The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-09

st. Louis, March Six are known
TO be dead, 30 To 50 are unaccouut-
ed for and twenty were injured in
a fire which destroyed the seven story
Missouri Athletic club early this morn
ing. Hope is practically abandoned
that any of the missing are alive. The
property loss is estimated at $35O,00o.
The fire. which broke out at 2 o'clock,
was still burning at noon, and Fire
chief Swinglcy said it would be un-
safe to search the ruins until tonight
or tomorrow.
The building was owned by the
Boatmen's bank, which occupied part
OF the first floor. The bank opened
temporary quarters this morning four
blocks away in the vaults of the burn
ed building are $I35O,0oo in currency
and $4,000 in coin. The money is be-
lieved to be intact The building is
fully insured The loss 10 an adjoin
ing building was $4,000.
The uncertainty Of the number OF
men i'm the building when the fire broke
out made it difficult to determine the
Reslinger said forty-fivc members had
rooms in the club, and the registration
Of guests brought the total for the
night to 10. Some regular guests, how
ever, may not have been in their rooms
when the fire started.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Assistant chief Rucker said he found
evidence indicating the fire was due TO
an explosion. The fire is believed to
have started on the third floor occu-
! pied by the dining room. on this floor
one was found dead Two others Of
the known dead jumped from the sixth
story.
Fire Discovered by Woman.
The fire was discovered by a woman
who was waiting with an escort for
taxicab. The. name of the woman is not
! known. Looking out of a club house
window she saw the reflection Of
flames in plate glass window across
the street. She rushed to the clerk of
| the club and cried Fire The clerk
and telephone operator Norman Roe,
began awakening guests Roe rang the
! telephone in 9S sleeping rooms. Clerk
! Rcisinger rushed To the Turkish bath
establishment To arouse any guests
there. Then ne ran 10 the first floor TO
save the register. This was Knocked
from his hands by a man running iu
| the lobby. The register is believed L.
! be lost. Rcisnger then rushed into
the elevator and went to the fifth
| floor, awakening House Manager Nc
Gin and wife Mrs McGill refused to
leave the building until they had
aroused the guests in 3S rooms Mean
while the fire alarm was turned in,
presumably 10y the night watchmuu
of the bank.
Among the injured argA. y. Harmed
of Chicago, superintendent Of the
Electrical Supply company; Edward
Kaub. Chicago, salesman; r. G. Lit
tie. Chicago. and Charles SchlmcL
Chicago. Among the missing are soy
cral presidents of local concerns.
Among the missing arc J. E. Chas-
noff, an advertising manager OF the -.
Louis Republic, Roby Green. of Hcrrin,
Illinois. and several travelling sales
men, whose homes were In other
states.
Edward kauh, a salesman, of Chi
cago, saved his life by jumping from
the sixth story window across a ten
foot space, six stories deep. lie landed
ON roof story below unframed,
Many Jump From Windows.
| At 6 o'clock the fire was under con-
troll When the frcmcu arrived flames
were shooting out of the roof aud all
windows above the second floor Mon
were jumping from the windows and
others coming down ropes made OF bed
clothes tied together More than q
dozen jumped sevcra' stories to roofs
of adjoining buildings and escaped
with broken less or less serious in
| juries. Those who escaped ran about
the streets in bath robes or nigGt
clothes, apparently wild until forcibl}
carried into ncighboring hotels.
teroisn, Bordering on Super Human.
Herosm bordering on the uper-hu-
man was exhibited 10y nrcmcn and
guests of the club. Firc fighters time
and again lodged one falling wall, only
to find themselves under another tot
tcring mass of granite and brick.
Theodore Levy salesman. ui
Louisville. chung to a window sill untu
his hand was scorched almost black
and as me- was about To let go frcmcr
grasped him aud carried him down a
ladder Levy's both legs were injurea
and foot crushed Levy later said
two of the men who were killed jumpe,
from the window To which he chung
Roger Magill. manager Of the club
and wife, rushed up and down tn
halls. knocking at doors, wakin.
guests. Both were badly burned o'
the face. hands and feet.
Mrs McGill was the heroine in thu