Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-12-05
BURNED 10 DEATH.
Ten Men Peri sh in a Fire in the
Minneapolis Tribune Building.
The Structure Eatirely Consumed, and
Editors. Printers aud Others Meet
an Awful fate The Property
Loss Is $500, 900.
rERRIBIE SCENES.

! =. Il
human lives and $500, 900 worth OF prop
erty was sacrificed Saturday night by a
fire that originated in the rooms of the
! Union League on the third floor Of the
Minneapolis Tribune building. The
lire was discovered shortly after
10 o'clock by district messen-
! ger, and almost before an alarm could
be turned in every door and window Of
the immense eight-story building was
belching fire and smoke There were
upward of eighty mon, including the
editorial staff and a force of compositors,
at work on the seventh floor, and these
were penned in like sheep by the sheets
OF flame that separated them from the
elevator and stairway
Then began fren2ied stampede for
the window and roof Meanwhile the
fire department had got ladder up to
the sixth floor, and from there thirty or
forty men were taken out Of the build
ing and landed on terra frma. Those
who we're on the roof dared not descend,
and several jumped TO the roofs OF ad-
joining buildings and escaped with
few bruises.
The only exits 10 the building. which
was. as usual enormously supposed TO
| be hre-prOof, were a narrow staircase,
scarce wide enough for two persons to
come down abreast, the elevator and a
single fire-escape at the north end Of the
building, Several persons had made
their escape in the meantime. but in
less than ten minutes the flames sought
the elevator shaft. which, acting as a
mammoth flue. conveyed the fire TO the
top story, and soon the editorial rooms,
on the same side Of the building where
the fire originated, were sect hing
mass of flames. Ia few minutes it
reached the other side, whore the COM
posing-room was situated.
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 Nermillion
Is. d. University, met terrible fate.
Mr.. Olsen had been spending
Thanksgiving here with his brother,
and Saturday evening made call
upon friend who was EN-
ployed on the editorial force OF the
Tribune. While seated in his friends
room the alarm Of fire was raised but as
investigation seemed TO show that no
particular danger need be apprehended
both sat down and resamed their con
versation. In few minutes everybody
realized the fact that nearly all
hope of escape had been cut
off, and Prof Olsen and his
friend started for the hre-escape
leading from the sixth story, on which
were located the editorial rooms. Some
of those who were on that floor when the
blaze was discovered are of opinion that
the Tribune employee escaped Prof.
Olsen got out OF the window all right
and had proceeded down a short distance
on the fire escape, when from some I'M
known reason he let go his hold and fell
TO the sidewalk A couple Of hremen
rushed in and carried him TO the nearest
drug store, where it was found that no
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
IlOnttf Press, james r, lHOe, Associated
Press night operator; Walter r. Miles night
agent and day operator Of the Associated Press;
Edward Olsen, president OF the University Of
South Dakota at NcrmiliOn; W. II Mllman.
commercial editor Of the Tribune; Jerry Jenk
inson printer; Robert McCutcheon printer.
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 DO
burned to death. and the body Of man
caught in the ruins is in plain sight OF
the crowd on Fourth street. IL is believed
that the number of victims will reach
twenty and perhaps twenty-five but IN.
til the debris cools of positive informa-
tion az to the loss can not be obtained
The department Withdrew from the
ruins sunday night and the search for
bodies will begin just as soon as 1t Is
considered safe.
A sad incident OF the fire was the find
ing of the body Of w H. Milman, the
commercial editor of the Tribune. His
body was found IT, lc rear Of the build
ing badly burned A week ago he re-
turned 10 his home for dinner and found
his wife dead in her chair from
asphyxiation, and he attended her
funeral last Monday. He had expressed
a wish that he might follow her. An
examination of the body Of Mr.. MILL
man at the morguc revealed bullet
hole in the temple, and he is supposed
to be the man Who was seen to shoot
himself in the seventh floor window. II
is supposed that when he saw that es-
~ ,l..lt a hot
himself.
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 IL were one
weekly and three daily papers. The
total loss is estimated at $500, 900. The
Tribune loss is placed at $50, 900, with
$50, 900 insurance; the journal loss Is
$40, 900 and it Is half insured, and tho
Tribune job Office lost $50, 900, on which
there was about $1,000 insurance. Other
minor losses make the aggregate given,
and the insurance foots up $4,000
VERMlIION, $. d., dee. News Of
the death Of Dr. Olsen in tho Minneapo-
lis fire caused feeling Of sorrow in this
city Dr. Olsen was about 40 years old,
a graduate Of the Chicago University
and for several years professor Of Greek
in that institution. He was man OF
large culture, spoke several languages
fuently, and travelled extensively In
Europe, and was among the best-known
Of the younger educators Of the country.
About two and half years ago he was
called to the presidency Of the Univer-
sity Of Dakota founded by the Terrific
rial Government. Under his efficient
management the institution grew rapid
", and at the time Of his death there
were over 300 students in the insti-
tuition, and President 0lsen's faculty
numbered about twenty professors and
teachers. lie 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.
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YoUSGsTowS, o., NOV. s0.-Cnarea
Reynolds got drunk on Thanksgiyino
Day and slept in a doorway all night