The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-30
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terry connected with the recent terrible
erplosipn IN Boston, the particulars of
which wese! furnished incur tsieghSphie
cplumns, several days ago:
*Tho building in which the singular
Explosion occurred was substantial but
insignificant fotlr-st6fy brick structure,
on the Northwest corner Of LaGrnnge
and Washington streets. It might be
called on ancient landmark, but within
a. few years it had been strengthened
and the exterior rendered somewhat
modern in appearance. The lower floor
was occupied by G. D. Dow & Co. as
drug store, and just at this particular
season, and at the particular moment
when the explosion occurred, it was
chiefly resorted to by those who thirsted
for soda. The upper floors were occu-
pied for various purposes; the extreme
attic being occupied, in part, by n
family, and tailor doing small bust
ness. The intervening floors to the
lower ono were filled with perfect med
10y OF tenants. In one room, n dozen or
more girls were engaged as tailoresses.
and in other parts of the building were
apartments occupied by clairvoyants and
fortune-tellers. At the hour Of the ex-
ploslon, 1t Is believed great many of
the occupants were in, and inasmuch as
they have not been found since, it is
probable that they are buried in the
debris. Descriptions by witnesses of
the terrible disaster do not materially
differ. There was at first bright flash
Of fire, which seemed to leap out of all
tho doors and windows simultaneously.
Then there was a cloud of black smoke,
which was followed almost instantly by
another lightning-like flash, and imme-
diately succeeding this tho whole build
ing settled down in one conglomerated
mass of ruins. It did not topple over
into the street, either on the Washington
or LaGrange street corners, but seemed
to settle down on its own circumference
or territory like ponderous pile of
brick dropped from u high eminence.
Neither was the explosion Of any particu-
laf loudness, but Of sort of deafening
that was sensibly felt throughout the
Immediate vicinity. The street at the
time was full of pedestrians, and all were
stunned and some injured by the shock
and the flying pieces of wood and brick
which were rushed out after striking the
earth.
A Metropolitan horse car was passing
down town at the time, and this was
blown bodily over against the curbstone
on tho opposite side of the street Every
window was broken, and the passengers,
somc twenty in number, were rendered
momentarily insensible by the concus-
sion. Some Of them were also bruised
and cut, but the injuries are not serious.
The horses, too, were rendeaed insensi-
BILE and for a time It was believed that
both of them had been killed. The win
dows in the stores in the Immediate
vicinity were generally broken. 1t is
not improbable that some of the build
ings closely adjoining were serious weak
ened.
After all this, there came a new horror
in the shape of fire. Almost instantly
flames darted up through the ruins, and
work Of the building which had been
spared. If every one in the building
had not been killed outright, it seemed
certain they were to suffer the more ter
rtble fate of being burned to death
Everybody lent n helping hand to extri-
cate and assist the wounded, and not a
few were taken bleeding to their homes,
and, OF course, have not been heard from
since. The fire alarms soon brought the
department to the scene of the disaster,
and the flames were early subdued, al-
though at one time many adjoining
buildings were seriously threatened.
The financial losses are hardly worth
mentioning, not amounting to over
$GO, ,OOO er $40, 900; Of course it is we'll
covered by insurance.
1t is disputed question as to the
cause of the explosion, and it is doubtful
if an investigation, however thorough,
will ever explain it satisfactorily. Mr..
Dow, the druggist, says there was no.
thing whatever in his store sufficiently
powerful to demolish the building 80
effeotually. Many are under the belief
that 1t was the powerful soda fountain
which burst under too heavy charge,
but it is claimed by scientific men that
nothing of that kind could have effected
| such utter demolition Of the building
The theory of gas explosion seems
hardly worth considering, for no one has
| noticed any gaseous odor about tho pre-
| misses, either before or after the calamity.
| 1t ID rumored that some of the clerks in
| the drug store have recently been en-
gagged in experimenting in cellar with
nitro.glycerine, and that it was through
their criminal folly that tho accident oc-
Cured. Mr.. Dow says he is ignorant of
any such experiment having been mNdc,
and. furthermore, he is equally Mt loss
to know what possibly could have been
the cause of the explosion. Mono of the
clerks have been seen since tho calamity,
and it is generally believed that they are
/ in the ruins.
| Tharo woo {1,o ,r;11o,t o~o;ta,-I =.