Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-12-18
EXPLOSION.
Total Destruction of a Dwelling
House.
several Of a Family ShOckiHgIy
Burn Gd--sEiracuiOns Escape.
EOss $4,000.

Prom toe Cleveland (OhiO) Herald o
a recent date, we learn that Mr.. L.
NJ. Hubby, President OF the Cleveland
aud Columbus Railroad, on the night O.
the 9Th inst, had his elegant mansion
blown up and burnt by the escaping gss
| from patent retorf, situated in en- out
| house, bat connected with the building
| by means of gss main. Mr.. Hubby
himself had descended into the cellar to
| investigate the leak, holding a candle in
| his hand, and passing along, examined
| this pipe closely. Net discovering the
! exact locale Of the leak, he, when aOout
! the middle of the floor, set the candle
down upon the floor, snd in an instant
an explosion took place, producing a
noise equal il volume to loud peal OF
thunder. What happened in the next
few moments is blank TO Mr.. Hubby.
At the time Of the explosion there were
five people in the house besides Mr.. Hub
by. Miss Ella, daughter Of Mr.. Hubby,
Frank, his son, and Franks wife, were
ail in the library. Mrs. Hubby was in a
room near by, and an old lady, mother
OF Mr.. Hubby, was in q bSek room on
the second floor. The force of the explo-
sion doubled the floor of the library to-
ge.ner, and then it dropped almost bodily
into the cellar beneath. Frank found
himself cropping about Ia the ruins st the
bottom OF the basement, almost before
ne knew that anything had happened.
his wife was s0on after discovered by
Mr.. EStep Hear an opening in the build
ing, where, few moments before win
dow hsd been, calling for soma one to
tsk5 her out. How she got there she
does not know, but s1pposes that she was
blown there. Miss Ella was first seen
after the shock on the lawn in front Of
the house, her clothes eli ia . blaze,
From this perilOus condition she was res.
eued by many citizens, who put out the
flames after she had sustained few not
very serious burns. Mrs. Frank HUBBY
was released from her perilons position
by Mr.. Estep, who then turned his at
tentiOn to the other members of the fam
ly. Bursting open the bsek hail door he
found the grandmother standing by il IN.
injured and vainly trying some Way to
undo the fastening. She says the first
she knew o. the accident the ceiling OF
the room began to fall upon her, she saw
the walls roez, and then heard a report
mingled with the crashing Of glass. She
knew that something teTrible had hap
pened, and instiBctively sought the back
stairs, down which she rapidly sped, and
so saved herself. Sle was burning a
coal oil lSmp ia her room at the time.
and the apartment did not take fire so
quickly as did th0ae into which the gas
pipes extended. Bor time il was feared
that the wife of Mr. Hubby had been
buried in the ruins or killed outright bv
the explosion, but an extended search re- /
vealed her, with her son in-lsw, Col.
Dcu6ledsy's f5mily, safe aud uniniursd.
with the exception of slight burn on
one OF her hands. How abe got out
upon the ground is q mystery TO her.
The first she rememb bers she was running
to the Colonel's as fast as she could. Ia.
with the explosion the
whole house, from cellar to gsrret. took !
fire. NeighbOrs who boxed out after
the roar had died away saw the fl ames
bursting from every aperture ia the
So tisrps was it from the first
that no mortal power could qQencn it.
and so RELENTLESS WAS it in its fury that
,>-s----.Etr1s vvzz=vrI-vrvrc " rvEITrI rU5Cu
ESCAPED the general destruction.
Those versed Ia the manufacture OF
sss all agree ss to the theory OF the cause
Of the explosion. Most OF the patent gas,
and especially that such as used By Mr.. |
HUBBY, Is delser than the atmosphere,
and consequently sinks to the surface TO- !
itGlAL Va AAotIE, csc NOE5 III !
BY the city. Then sgain, the patent gas |
las DO pereepti0le Odor, and its presence !
n room can be discovered only by |
hose whose sense OF smell is particularly |
.eute. Hence, if there should be a leak !
lge in pipe conveying this kind OF gas !
{ would not be discovered from the dis |
agreeable odoF, End could only be de-
ected by personal examination by an |
expert, or by applying the Dostriis close /
% the earth or floor. While, therefore,
Mr. Hubby held his candle in his hand /
IS he walked along, the flames did not |
,Ome in contact with the escaped gas |
md 20 serious consequences eBsusd. AS |
oon, however, as he set the light down |
he flame came Within the reseh Of the |
mass CT gas which had settled close to /
he 4 Dor and sn explosion took place. |
10 this Instance no one was to blame for /
he accident.