Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-03-10
Seven Bodies Are Recovered
and From Twenty Three to
Twenty-Five Guests of De-
stroyed Club Are Missing.
ORIGIN OF DISASTER
SHR0UDED IN MYSTERY
Vaults Of Boatmen'S Bank
Containing More Than ST.
100000, Uninjured by
Catastrophe to Building,

tsy MORNING iovRsat sstci... LSAsso w'Hsl
ST. Louis, March 9.-From thirty to'
thirty-five guests Of the Missouri Ath-
lcto club porshed in the flames that
destroyed the building early today i5'
the belief Of officers Of the club to-
night
Seven bodies have been recovered
and from twenty-three TO twenty nine
occupants Of the structure still are
unaccounted for At sundown tonight,
flremen continued to search for
bodies in the smouldcring ruins un-
der the glare of searchlights.
Fire chief Swingley expects to-
pump water from the blackened pit
before morning, revealing the full cX-
tent Of the tragedy
While the search for the bodies
continued today fourteen persons who
were injured in the fire were under
treatment at hospitals
Much difficulty was experienced in
trying to identify the recovered liodies
and some We're identified under TWO
or three different names.
EOuftn ol series ol 1lfeN.
The blaze wsr the fourth serious
fire IN the down town district OF st.
Louis i'm eight days and the most SEE
uous as 20 fatalities Of any fire in
the cltys history. The blaze started
at i.80 az IN. this morning. wrecked
the seydh stcr Hdina cunied
Jointly by the ziissouri Athletic club
and the Boatmen8 bank caused a
property loss estimated at $4,000.
The cause Of the fire still was a
mystery tonight Reports that the blaze
was accompanied By terrific explo-
sion indicating that the fire was due
to efforts of bank robbers trying TO
dynamite the Boatmens bank We're
unconfirmed. Reports of explosions
were denied by the night watchman
of the bank
Bank Vaults Uniniured.
In the vaults of the Boatmen 8
bank, which occupied part of the first
floor were more than $1.300,00O in
currency and moro than $4,000 in
coin, and the money is intact.
The bank, one OF the oldest in ST.
Louis, opened at the usual hour this
morning i'm temporary quarters a few
blocks away
The number OF guests who had
rooms In the club house either per-
manently or for the night was about
one hundred Many Of these escaped,
some checked out before the fire, oth-
ers. II is thought, were not in the
building when the blaze broke out.
some were injured in leaving the
burning structure and the rest are
listed among the dead or unaccounted
for.
Fire Sweeps Building.
Fire, which was discovered by a
woman. who was waiting in the club
lobby for her escort. swept rapidly
through the building When the first
fire company arrived the building was
d mass Of flames.
Men in their night clothes were
jumping from the windows Of the NTH
and sixth floors. where the private
rooms were located others were
standing on window sills calling for
help and others were cIamoring down
escapes
Thirty-eight guests on the fifth floor
We're awakened by Mr.. and Mrs. Rob
ert Magill, who refused to leave the
building until they had given the
alarm to an within reach. Mr.. Masin
was house manager Of the club Mrs
Magil was seriously burned.
Many Dramatic Escapes.
Dramatic escapes were numerous
One Of the most spectacular was that
If twelve or thirteen men who des-
cended from fifth floor window to
the roof of an adjoining four-story
building by means Of an improvised
rope made out OF two sheets one
guest escaped by leaping over ehasm
ten feet wide and six stories deep 70
the roof Of an adjoining building
While the firemen were fighting the
blaze from the Fourth street side, the
wall facing that street collapsed from
the fourth floor up. The firemen fell
back rapidly against the wall Of
building across the street and escaped
lho falling bricks by only two or three
ieet one fireman was hit and suf-
5 Tered broken leg.
Basement Still Burning.
Late today the smoke and flames
We're pouring nom the basement OF
me building into which tons Of de-
nfis had fallen.
sections Of the east wall fell from
alhe to time throughout the day. fur
saef increasing the difficulty Of the
'uenen in getting the blaze under
control
thousands OF spectators crowded
'ae streets leading to the burning
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WEATHER FORECAST.