The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-09
Home of Missouri Athletic Club
Burns to the Ground.
Three Dead, About 20 Injured
and Others Missing.
HOUSED THE BOATMEN'S BANK
Vaults Contained More Than q
Million in Cash.
Disaster Productive of Numer-
Gus Acts of HerOfsm.

st. Louis, March 9.-Six persons are
known to be dead and their bodies
have been recovered. About 20 are in
5ured and "a are missing as result
Of the Missouri Athletic club fire here
today. These figures are given in a
statement issued by a committee of
the club which is seeking record OF
every man known to have been regis
tered at the club last night. For the
a missing hope practically has been
abandoned.
The property loss is estimated at
more than $350,OOO.
The fire, which broke out about
o'clock this morning. was still burning
at noon, and Fire Chief Swingley said
1t would be unsafe to send any one
into the ruins to search for the miss
Ing 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 IN
building four blocks away. In the
vaults of the burned building, bank
officials said. are $1,349.0OO in cur
rency and $27, 900 in coin. This money
1t is believed is intact.
The building was covered by lnsur-
ance. Loss to adjoining buildings is
estimated at $4,000.
Uncertainty as to the number OF
men in the building when the lire
broke out made it difficult to deter
mine the exact number of missing.
Jack Reisinger, night clerk at the club.
said forty-five club members had
rooms at the club, and that the regis
tration of guests brought the total
number there for the night to rs.
Some of the regular guests, however.
may not have been in their rooms
when the fire broke out.
The cause Of the fire is unknown
Assistant Fire Chief Rucker said he
found the floor about the desk of the
clerk caved in, but that an adjoining
part of the floor seemed to have been
blown upward, indicating that the fire
who climbed a fire escape of the
building. six hours after the fire was
discovered, found the fire still burn
ing on the fifth and seventh floors and
the whole interior caved in.
Started on Third Floor.
The fire is believed to have started
on the third floor of the building
which was occupied by the dining
room. On this floor one man was
found dead. The two others, known
to be dead jumped from a sixth story
window.
The fire was discovered by a wo-
Z man. who was waiting with her escort
for a taxicab. The name Of the wo-
man is not known. Looking out of
the window of the club house she saw
the reflection of the flames in a plate
glass window across the street.
Rushing to the clerk of the Missouri
Athletic club she cried: Fire" The
clerk. Jack Reisinger, and the night
telephone operator, Norman Roe, be-
gan awakening the guests. Roe rang
the telephone in 98 sleeping rooms.
Reisinger rushed to the Turkish bath
esta blishment to arouse any guests
that might be there. Then he ran
back to the first floor and tried to save
the register Of the club. In this he
failed. He said the register was
knocked from his hands by a man
who ran through the lobby. The reg
ister is believed to be lost.
Reissinger then rushed into the ele-
vator, and went to the fifth floor.
There he awakened Robert c. McGill.
house manager. and Mrs. McGill. Mr..
and Mrs. McGill refused to leave the
building until they had aroused the
guests in 3S rooms. Meanwhile, a
sumably by the night watchman of
the Boatmen's bank. This watch
man, Charles Baumann, was coming
up stairs from the basement when he
saw the reflection OF flames upon the
walls and ceiling of the bank. After
turning in the alarm, he started for
the Washington avenue or main en-
trance of the club, to arouse the
guests The heat in the lobby was sc
intense that he could not enter.
General Alarm Sounded.
When it became known that the
Missouri Athletic club was on fire.
general alarm was sounded and ap-
paratus was rushed to the scene from
all parts of the city. When the fire
men arrived the building was ablaze
Men were jumping from windows ir
their night clothing. others were
~; vp,{nAnU oi11Q
which smoke was pouring and others
were climbing down fire escapes
Some were making ropes out of sheet.
and trying to escape that way.
While the firemen were fighting the
blaze. flames burst from the thirt
story window, cutting of the exit o.
the men who were running down thu
fire escape on the Fourth street side
Streams of water were turned on thu
fire escape at the third floor and al
firemen called out encouraging words
many on the third floor descended
through the streams of water t.
safety. After the fire had been burn
ing an hour, the wall on the Fourth
street side collapsed from the fourth
floor up.
Firemcn Driven Back.
Firemen fell back to the wall Of
building at the opposite side of tn,
street and thus escaped the falling
bricks. One fireman. however, wa
struck by brick. His leg was broken
Assistant Fire Chief Rucker said h
heard three explosions. as he reached
the burning building. At first tn
theory was advanced that the ex
plosions were the work of safe blow
ers who had. tried to rob the hank
Later 1t is suggested that what seem
ed to be the sound of explosions wa
the dropping Of elevators to the base
ment of the building.
Dennis O'Leary, night clerk at tn
Belcher hotel. nearby, said that at tn