Evening star., 1932-06-07
L KNOWN DEAD
IN CLEVELAND FIRE
Others Unaccounted for in
Apartment House Blaze
Started by Blast.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND. Ohio. June ELEVEN
persons were known to be dead and
IL others we're missing in an ex-
plosion and fire which swept a down.
town apartment early today. Four
bodies had been brought out of the
ruins and firemen had sighted four
others. First Assistant Chief James
Nimmo said he was positive more
bodies still were in the ruins.
Bodies of two men and two women
had been recovered Nimmo'S estimate
was based on a check of the number
Of residents with those accounted for.
1t would take hours. firemen said. to
make a complete search of the debris.
About 30 more were burned or in
jured, while the rest of the residents
were saved in dramatic escapes.
Explosion Near Midnight.
The search for bodies began five
hours after an explosion shook the six
story building at East Ninth street and
Superior avenue, in the heart of the
downtown area, at 1890 am. Flames
which engulfed the upper five stories
occupied by the Ellington Apartments
had prevented rescue workers from en-
tering previously.
Ere Chief James E Granger said
circumstances Of the blast would be
fully investigated as to possible inCen-
diar.Sm.
There were about 200 residents in the
apartments, it was estimated by Alva
Bradley. manager of the M. A. Bradley
estate. which owns the building.
st Ero
escapes, scores of screaming women
were rescued by flremen and passersby
and many more Jumped into fire-nets.
Most of the victims were in night
clothing One woman. her nightgown
ablaZe, jumped from a fifth-door WIN
dow and landed on the roof OF a one
story adjacent building.
The known dead were c. F. Warnicke,
&c. who apparently was overcome by
smoke and flames. and Mrs. Anna
Mitchell 70, charWoman, whose body
was badly burned.
More than a score were taken to
Charity Hospital. Others we're given
first aid in the Hotel Hollenden block
away. ard at St. Josephs Cathedral
House, across the street.
The cause of the explosion or where
1t occurred was not learned.
Louis Redfern, who was passing by.
said the explosion appeared to come
from the back of the building Smoke
and flames belched from the windows.
which we're rapidly filled by screaming
and shouting men and women.
Mickey Cochrane, Philadelphia Ath-
letics' catcher, and Cy Peterman,
Philadelphia sports writer travelling
with the team, were among the early
heroes They ran to the scene, OBJ
haJ oIi
low building and helped many out Of
third-hoor windows.
Saved Valued Violin.
Damas Desnoyers. an aged resident,
crouched in the window of a fifth-f1oor
room, refusing the pleas of those below
to Jump. Finally firemen took him
down a ladder and then he explained
he would not risk what he said was
a $50 900 Stradivarius by leaping.
Bradley, who also is shipping mag
nate and owner of the Cleveland In
dians claimed the loss would run as
high as $500 000 He said some resi-
dents told him they noticed gas and
that it might have been possible the
exp p'osion was caused by gas.
The Ellington at one time was one
of the most exclusive residence apart
nlents in Cleveland. Most of its oc-
curants were middle-aged persons who
had Lived there many years.
The building was a shell. its interior
filed with debris. The roof caved In
shortly after the blast. Chief Granger
said he had never seen flames spread so
quickly
Fire Warden J. H. Andrews, who
started an immediate investigation,
said he had been informed by Frank
Fisher. watchman at the Ellington,
that Fisher had been searching yester-
day for a gas leak which tenants had
reported. Fisher said the odor of gas
had been reported in the building yes
terdav