The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-11
NINTH VICTIM DIES
OTHERS HAVE CHANCE
REP AIRING The
DAMAGE AT WEST
Metal Will Replace Wood Wher-
ever the Change Is Deemed
Feasible.

Arrangements are already under way
for repairing and remodeling of the
burned portion of the West hotel, the
same to be modern in every detail and
as nearly freproof as possible. The
management Of the hotel has secured
permission of the companies which
carry the insurance on the building to
proceed with the repairs before the
insurance is adjusted.
Especial care will be taken in the
reconstruction of the elevator shaft.
The two elevators which had been used
were Of steel and iron frames, but had
a good deal Of wood in the finishing
The new elevators will be metallic,
without a particle of wood in their
construction. At the different foors,[
all vestiges Of wooden framework and
doors will be torn away and metal par
titions and metal doors substituted.
structed that it will be impossible for
fire to ever again ascend it and
spread to any floor from it.
A large crew of men was busy at
work early this morning cleaning up
the debris, while others were placing
new glass in the scores Of windows
which were broken. In as short a
time as possible, the hotel will be
placed in the best Of order again.
uc Gu0 loss Will
probably take some time. Heat and
smoke created much more of the dam
age than actual flames, there being
scores of rooms in which the furniture
and fnishings were blackened and bis
tered, but in which the flames never
penetrated. f
The West has some $50 rooms. Of
these over 200 were in use today. The
appearance Of the lobby showed no
sign of the charred condition of the
! corridors on the upper floors of the
Fifth street, side Of the building, and
guests were coming and going and the
usual. A number who left the hotel
! yesterday returned today and engaged
other rooms Among this number were
Tim Murphy, the actor, and his wife,
and Mr.. and Mrs., W. s. Mott.
! Review today Of the damage to the
/ hotel places the loss at not to exceed
the figure published in T h J ourna
of yesterday, 100000.
How the Fire Worked.
Careful investigation of the: burned
premises today reveals the freakish ma
ture Of the fire and it's furious aspect in
some places. Naturally the seventh
floor was the scene of the greatest dam
age, and in way the fire here was typi.
cal Of the entire blaze. The fercest
/ flames were in the vicinity of the ele,
vator shaft, from which place they
spread thruout the corridors Altho the
hotel was of construction at least slow.
burning it is remarkable how the linn.
tied combustibles consumed could have
generated such intense heat as is evi-
denced. In some places the picture.
molding and the upper part Of the doors
and the castings were totally charred
The door panels in some cases. were
burnt entirely thru, while only few
feet away the baseboards showed not
the slightest, traces Of heat Some of
I the rooms were almost completely
burned out, while others show no traces
| Of smoke.
! AS rule the fire seems to, have been
in the upper part Of the corridors and
the various apartments, a fact which is
testified to by the fremen, who success
fully fought the fire by lying fiat on
their faces while handling the hose
lines.
The arrangement Of the hotel was
particularly favorable for rapid
spread Of the fire and for cutting off a
large number Of rooms in short space
Of time. In the center Of the building
is large court open to the sky above
the first floor. Surrounding are the in
side rooms, which in turn are encircled
on each floor by a wide corridor Be
tween this corridor and the outer walls
are the outside rooms. Fire breaking
| into this corridor would naturally fnG
a draft whishsYsalEd, sweep it quickly
t thru ef the s4s rs cutting Of
4 inside rooms on The upper floors.
/ This arrangement explains why SC
many found the corridors almost i'm
passable, altho they rushed out prompt
4 iy upon receiving the alarm.