Page 2-Sunday, January 29, 1978-The Michigan Daily Early morning fire claims 13 guests at Kansas City hotel KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)-A fire early yesterday killed as many as a dozen persons and forced scores of others to flee barefoot and shirtless or leap from the windows of the historic Coates House, a 19th Century luxury hotel now serving as a $12-a-week home ' for the elderly and transients. Police revised the known list of dead to nine Saturday afternoon, but firemen continued to report 13, including two bodies hanging from windows too dangerous to approach. A POLICE dispatcher said, "We're counting what we can confirm, what we have in the morgue and the two we can -see in the windows. It's still too hot. We can't get in." Authorities said 34 persons were missing and firemen feared as many as 30 bodies might still be in the smoldering rubble of the downtown hotel. Several of the victims leaped to their deaths in attempts to escape flames that spread rapidly along ornate woodwork in the structure. Some leaped safely to firemen on ladders. Bitter temperatures-the wind chill factor registered minus 18-hampered firemen and created additional har- dships for many who escaped. FIREMEN SAID they thought all but six rooms in the five-story hotel were rented, and 200 persons may have been living there. The hotel had been inspec- ted .frequently because of its age and size, said fireman J. W. Sheil. "They told me when I first started this job to watch out for this rascal," he said. Kansas Citians and others across the nation responded immediately to pleas of assistance for those left homeless and without belongings. The Salvation Army, which took in about 125 sur- vivors, set up a fund to handle donations. "I JUMPED out the window," said Raymond Kelly, 33, who was grabbed by a fireman on a ladder. "Two other people jumped from where I did. They went all the way down and were killed." Kelly also saw a man with two babies on the ledge of the fourth floor near his room. "I know they didn't make it. No way he could jump with the kids. I could be wrong. I hope so. "THE FIRE was in my room. I woke up and saw fire coming through the door. I came out with one pair of pants. Everything I have is gone. But I call myself lucky. I jumped and I made it. Two other persons jumped and missed." The hotel, registered as an historic landmark, was constructed in the 1860s and its basement was used as a stable during the Civil War. President Grover Cleveland later stayed at the hotel. "It was a good hotel," said Henry Glis, 49, who moved there in Septem- ber. "It was old, but it was for poor people and they liked it. Where else could you get a room for $12 a week?" The hours are long, but that's O.K., the pay is lousy. But as a volunteer you'll get to help America stand a little taller. And you'll stand a little taller yourself. America needs your help or we wouldn't bejasking. Your community needs your help. People 18 or 80: we don't care as long as you do. VISTA is coming alive again. Come alive with us. VISTA. Call toll free: 800-424-8580. VISTA A PublcSerice of Thvs Newspaper c ( o The Adverisng Council Saloons provd1e friendly shelter from the storm By RENE BECKER While most of the Midwest struggled through the worst blizzard anyone cares to recall, wise and warm Ann Ar- borites found "shelter fromt the storm" in the many drinking establishments within walking distance of campus. The volume of business varied from place to place, but generally speaking Ann Arbor bars were inundated with customers. "PHENOMENAL" was how staffer Molly Trezise described business at Dooley's. On the first day of the deluge, Dooley's offered a "blizzard special"-all drinks half price. Trezise said the special was devised to keep people in the bar once they drif- ted in. With firece weather outside and the easy prices inside, the offer proved too much to resist. "Thursday was packed," said Yrezise. And the general ambience of the crowd? "They were wild." EATING WAS also an important part of the "blizzard cocktail scene." Majid Kamfiroozie, a chef at the Lamplighter on East Liberty, said people weren't drinking any more than usual but they were eating more. Many of the "serious" drinkers found refuge at the Del Rio on Washington St. Jim Benham of the Del Rio staff called the bar a "haven in the storm." Benham said many employes had to work overtime to fill in for staffers who couldn't make it in. "Even the owner cleaned the bar because the janitor lives out of town." MAXINE BIWER, bartender at Mr. Flood's Party, said many customers were skiing in. Bpt not all saloon keepers enjoyed windfall profits from the storm. Several bars were forced to close because of the lack of customers. Ann Arbor's landmark Pretzel Bell was forced to shut down. Owner Clint Castor said last Thursday was "the fir- st time we were forced to close since Prohibition." "We closed on Thursday because we couldn't get any merchandise or any people to come down," said Castor. THE STORM also closed the Second Chanceeon East Liberty. "We didn't have enough people (workers)," Second Chance manager Dave Rogers said. The rock and roll bar reopened Friday morning but business was off, Rogers said. "On Friday night we did about a third of the business we expec- ted to do." Bad