The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-03-12
CLUBHOUSE FIRE
COSTS 40 LIVES
ID Bodies Found and Twenty
Six Believed in Ruins,
II OTHERS ARE INJURED
Falling Walls Hamper FIremen's {"
forts to Recover VIctims-Prop-
erty Loss Placed at $780,
OOO-12 Men Escape.

st. Louis, March 10.-E. w. born-
mueller, secretary of the Missouri ATM
letic club, estimated that forty persons
persisted In the fire which destroyed
the seven-story building of the Mis-
souri, Athletic club and the Boatmen's
bank. at Fourth street and washington
avenue. The loss Is placed at $6oo,ooo.
This estimate Is based on the men,
ory of the clerks" said Bornmuelier-
| There were 33 regular guests IN the
building at the time, and ~ rooms
were filled with transients.'
Fourteen bodies have been recovered
and at least 26 others are believed TO
be in the ruins. Firemen last n1ght
hunted for the victims under the glare
of searchlights.
The building of the Bentzen Com
! mission company, at the corner Oh
Fourth street and Lucas avenue, lts
foundations weakened by the Hood OF
water pouring from the club building,
appears to be on the verge of collap-
sing and adding to the dit1cultles
which the firemen have combatted
during their 20 hour fight with falling
walls.
The Known Dead.
The list of known and undermined
dead as given out at the temporary
headquarters Of the club is as follows:
John Martin Hickey, forty, Chicago,
treasurer Ford Manufacturing COM
pany (roofing materials), burned to
death on third floor, leaves widow and
child; Edwin c. Kessler thirty-seven.
ST. Louis, cashier Ludlow Saylor Wire
company killed in jump from sixth
floor; James d. Reilly, fifty-tve, ST.
Louis, member of Ware & Reilly, con-
tractors; William E. Erd, East ST.
Louis, Ill.,, real estate dealer, suffo-
Gated and burned; Allen R. Hancock,
St. Louis, salesman Underwood Type
writer company; Lillian Ramsey, maid;
Burt Crouch. lived at club, assistant
sales manager Western Electric COM
| pany; A. J. Odegaard, St Louis, sales
agent; William J. Kinser, treasurer
Kinser Construction company, ST.
Louis; unidentified man, mutilated
body recovered on third floor, gold
band ring on finger containing initials
"B. T." and date "2-23-1904;" unidenti-
fled body, mutilated beyond recogni-
ton.
List Of Missing.
The revised list of those missing and
believed to be buried in the ruins to-
night reads: l.. r. Ruff, st. Louis,
buyer Simmons Hardware company;
Marshall Bier, fur dealer, ST. Louis; ].
e. Chasnoff, Sedalia, No. advertising
department, st. Louis Republic;
Thomas B. Shyne, salesman, Under
wood Typewriter company, Syracuse,
N. Y; Allen Dow, buyer for B. Nugent
& Brother Dry Goods company, ST.
Louis; Michael Thuma, forty-two, Ber-
wyn, H., manager cutting department
Alschuler, Dreyer & Click Clothing
| company of Chicago, guest of Charles
| Schimel of Chicago;W. j. M'Ginnis,
buyer for B. Nugent & Brother Dry
Goods company, st. Louis; Frank w.
Albright, travelling salesman for Rice
| Silk Dry Goods company, ST. Louis;
j. l.. Haehnlen, engineer, Laclede Gas
Light company, st. Louis; +. p. Will
| iams, New York, travelling salesman;
| w. A. Hunicke, st. Louis, assistant OPP
Grating engineer Missouri Pacific rail-
road; Roby Green, Herrin Supply COM
pany, Herrin, ILL.,; E. j. MKenna, guest
of member named Jennings; J. Wolf
son, A. 7. Ranus, Marx Hammar, ST.
Louis, president Newsletter Cloak and
Suit company, ST. Louis; William e.
Becker, ST. Louis president Becker
| More Paint company; d. E. Fitzgerald.
sales manager Pierce Oil corporation,
| family resides in Springfield, Mo-;
Thomas j. Wright, auditor Lemp Brew.
ing company, st. Louis; George Goe-
ner, president Holstein Commission
| company, ST. Louis; John r. Ratz,
| president Ryffel & Ratz Plumbing
company, ST. Louis; Norman Hancock,
salesman Curlee Clothing company, st.
| Louis.
In addition to the death loss, which
sets a record for any fire In the his
tory of the city, the property loss, it
is believed will reach 100000. The
magnificent Missouri Athletic club.
which occupied the greater part of the
building is total loss.
Cause Remains Mystery.
The cause of the fire still is a mys-
terry.
Men in their night clothes were
jumping from the windows of the fifth
and sixth floors, where the private
rooms were located; others were
standing on window stills calling for
help and others were clambering down
the three fire escapes. On the Wash
ington avenue side Of the building the
fire escapes soon became red hot.
Dramatic escapes were numerous.
one Of the most spectacular was that
Of IL men who descended from fifth
floor window to the roof of an adjoin-
ing four-story building by means OF an
improvised rope made out OF two
| sheets.