Omaha daily bee., 1914-03-18
TH1RTY.MLE WIND IS BLOWING
Men Exploring Scene Of St. Louis
Disaster Warned Back in Time.
MANY ARE UNACCoUNTED FOR
Person Found Transfixed by Piece
of Scantling.
WINDOW SILL SAVES ONE MAN
office Empioye Grabs ~ aud Hangs
UntiI Firemen Rcscue Him
Priests Give Last Rites
20 injured.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-. March 17.-Two per.
sons we're killed. fifteen were buried un-
der debris, and about ten were injured
when the west wall OF the Missouri Ath-
letlc club building. which was destroyed
by fire In which thirty-one persons lost
their lives week ago, collapsed today
and crashed through four-story building
occupied by the st. Louis Seed company.
A thirty-mile wind caused the collapse OF
the wall, which was seven stories high.
A few minutes before the collapse.
Building Commissioner McKelvie, who
was directing 40 men In the work OF OK
ploring the ruins OF the club, feared tho
wall would fall and ordered his men out
OF the debris This action probably pre-
vented a heavy loss OF life.
The four-story building occupied by the
st Louis Seed company had weakened,
apparently, during the burning OF the
Missouri Athletic club building, which
adjoincd II on the east, and when the
brick wall crashed on the roof Of the
tour-story building. the walls Of the iattor
gave way and all above the second floor
orumbled.
Many Unaccounted Fer.
Hoursa fter the accident Il was impose
sible TO determine how many had been
buried in the ruins. Many doubtless -.
capped, but tonight ten to fourteen were
unaocounted for. In addition six injured
had been taken from the ruins, two were
known to be dead and several stiil were
In tho debris.
James Cobb. an employe OF the seed
company. apparently was dangerously
hurt, but he directed the work Of the
rescuers who tried to extricate him from
the ruins.
Electric lights were strung ebout the
debris that pinioned him. and while tho
woFlSmen tusged at the heavy timbers
Rev. Father Kennedy. a Catholic priest,
administered 70 him ths last rites Of the
church, Father Kennedy, also adIfiirsls-
tered last rites to another man buried
In the debris. Two other priests worked
Ein the ruins giving last rites to the In
jured
The body OF q man was lying across the
body OF Cobb when tho roscuers reached
him. This man had ben transfixed by q
piece OF scantiing.
Pinioned ia Basement.
An aged man was found pinioned in
the basement OF the seed company build
ing. To take him out alive It seemed neo-
essary 10 release him by amputating his
leg. Physicians injected morphine iato
the pinioned leg and we're able to ampu-
tate when worknen succeeded in moving
the debris, thereby releasing the injured
man.
In the seed company building at thu
time Of she accident were ten or twelve
customers, three women and flv or six
men office employees and a large number
OF workmen engaged in repairing the
building which had been damaged by the
Missouri Athlete club fire.
All the customers In the building are
believed to have escaped with slight or
no injuries. The injured were for the
most part office employees OF the seed
company or worxmen repairing the ruins
William RoebIing, an office employe OF
the seed company, grabbed third floor
window sill as the walls crashed down
and hung there until firemen rescued
him.