The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-10

Though a committee early today
opened headquarters az the Press club
and asked all who were guests OF the
Missouri Athletic club last night 20
report. 30 TO IS did not register and
hourly the feeling grew that all these
were lost.
Hope was given by Fire Chief
water could be pumped out OF the
ruins tonight and that search FOR
bodies might then be resumed.
While the search continued today.
n persons who were injured In the
FIRE were under treatment az public
and private hospitals.
Much difficulty was experienced in
bodies of the dead and some were
identified under two or three differ
ent names.
Largest In Fatalities.
The blaze was the fourth serious
fire in the downtown district of ST
Louis in eight days and the most
serious as TO fatalities OF any FIRE in
the city's history. This IRE com
pletely wrecked the seven story
building occupied Jointly by the Mis-
souri, Athletic club and by the Boat
mems Bank. caused a property loss
estimated at Sf66. 600 and by destroy
ing the list of entries and other club
Z
the intercollegiate track meet that
was TO have been held in ST. Louis
under the auspices OF the club next
Saturday night.
The cause of the FIRE still was
mystery tonight Reports that the
blaze was accompanied by a terrific
explosion. indicating that the FIRE was
due to the efforts of bank robbers
I trying 10 dynamite into the Boat
mems bank, were unconfrmed. Re
ports OF explosions were denied by
the night Waterman of the bank In
the vaults OF the Boatmen's bank,
which occupied part OF the first floor
OF the building. were more than
Sl,3OO.OOO in currency The vaults
were unframed. the bank officials re-
ported.
The bank opened at the usual hour
this morning in temporary quarters,
few blocks away
One Hundred Guests.
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 es-
capped. some checked out before the
I IRE; others, II Is thought. we're not
there when the flames broke out
some were injured in leaving the club
house. and the rest are listed among
the dead or unaccounted for
The fire, which was discovered by
a woman who was waiting i'm the club
lobby for her escort. and who saw the
reflection Of the flames in the plate
glass windows across the street,
swept rapidly through the building.
Thirty-eiEht guests on the fifth floor
were awakened by Mr. and Mrs Rob
ert Magill who refused TO leave until
they had given the alarm TO all with
In reach. Mr. Magill was house mana
ger Of the club. Mrs. Magill was bad
ly burned before she got outside.
Dramatic Escapes
Dramatic escapes were numerous
One Of the most spectacular was that
OF IL or Is men who descended from
fifth floor window 10 the roof OF an
adjoining four story building by means
OF an imprOvised rope made out Of
two sheets. One guest escaped bv
leaping over a chasm ten feet wide to
the roof OF an adjoining building, six
stories below
While the firemen were at work on
the Fourth street side. the wall facing
that street collapsed from the fourth
floor up. The firemen Ted TO a build
ing across the street and escaped
one fireman was hit and his leg brok-
en-.
Sections OF the east wall fell from
time to time throughout the day. fur
Their increasing the difficulty OF the
hremen in getting the blaze under con
troll