West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-03-12
THIRTY-FIvE
THOUGHT DEAD.
Ruins Of Clubhouse In 81. Louis
Being Searched
EIGHT BODIES ARE RECOVERED
NUMBER 20

N"' VI" FHe Wnlch Destroyed
Beautiful Building In Missouri Me.
tropolis-Blg Fire In ciar<sburu, w.
Va Traps Several Persons; Five
Badly Hurt In Escaping.
81. Louis, March i0.-That from
thirty TO thirty-hve guests OF tho Mis-
souri, Athletic club perished In the
namos that destroyed tho building is
Tho belief OF the officers OF the club.
Seven bodies have beon recovered
and from twentythreo TO twenty-eight
occupants of the structure stil are
unaccounted for.
seventeen persons who were in
jurod i0.tho fire were undor treatment
at public and private hospitals.
1he death toll may run as high as
htty, since several guests arc believed
to have spent the night ut the club.
The identified dead:
l.. A. Run, st. Louis.
A. ]. Odegard. st. Louis.
Edwin G. Kesslor. ST. Louis.
John NJ. Hickey. Chicago.
James ID. Reilly, 81. Louis.
William -. lird East st. Louis, Ill.
Two unidentified bodies.
The badly injured are:
u. M. Stott, ST. Louis. left hip frac-
tured, internal injuries.
Ben II. Williams. left log fractured, IN.
ternal injuries; in serious condition.
l.. l.. Leonard, ribs fractured. feet
crushed. hurt internally.
Lee Wolf. merchant at Carruthers-
vile, Mo-; contuslons and possible
fracture OF spine.
Charles Schlmel. Chicago; both legs
broken and internally injured.
The cause of the fre still was n
mystery today. Reports that the bIazo
was accompanied by terrific ex-
plosiOn indicating that the fire was
duo 60 efforts OF bank robbers trying
to dynamite into the Boatmen's bank
were unconnrmed. Reports OF ex-
plosions were denied by the night
watchman OF the bank.
The blaze was tho fourth serious
fro In the downtown district of ST.
Louis I'm eight days. Il completely
wrecked the seven-story building occu.
pied Jointly by the Missouri Athletic
club and by the Boatmen's bank,
caused property loss estimated at
100000 and by destroying the list of
entries and other club records forced
the abandonment OF the intercollegiate
track meet that was 10 have been held
In ST. Louis under the auspices OF tho
club next Saturday night.
Tho FIRE. which was discovered by a
woman who was waiting In 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.
Dramatic escapes we're numerous.
One OF the most spectacular was that
OF twelve or thirteen men who de-
scended from n fifth floor window TO
the roof OF an adjoining four.story
building by means OF an improyised
rope made out OF two sheets. One
guest escaped by leaping over a
chasm ten feet wide 10 the roof OF
an adjoining building six stories below.
Thirteen men escaped from the fifth
floor Of the building by sliding down
n rope made out OF two sheets. They
landed on the roof OF seed store. The
story OF the escape was told by Lewis
GAYLORD, an advertising man OF New
York.
AS the men stood on the roof OF the
seed store they saw iJout twenty mon
at tho windows OF the sixth and
seventh floors OF the athletic club. One
jumped Co the seed store roof and
broke HIS log.
Gaylord and others went 10 the edge
OF the roof and shouted for help. Fire
men raised a ladder through a trap
door. but when tho men on the roof
drew up the ladder aod sought 20 res.
cue those at the windows above the
ladder proved too short. Another lad.
der was sent up n the Gaylord party
descended without waiting 20 see
whether the men on the upper floors
wero saved They think, however.
that all who crowded the windows
were rescued.