Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-09

The roar OF flames cracking like
giant fire crackers awoke me-" he
said, after escaping from the building
Thank God there was a fire escape
in front of my window. / ran down
six flights and saw several men jump
and bounce on the sidewalk like rub
Der balls. i was slightly bruised"
Differ on Number Registered.
Manager Clerk of the club declared
125 persons registered last night.
while the clerk declared later only 80
were in the house. The known dead ::
The directors OF the club appointed
a committee headed by Walter Fritsch
to get a complete list of the missing.
About twelve men escaped from the
fifth floor. One of these was Lewis
Gaylord, an advertising man of New
York, who was asleep when the fire
broke out, but was awakened by
screams Donning a bathrobe he ran
TO the corridor. which was filled with
smoke and rushed to a stairway. The
carpets on the stairs were ablaze and
escape by that method was impossible
The elevator shaft was a furnace and
he started for window opening on
the roof of a seed store Is feet below.
Saves a Blind Man.
In the corridor he heard some one
cry. I'm blind; don't leave me here
to die" The man did~n giye-his
name. Gaylord led him to the room
of Henry Baker, in whose room Gal
lord, Baker and the blind man were
Joined by nine others The IL men
went down a rope OF bed sheets to
the roof OF the seed store and were
rescued. While the men were escap-
inS another man leaped into the room
and fell unconscious to the floor. He
recovered consciousness and quickly
escaped down the rope.
At 6 o'clock the fire was under con-
troll. Property damage at that time
was estimated at s1.O0O.00O. When
the firemen arrived flames were shoot
ing out OF the roof and all windows
above the second floor. Men were
jumping from windows and others
were climbing down ropes made OF
bed clothes tied together. More than
a dozen men who jumped several
stories to the roofs of adjoining build
ings escaped with broken legs or less
serious injuries. Those who escaped
ran about the streets in bath robes or
night clothes. apparently wild. until !
forcibIy carried to neighboring hotels, |
Heroism bordering on the superhuman |
was exhibited by firemen and guests |
Of the club. The fire fighters time |
and again lodged the falling wall |
only to find themselves under another
mass of granite and brick.
Starts in Dining Room.
Theodore Levy, a salesman of Louis
Vile, clung to a window sill until his
hands were scorced almost black. AS
ne was about to let go a fireman
yrasped him and carried him down a
adder. Levy's both legs were injured
md a foot crushed. Levy said later
wo OF the men killed jumped from
he window TO whihc he clung. Roger
dcGilI, manager of the club and his
wife were reused by smoke. They
discovered a fire in the dining room
IN the third floor, and rushed down
he halls knocking at doors waking
,uests. Both were badly burned in
he face. hands and feet Manager
Walter Fritsch OF the St Louis Fed
raj league club was in the hotel, but
escaped uninjured. Manager Nor
lecai Brown OF the st. Louis Fed
rails left the hotel few hours before
he fire.
As walls and floors caved in they
lit burning embers TO the roofs or
structures which for
ime threatened general conflagra-
ion in the heart of the retail district.
ianv guests credited their escape to
youthful telephone boy who remain
d at his post on the ground floor even
fter the firemen began pouring water
IN the building. The fire started
bout 2. a half hour later boilers in the
,asement began to explode.
Police Drive Crowd Back.
The flare OF fire brought thousands
4 spectators TO the scene, only TO
amper the work OF the firemen, until
riven back by the police. Before
onR hundreds OF automobiles belong
* TO members. who had been told OF
ne fire. lined the downtown streets. '
fen and women relatives and !
riends OF victims who were known to I
I've at the club rushed to the hotel '
rom there TO the hospitals and then
D the morgue seeking information 1