The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-03-10
Fire Chief and Commissioners
Had Given Occupants of Ill
fated Missouri Athletic FIRE.
quent Warning.
FIREMEN ENTER THE
SMOKING RUINS TODAY
Two More Bodies Recovered
This Morning, One that of
Prominent New York
Banker
[By Leased Wire to Evening Herald. J

[By Leased Wire to Evening Herald
- Louis, March l0-FIremcu tate
this morning entered the ruins of tho
Missouri Athletic club which was de-
stroyed 10y fire earls Aiundas, and
recovered two bodies This brings
the total number Of bodies recovered
TO ten. OF theme eight have been
Identified. Twenty-Five bodies are
still believed to be in the ruins.
One Of the two bodies was iden-
Titled as that of 4. r. williams
banker of New York. The body was
fully dressed and unmarried. Appar-
entity hc had been suCrocatsd Tho
other body was burned beyond rec
ognition. n was found ln the same
room on the sixth floor In which
Williams body was found
The tenth body was found under "a
pile OF debris Ia "A fifth floor room
one Of the bodies was identified by
two employees of the Grub az that of
Marshall Bier. head of Marshall Bier
a Company, fur dealers Of St Louis
a third body was identified as that
Of VIM. J. Kinser. treasurer OF the
Hinser Construction company. ST.
Louis
Joseph Woifson OF CaruihersviIle.
Mo. who was reported last night as
among the missing, IL safe.
Careful checking up Of those known
to be al the Missouri Athletic club
sunday nieht and those heard from
SINCE the firo resulted In a death bis,
of thirty-onc, This number may be
slightly increased.
a message was received az police
headquarters today inquiring as to
the safety Of John Day This mes
sage was sent by - r. Robinson OF
BROOKLYN. y. Y Mr. Day was not
listed IN previous reports 81 the
missing
BGildiug Was Unsafe.
Fire chief swinglcy said today that
six or seven months ago he warned
the management of the Missouri Ath-
letic club that the club building was
mot safe for sleeping quarters
II found conditions particularly
bad on the three upper floors" said
the chief THE building was not
constructed Tor hotel purposes but
for "a business house. II had not
sprinkler system That was taken
out when the building was converted
into a club house"
James a Smith. former buldinH
commissioner said today that he re-
fused te approve The southwest fire.
escape because n ran directly across
the windows - held" ne said
that IN ease Of fire. Flames. hurst
ing from the windows would cut off
escape and That Is exactly what hap
pened
Former building Commissioner
Smith said he had ordered the board
.of governors 10 put In two fire stair
ways Ia the club house.
The EoeSrnqrs objected" said
Smith "and ! cited thcm into court
after interminahle wrangling sue
cscdsd lea getting the club to put In
proper fire stairway enclosed In
concrete. with fire doors on each
floor ! fought this case for three
years I was harassed at every step
with changes of venue. contluuanccs
and compromises.
I'D Rornmuellrr. secretary Of the
club said the members often had dis
cussed the danger of fire.
'Still we could not jump into the
street" he said I'VE anticipated no
such tragedy. The building WAS pro-
yided with enough fire escapes we
thought, as we'll as hose Feels, fire
buckets and eNtingulshers on every
floor"
The name Of William r. Borders.
president of the Bank of Sparta.
sparta lll was added 10 the list OF
missing today He arrived In ST.
Louis sunday niaht too late 90 catch
a train for Kansas City and went 60
tho club for the night
The body in the morgue thought
yesterday to be that Of Aiicn r. Ham
cock was Identified today as that OF
l.. =. Ruff, department manager for
the simmons Hardware company 81.
Louis This Identification was made
hy Ruffs brother-in-iaw and by a
friend
BanLN vaults Intact.
The vaults Of the Boatnon's bank.
- hich occupied part OF the first
floor of the club building. were un-
covered this afternoon and found in-
tact. The doors were opened hy Of
ficials of the bank ana the removal
OF the money then hegan. The first
load taken out consisted Of stO0. 600
In gold, silver and currency The
vaults contained more than Si.sO0.-
600.