Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-09
MANY ARE MISSING
IN ST. LOUIS FIRE
CONTINUED from First Page.)

were pressed into service to carry
the wounded to hospitals.
Among those who escaped was
Walter Frisch, financial agent of the
st. Louis Federal League Baseball
Club. Mordecai Brown, manager of
the team, arrived here from New
York last night and remained at
the club until few hours before the
fire was discovered,
Telephone Boy Is Hero.
The telephone operator, a young
boy, remained at his post on the
ground floor, even after the firemen
began pouring water into the build
ing. Many of the guests credited
their escape u him.
At o'clock this morning, four
hours after the fire had been discov-
cred, the blaze was believed to have
been under control. Half an hour
later. however, boilers in the base
ment began to explode. and for the
first time, the firemen, under orders
of their chief, withdrew from the
street Immediately in front of the
building. 1t was feared the last two
remaining walls would collapse and
bury them,
The flare of the fire brought thou
to hamper the work of the firemen
until driven back by the police. Be-
fore long hundreds of automobiles be-
longing to members who had been
apprised of the fire lined the down.
town streets.
Men and women, friends and rela-
tives of victims who were known to
have lived at the club, rushed to the
hotel, then to hospitals, then to the
morgue seeking some news of the
men whom they sought
Saw Victims Hit sidewalk.
Judge C. Orriclx Bishop, assistant
circuit attorney, roomed on the sixth
floor.
1.-THE sound of flames cracking like
giant fire. crackers awofe me- said
Judge Bishop. "Thank God there was
q fire escape in front of my window.
I ran down the six flights. | saw
several men jump and bounce oil the
sidewalk like rubber balls. was
only slightly bruised coming down
the escape"
Thirteen men escaped from the fifth
floor of the building by sliding down
a rope made out two sheets. Inc
story of escape was told by Lewis
GAYLORD. an advertising man, of New
west side of the fifth floor. When he
took tho room he examined the fire
escapes and noticed that the roof of
the building occupied by a seed com
pany was only fifteen feet below his
window.
Escaped by Sheet Rope,
Gaylord was awakened by screams
Throwing on a bathrobe, he ran INTO
he trr1airI, then nll90
with smoke, and rushed to the stair
way. The carpet on the stairs was
ablaze and the elevator shat was
furnace from top to bottom. lie then
started for a window opening on the
roof of the seed store
In the corridor he heard some one
cry: 81 am blind; don't leave me
here to die" Gaylord made out in
the smoke a man cropping his way
along the wall. Gaylord led him to a
room occupied by Henry Baker.
In Bakers room Gaylord and the
unidentified blind man We're Joined
by nine others. A young man took
command of the situation. and, tieing
two sheets together, fastened one end
of the improVised rope to a radiator
Twelve men went down the rope hand
over hand, and all were rescued from
the roof of the seed store.
While these men were escaping an
other man staggered to the room and
fell unconscious. He recovered quick
ly and escaped down the rope Of
sheets.
Saw Many Trapped Above.
Meanwhile the smoke began pour
ing into the room, forcing the men
still waiting to close the door and
ceasing calling others to join them.
j. r. Stephens was the last man
to go down the improvised rope.
AS the men stood on the roof of
the seed store they saw about twenty
men at the windows of the sixth
and seventh floors OF the athletic
club.
One jumped TO the seed store roof
and broke his leg.
Gaylor and Others went to the