Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-09
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St. LOUIS
BL Axe
Two Score Injured as Popular
Institution CrumbIes Be-
fore Intense Heat.

ST LOUIS, Mar. 9.-Late this at
ternoon two more were reported
missing in the Missouri Athletic Club
fire. They are 7. G. Little, a sales
man from Chicago, and Mike Thuma,
an out-of-town guest. This makes
the total of dead and missing SS. The
seriously injured number 20.
There is considerable confusion
over the list of the missing, and it
will he perhaps "a hours before the
correct figures on the casulty will be
obtanable.
Twenty-Five persons believed to
have lost their lives in the holocaust
was the first estimate. But as the
checking up process at the temporary
headquarters of the athletic club
went on, it was seen that this esti-
mate was too low. Name after name
of men unaccounted for hours after
the first had burned itself out was
added to'the already long list
Nine Bodies Have Been Recovered.
THE probability is that all of the
missing are dead" was the word
sadly given out by athletic club di-
rectors this afternoon.
Two Score Injured.
More than two score were injured
in the fire which destroyed the
club, one of the finest Institutions
of its kinds in the United States.
and the building occupied by the
Boatmen's Bank. A hundred men, as
far as known, were in the club build
ing when the fire started. The loss to
property is about 100000. The ruins
are being searched for bodies. Five
bodies were recovered searly, and four
more at noon. The list CT identified
dead includes:
JOHN MARTIN RICKEY, Chicago,
treasurer of the Ford Manufacturing
Company.
JAMES. RILEY, So. st. Louis.
C. F. KOSSLER, 40, manager of
the Ludlow Saylor Wire Company,
st. Louis.
All of these men were killed IN
leaping from the upper floors of the
eight-story clubhouse.
Mordeeai Brown Safe.
For some time it was feared that
Mordecai Brown, manager of the st.
Louis Federals, lnd been lost, but
later Mr. and Mrs Brown were found
at hotel.
The fire is believed to have started
In the main dining room on the third
floor of the main building. Nearly all
The guests and residents of the club
Tad retired when the fire started
about 1850 a m. A few guests were
IN the lobby. These. with Manager
and Mrs. Magill, went through the up
Per halls and awoke everyone. When
The guests emerged from their rooms,
every hall was filled with smoke.
The third, fourth and fifth floors
We're ablaze before the first alarm was
given Less than an hour later fire
Was ahooting from every window in
The building, and at 9:45 o'clock the
ioot collapsed.
All Injured in Escape.
None of the persons in the building
escaped without some hurts. The
most seriously injured we're rushed 10
me city Hospital. Others were cared
Tor in the st, Regis and other nearby
hotels.
The fremen early gave up hope of
saving the Athletic Club and the
hoatmen's Bank Building, and devoted
tAelr entire efforts to saving guests
VINO were about to leap out of upper
windows, and to preventing the spread
OF he flames
, boatman's Bank officials said at
ue close of the business on Saturday
mat there was $1,349,449 in currency
9hd S2I464 in coin in two large
spherical safes. which are in a heav-
NF constructed vault of steel set in
concrete with a reinforced ceiling.
me Benton Commission Company's
pullding. directly back of the Ath-
'e'ic Club, was slightly damaged.