The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-19
ALDERMEN WORK
ON FIRE PROBLEM
Accompanied by City Officials,
They Inspect Big Downtown
| Buildings.
1

All Family Hotels Will Be In,
spected Before Ordinance
Is Drawn.
Six aldermen and four officials Of the
ments today began the inspection of
the hotels and Office buildings of the
city, ordered by the city council at its
last meeting. The West hotel. and the
Masonic Temple were carefully ex-
amlned before noon and the Holmes
hotel and one or two other buildings
this afternoon.
The conditions were found to be all
that were pictured by Fire Chief j. R.
Canterbury and Building Inspector
James G.. Houghton at yesterday IS
dermen were convinced of the neces.
sity of a more stringent ordinance. 1t
is admitted that the new ordinance is
one of the strongest measures OF its
kind in the country, but it is not retro
active, and the building inspector has
very limited power in compelling the
adoption Of sucn precautions as he may
life and property.
What Colonel Wood Said.
While at the West hotel, Assistant
Building Inspector Andrew Lindquist
told of an inspection made in 1904 in
company with the late Colonel C. a.
Wood. The latter at that time informed
him that a Waterman trained in the
use of the fre-extinguishing apparatus
was stationed on each floor of the ho-
tel every hour Of the twenty-four, and
that. the engineer in the basement had
q signal at which ne would start the s
pipes with water. Shortly before that
time there had been, fire in one OF
thes rooms, which was confined to the
room in which it started, altho it was
SO fierce that all the furniture was
completely destroyed. Colonel Wood at
that time declared that it was impos-
sible, with the precautions taken, for
a fire to get such a start that any Of
the guests would be in danger.
There was dispute between Fire
Chief Canterbury and Waterman John
Gustafson over the failure Of the en-
gineer to fill the standpipes with
water. The fremen say that they
could not get a drop Of water from
the standpipe, while the hotel en-
ployees insist as stoutly that this duty
was promptly attended to.
Started ID Elevator Shaft.
That the fire started in the elevator
| shaft there is no question. The eleva-
tor boy first saw it as tiny flame On
| the guard rail Of the elevator shaft.
| r.. - 1s,tn rrv,
| car up to the sixth floor. When the
/ elevator assembled it created a suction,
! drawing the flame with. it, and by the
| time the car reached the sixth floor
! there was SO much fire that the opera
| tor deserted his car and ran for his
/ life. Considerable oil is used on the
guards and in twenty-five years of con-
tinuous use there has accumulated
enough oil to make considerable
blaze. How the oil was ignited is not
known and may never be.
ALI those who expressed themselves
on the subject of further safeguards on
/ the West hotel declared in favor of ad.
! ditional fire escapes, an automatic sky
| light over the elevator shaft, complete
Enclosure of the shaft in freproof ma
|, terial, without any combustlble ma
j terial anywhere in the construction,
and fire alarms on every floor.
/ Changes Recommended.
The ladder fire escape in the alley
next to the Unique theater was con
demned as insufficient, and will be or
dered replaced with q regular iron
stairway or at least a spiral escape. II
was decided that there should also be 9
fire escape leading into the alley be
tween the hotel and the Cream of Whea,
i building, and one fire escape "A the in
terror court. with proper exit to a place
Of safety at the bottom. Most essen
tial, however, was the skylight over the
elevator shaft, which in the event Of
a fire would be automatically opened
thereby creating chimney for tht
escape Of the fire and smoke and retard
ing the spread Of the fameS SO thai
all the inmates Of the. hotel could reacf
i place Of safety. Had there been sucl
an arrangement of the elevator shaft
every one Of the eleven lives sacrificed
last week would have been saved, de
clare those who speak with authority.
At Masonic Temple.
After examfny the West hotel, tn,
party visited the Masonic Temple. Fl
M. Myers, manager Of the building
was recommended to install modern
fire escape on the Sixth street side ant
one on the opposite side leading to tn,
Unique theater, to provide the elevate
shaft and the rear stairway shaft will
automatic skylights and to provide al
! entrances to the basement and engin
room with freproof doors. Much in
fammable material was found in tn
basement, but with this portion Of tn
building isolated with freproof door
the danger would be greatly reduced
The Masonic Temple elevators do no
! extend to the basement and this feat
g ure Chief Canterbury highly commend
8 ed.
t The Inspecting Party.
The inspecting party today include
: Aldermen w. E. Satterlee, W. W. Ehl,
! Wilhelm Petersen, Wendell Hertz,
= Platt B. Walker and M. A. Gerbe,
e President A. E. Merrill of the council
= Fire Chief Canterbury, Building II
spector j. G. Houghton, Assistar
/ Building Inspector Andrew L. UnG
:. quist and Fire Marshall G. W. Ringe
. The officials recommend that all tn
i family hotels, twenty-five office built
t ings and about twenty business buill
e ings be visited before the committe
l. attempts to formulate an ordinance.