Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1893-07-12

who met death and the missing:
Killed.
CAPTAIN JAMES FITZPATRICK, acting
chief, Columbian fire department.
JOHN MCBRIDE, driver.
WILLIAM DENNING, truckman.
LIEUTENANT MOLTER, truckman.
UNKNOWN MAN, initials on belt w. H.
Missing.
CAPTAIN GARVEY, Company No. /.
CAPTAIN PAGE, Company No. g.
LIEUTENANT PURVIS, Company No. 4.
PHIL BREEN, Company No. 8.
LIEUTENANT FREEMAN, Company No. I.
JOHN SMITH, Company No2.
PAUL SCHROEDER, Company No. s.
JOHN CAHIL, Company No. s.
SERGEANT DONALDSON, Columbian
guard.
II. STRAND, Columbian guard.
-FOUR COLUMBIAN GUARDS.
HENRY GEDUTDIG, foreman Of painters.
The fire was apparent only in the OBJ
servation tower and its isolation from
the great main roof made the work of
the fremen hazardous and slow. The
fremen at once went out on the roof
and hastened up the hose with ropes to
the far story Of the tower on the east
and south Sides Others rushed up the
spiral stairway to the landing next the
blazing top and lowered ropes on three
sides for the men below to attach the
hose to. Until this time the fire re-
sembled the flaming mouth of
a Small Blast Furnace
and there seemed to be no danger men
aciDg those brave men working in the
air. Without thought of the fate
which was so soon to overtake them
the 80 odd men outside the towers were
at work on the east and south sides.
All this time the flames were burning
through the larger section Of the tower
beneath them. The first intimation of
danger came to the victims when the
smoke appeared under them and as the
wind blew into their faces they retired
in an orderly body to the north side of
the tower. It seemed rs if the victims
changed position because they feared
flames would soon follow the smoke
which they saw. The flames had been
doyouring five feet of framework which
surrounds the cast iron shaft that
pierced the tower below the men.
Quick as fash, like band Of molten
gold, flames burst through the square
tower just underneath~the i'm prjsoned
mon On all sides. Soon the imprisoned
men
Felt the Scorching Fire
coming aud with one impulse of self
preservation moved quickly to where
the ropes were attached at the
northwest corner They could not
To- H.
of the projecting cornice, but they
knew where the ropes were. There
they stood huddled together, some
without their coats, others hatless, and |
all preparing to save themselves if they
could. The man first to the rope
grasped it and descended, but only a
dozen feet The flames had no mercy,
the rope was burned in two and with
feet downward the first victim shot |
through the air to the main roof. He |
turned partly over before he struck |
and bounded up before lying still as if |
dead. A great cry of anguish and fear
came up from thousands on the ground. |
Fighting for Life.
No sooner had the first man struck |
the roof than another leaped from the |
tower before the Mortified gaze of the |
spectators. His body kept straight feet |
down until near the roof, when he |
turned a somersault and second cry
OF horror came from thousands of |
throats. The two ropes on the north |
side of the tower where the doomed |
men were huddled were almost useless |
for the saving of life yet for the first |
possession Of the corner at least ten |
fought sayagely. They only prolonged |
their consciousness of life for all were |
doomed to die, yet they struggled to |
catch at anything which seemed to hold |
chance for life. One by one they
dropped From the Tower,
some clinging to the burning rope as
far as it afforded them any hold and |
then shooting through a sheet Of fame |
to the roof. The sight was too much |
for even the military men and the old |
fremen on the ground to bear without |
turning away of heads. Men leaping |
through flames 100 feet or more down
to sure death presented sight such as
the stoniest hearts could not witness !
unmoved. The last man died the hero's |
death among all those heroes who faced |
the furnace below them. He had |
waited without apparent fear until
there was only himself left. He was a
fireman and he grasped the remnant of |
BURNING rope just as the whole struc-
ture parted diagonally and fell towards
Sheriff Sharvy of Duluth has offered |
reward Of $3.50 for information that |
will lead to the recovery of Abraham |
Bailey, h grain commission merchant |
who disappeared June Z.
Governor Nelson has received war
rant from the treasurer Of the United
States for the sum of $6,22O.7O, being
the per cent due the state for the gov
ornment lands sold in Minnesota.
The federal grand jury at st. Paul
failed to find any Indictment against
DR.. Walker for shooting ain Indian at
Leech Lake. His case will come before |
the grand jury at Minneapolis in Sep
tember.