The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-31
COUNCIL BLAMES
NOBODY FOR FIRE
SAYS THE FLAMES WOULD HAVE
SPREAD DESPITE RUNWAYs.
The Building Inspector Is Fully Exon
Grated and the Entire Series of Dis
asters Is Attributed Solely to Unpre-
ventable Causes-The Report Makes
No Criticisms Nor Recommendations.

After hearing Building Inspector
James G.. Houghton, his assistant, An
drew N. Lundquist, Captain ". E. Shep-
herd Of the salvage corps, +. d. Bou-
tell, w. T. Bouteil, Nimrod Singleton,
the elevator operator in the Boutell
building; Alderman Satterlee, and
recalling Fire Chief Canterbury, tie
council committee which investigated
the big fire and Crocker hotel horror,
adjourned to seclusion yesterday after
noon to prepare report.
The evidence of the afternoon, tho
conflicting with that of the morning,
did not substantiate the theory that
the rapid spread of fire was due ell
wires. The witnesses testified ro Sec
ing an electrical display along the wires
and fash of flame. That there was
an explosion or heavy conclusion IN
the Peck building when the roof fell
| in was admitted. It, was also shown
that, altho the electric lights went
out on the fourth floor they still con-
tinued to illuminate the lower hoors,
and the elevator made one trip after
the concussion, which drove the flames
'f F. D. 1ne Bouteii inWnSd declared positively that
the doors to the fifth floor runway
had been closed at both ends, but had
been opened by the fremen. He said
that William Crocker, the watchman,
was trustworthy. There were no watch
man IS signal boxes in the portion of the
Peck building which was occupied by
Boutell Brothers. The opinion of the
witnesses of the afternoon was that it
would not have been possible to save
the Boutell and Bintif buildi3ngs !i3 ha9
there been no 'runWays, still all ad
nit tied that they were not a protection
against fire.
The Committees Report.
The report presented to the counci
, last evening varied materially from the
verdict of the coroner's jury. As rea(
to the council and approved by tha
body it is as follows:
To the Honorable City Council: Gen
, tlemen-Your special committee appointe
to investigate the fire in the Peck, Bou
tell ad Bintliff buildings, and also the fall
i ing Of the south wall of the Peck building
, as per communication of the mayor, unde
3 date Of Dec. 23 1904 and the communica
tion from the inspector of buildings, unde
same date, respectively report that afte
having listened to a great mass of testi
= nony, and after having carefully invest1
, gated said matters, we find that the fir
2 originated in the basement Of the Pee
: building (so-called), near the elevate
I shaft; that said building was stocked wit
l furniture and other infian1nnable ma terra
, that said building was separat ted from tf
: Boutell building by a siXteen-foot allie.
y and that in said alley were a number
:, windows on each floor Of the Boutell, Pee
. and Bintli buildings and runways extend
1 ig between the Peck building and tt
d. Boutell building, on the fourth and tift
y floors; that the runways were protecte
by iron shutters and were closed. Th
:. when the fire became so intense in tt
g Peck building to cause the fifth floor
k said building to fall, either an eXplpsit
/ took place, or crossing Of electric wires,
Il both, which caused the fire to rush fro
Il the Peck building across the alley al
Il thru the Boutell building. instantaneous
II and that said Boutell building, being fill
is largely with furniture and inf1ammab
n material, the entire building was rapid
=, enveloped in flames, and that because
,e said explosion or crossing Of said electl
n | wires, both, it would have been 1111Po
- sible to save the Boutell building, even t.
+, said runways were not there.
- We further find that the people occup
ing the Crocker building (so-called) we
q properly notified by the city authoriti<
L and that after said fire the south wall
the Peck building had been carefully e
amined, both by the inspector Of buildin
and other experts, and pronounced SAFE
~ We further find that the reason for t
as falling Of said wall was an unforeseen a
It. ton of the elem ents. in the nature Of
e. hurricane, and that no human effort COZ
in have foreseen or prevented said accide
q and your committee are unable to locs
Of anv blame, either on said fire departme
n or the inspector of buildings.
ne Respectfully submitted, Aldermen
an Nest, Rand, Clark, Merrill, Gerber, GO
.-o | yoittea