Updated 01-03-06, to add a link to Sandford's website. If you don't read his books, you should!
1940: the world was at war yet again, and again against the Germans (the United States, still under the influence of isolationists, had not yet entered the fray). France was awaiting the shipment of 3000 Studebaker trucks to help their faltering efforts. LIFE magazine had Queen Elizabeth on the cover.
January in Minneapolis is no great joy from what I've heard. Novelist John Sandford, in his "Prey" series (which are excellent books, BTW), paints a rather bleak picture of frigid cold, howling winds, and comments -- disparingly -- about Minnesota weather compared to Russian weather.
On January 3, a fire at the Marlborough Hotel in Minneapolis killed 19.
This is another of those fires where there wasn't much info available on line, but once again, I'd be willing to bet on the factors leading to the deaths: insufficient fire exits, lack of staff training, flammable interior decorations, perhaps an open stairwell, and probably a delay in reporting the fire to the fire department.
The Minneapolis Red Cross reports that, between this fire and another at Spruce Villa Apartments, they helped 132 families. Yes, the Red Cross may have had some fumbles recently, but they are still the ones who help families displaced by fires and other disasters (along with other groups like the Salvation Army, of course).
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