road conditions also closed down the new night club in town, The Earle, on Washington St. Manager Mary Lou Webster said, "Staffers live out of town and couldn't get to work." ANOTHER PROBLEM caused by bad roadswas lack of deliveries. Dooley's ran out of hot dogs and Molson's beer, the Lamplighter ran out of pizza cheese, Flood's is still running low on draught beer, and Cottage Inn ran out of eggs. Deliveries have started up again and drastically diminished supplies are slowly being replenished. Most taverns have reopened and will try to handle all the customers that come their way despite shortages. Benham at the Del Rio was confident about his supply. "We'll be able to get all the drunks as drunk as they want to be," he said. Milliken goes military AP Photo Gov. William Milliken arrives at his Lansing office via a National Guard armored personnel carrier. Milliken has asked for federal help to dig the state out of the snow. Few students straggle to class, city road's clogged (Continued from Page 1) the State Highways and Transportation bureau said all major roads in the area were open. "We are in snow condition red, and have been since Wednesday," Johnson said. "We're struggling to clear all the county roads. So far our major p. oblem is the wind and abandoned cars." THE CITY Department of Streets and Traffic personnel had a more dif- ficult time with the snowy obstacles. John Robbins, Department Director said that all city streets would not be cleared until sometime next week-provided the wind dies down and predictions for more snow prove false. "The city is operating largely with rented equipment and contractors," Robbins said. "We've rented five graders and four front-end loaders to clear the snow." The city's trucks are not big enough to handle the snow ac- cording to Robbins. "WE SHOULD have all the residen- tial areas cleared out by today," he said. "Tomorrow we should start hauling out the downtown area. We've hired an outside contractor to clear away that snow.'' A spokesman for the Bureau of Towed Cars said the department's of- ficers have been "awfully busy" get- ting cars towed away and processing the paperwork. "The cars can stay where they are until the plows come through," he said. "Then they call us, and we haul them away. I've got a book, two feet thick with towed cars. It's driving me crazy." He predicted that towing operations would be completed by Wednesday or Thursday. I AATA Director Carl Gunther said the AATA buses were running on all main routes. "We've had buses running every 30 minutes between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.," he said. MANY AREA businesses remained closed. Stores, bakeries and bars ex- perience difficulties getting supplies and have shut down for the duration of the storm. Other restaurants and businesses are cutting back on menu choices. Dennis Seris, spokesman for the Real Seafood Co. estimated the restaurant's business was off considerably. The restaurant is open during regular hours but the seafood market is closed due to lack of supplies. "We would have done triple the amount of business," he remarked. "Maybe it will pick up tonight." Pizza Bob's owner reported business booming, although they too have ex- perienced difficulty in obtaining sup- plies. "We've been busier than heck," he said. "We're running out of some supplies now. Michele Golden, a Food Mart em- ploye reported brisk business and sup- ply problems. "We've had trouble get- ting stuff. Most of our supplies are run- ning out." Business during the past few days has been extremely slow, but nights have been busier than normal, said George Panon, owner of the Brown Jug. The Brown Jug has avoided some of the problems other businesses have developed and picked up their supplies from the wholesalers. Panon registered some apprehension concerning the coming week. "We've got, to get ready for next week. There's going to be another blizzard. We've got to get' enough supplies." LA Snatoa Group subpoenaed in King investigation T4 w Shetlands eel, KA fn IVIII Udin ABE MG WASHINGTON (AP)-The House assassinations committee has sub- poenaed J. B. Stoner and several associates of his National States Rights Party for its investigation of the mur- der of Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr., a congressional source said yesterday. The source, who declined to be iden- tified, said the committee wants to question Stoner about his assertions that an FBI informant offered him $25,000 to have King assassinated and $2,000 to blow up a church in Bir- mingham, Ala. The source said the panel also wants to learn more about Stoner's activities with the party and his relationship with James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to killing King and whom Stoner represen- ted as an attorney, and Ray's family. The investigators want to find out whether Stoner's activities "are in any way directly connected with the assassination of Dr. King," the source said. Stoner was indicted recently on a charge of dynamiting a black church in Birmingham in 1958. He pleaded in- nocent and was set free on bond while awaiting trial. The source said the committee sub- poena has been prepared and approved. But Stoner had notreceived it by late yesterday. 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