May 15, 1929: A fire at the Cleveland Clinic, then as now one of America's finest medical care and research facilities, kills 123 people, including one of its founders, Dr. John Phillips.
What is now the Clinic's Main Campus opened on February 26, 1921, on the East Side of Cleveland, 4 miles east of Public Square, with a mailing address of 9500 Euclid Avenue (U.S. Route 20), but stretches from 86th Street to 107th Street, and from Chester Avenue to Cedar Avenue.
On May 15, 1929, nitrocellulose X-ray films stored in the basement of the outpatient building ignited. An explosion sent a cloud of toxic oxides of nitrogen and carbon though the building. The toxic fumes killed more people than the fire did.
A dozen investigating agencies were not able to determine what had caused the fire. The Clinic's own inquiry narrowed the possible causes down to spontaneous combustion caused by heat, a discarded cigarette or match, and contact with an extension cord light hung over a stack of films.
Patient care services resumed 5 days later. The 1921 building was completely renovated, and a new three-story clinic building, with a new main entrance, was added in 1931. A major expansion, including the The Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Pavilion and the Glickman tower, both named for high-donating couples, opened in 2008.
The Miller Family Pavilion
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May 15, 1929 was a Wednesday. These baseball games were played that day:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians, 7-1 at League Park, 29 blocks west of the Cleveland Clinic. Joe Schaute outpitched George Pipgras. Lou Gehrig hit a home run, but Babe Ruth went 0-for-4. Later in the season, Ruth would hit hit 500th career home run at League Park, but the Indians would win that game, too.
* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 12-3 at the Polo Grounds. "Jersey Joe" Stripp, a native of Harrison, hit 2 home runs for the Reds. Bill Terry went 1-for-4, Mel Ott went 0-for-3 with a walk, and Travis Jackson went 3-for-3 with a walk, but it wasn't enough.
* The Brooklyn Robins lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-4 at Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers called themselves the Robins while Wilbert Robinson was their manager, from 1914 to 1931.) Babe Herman hit a 3-run home run for the team then known as "The Daffiness Boys," soon to become "Dem Bums." But Paul Waner and Lloyd Waner each went 2-for-5, and Lloyd also had an RBI.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Braves, 7-4 at Braves Field in Boston.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5 at Navin Field in Detroit. (That ballpark was renamed Briggs Stadium in 1938 and Tiger Stadium in 1961.) A's pitcher Rube Walberg hit a home run, but was knocked out of the box in the 5th inning. Jimmie Foxx went 1-for-5. Mickey Cochrane went 2-for-3 with 2 walks.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 8-4 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* And the St. Louis Browns beat the Washington Senators, 5-3 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
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