The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-11
"SoMEONE TO BLAME.o
Someone was to blame for the
awful loss Of life in yesterdays fire
and with the aid Of the city Off
cials we are going to find out who
/. it is.-Coroner j. M. Kistler.

persons to death yesterday will be
probed to the bottom by the city and
county officials and the blame laid
where it is due.
There is to be no half hearted inves-
tlgatlon nor any withdrawing say the
officials. There was no water in the
standpipes, the alarm was turned in
late, the employees Of the hotel did not
use the emergency chemicals nor unreel
the emergency hose, and above all the
fire itself was started by some mans
carelessness.
This much has been decided and prac-
Kistler, Fire Marshal Ringer and Build
ing Inspector James G.. Houghton.
The first steps in this investigation
We're taken this morning when Coroner
klstler ordered an autopsy on the body
Of j.: B. Peisinger. The surgeons per-
forming the post norton found that the
victim came to his death by inhaling
| hear the testimony was sworn in at 8
| pm. today. At noon three of the iu-
rors had already been obtained.
! Most of the jurors will be men who
know something of building construc-
ton and who will be able, to tell who
secured up to noon were III. N. Leigh
ton and Frank Prinz, both builders.
and Isaac Schuleman, well known iron
| dealer.
Inquest Next Monday.
The inquest will be held at the coun-
ty morgue next Monday morning. It
| was set for that date in order that the
officials can gather the evidence neces-
sary.
One of the chief witnesses will be
| Building Inspector James G. Houghton.
Mr.. Houghton made thoro inspection
Of the hotel today and both he and
| Fire Marshal Ringer, who accompanied
| him, decided that the fire did not start
in the basement, as at first supposed.
The fire is now believed to have
started on the third floor near the ele-
vator shaft. The basement elevator
| doors are scarcely scorched, while the
path of the fire shows that the great
est rush of flames was from the third
floor up. The blaze evidently started
here from a lighted cigar stub or a
lighted match thrown carelessly to one
4 early in the morning
To corroborate this, there is the story
of the elevator boys. One of them
has already told his story to Miss Wood.
the proprietor of the hotel. He says
that he was just starting on an upward
trip when he passed the other elevator
coming down. The top of this other
car was blazing, or had caught burn
| ing brand, He thought little of it, and
/ kept on his car until he arrived at the
sixth floor Here the smoke drove him
/ from his car and he ran down to the lob
l by bywayof the stairs Had there been
any fire below the elevator at any time,
he would have known it. for it couldn Y
| possibly have passed his car without
leaving the odor of smoke or attracting
his attention in some way.
l. Sfondpiroc wore r,r
The condition of the standpipes In
the hotel is also to be closely scrutin-
lied. The fremen who were first ON
hose to the standpipes in the building
and opened the screws, but could not
obtain a drop of water. When the en-
4 gineer of the hotel was seen, he adj
mitted that there was no water in the
standpipes, but said he could not ac-
| count for it. He said that his orders
always were to turn on the water in
the standpipes. which are connected
with the city mains. This he did yes
terday morning and he says that he
also started the pumps. There was no
water, however, and some one must tell
! why.
Mr.. Houghton also has another point
that he will bring to the attention Of
the coroner,s jury. That IS the fact
that there was no organized effort by the
employees in the hotel to stop the fire.
He says that evidently there were no
servants on the floor where the fire
started. Some time ago he says, when
the force from. his office inspected the
hotels, he was assured by the manage
ment that at all times of the day and
night there was a man on each foor
who would be ready for any emergency.
, These men evidently were not there
: yesterday. The guests awakened by
the smoke awakened Others, and some