder The
captain of the company said: Chief, there
are lot Of people in the upper stories on the
corner. went TO the ladder and personally
managed its operations. We took from the
upper stories dozen or more persons The
wires interfered with the raising of the lad
der. We had TO take the ladder down once
and swing 1t under the wires. 1t made de-
lay of about minute or two in getting the
people out, ana they we're compelled to move
TO the windows further south. We had to
cut some of the wires to get the ladder up.
When heard that men were in the building,
! told my men 10 get the people out first and
then We would fight the fire. The ladder
was not long enough to reach the windows
the people were in; then a pompier
ladder was taken up and hooked into the
window, and on that the people came down
to the main ladder and all escaped but one.
One man came down q piece of belt and
swung into the window. Another one tried
1t; his feet rested on a ledge He fell, and
went through the net and was instantly
killed. A man stood on the sill as If about
to jump. called TO him to stay there, and
called to nv men to catch him in the net if
he fell. The people in the building were
crazy, and the crowd on the street were
worse than they were. Ny men could not
tell half the time who was giving orders.
We could not have used any more ladders if
we had had them. Engine No. 10 was dis
abled by the bursting Of the air chamber:
al in