The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-06


BODIES.
From the Baltimore papers we take the
following particulars of the sewcr-gas eN-
pIosion in that city Wednesday, by which
two children lost their lives
The force Of the explosion on Chew
street was not sufficiently great to do dam
age to any OF the property ON this street,
except 10 the sewer itself On the west side
al Bond street about dozen houses had
the lights broken. and about three on the
east side. The explosion caused break
acc in q watcr-mun. which threw large
stream OF water TO a considerable height.
4 cohhlc-stonc weighing about fifteen
rounds was hurled through the closed
doors Of Anton Sima's saloon, Bond and
Abbott streets, against the counter. at the
extreme end of the room. and through
some cause the hung and all The beer were
forced ont OF a kCg. and MIR. Sima, who
was drawing q gl-SS Of beer, became 50
scared when the stone struck the counter
that ne ran away. the kcg. in the mean
time. running dry. young man named
Otto Banded had lett almost the exact spot
where the stone fell only a minute pre-
Viou>lv. Mrs. Sima, who was sick aud
very weak, was very much Frustrated by
the shock. and 80 was at first thought lhil
the shock % her nervous system would
proyc fatal. hut she was somewhat I'M
proved wednesday night.
The pupils OF The c0lored school. Bond
and chew streets. hearing the explosion,
became pqnic->.rickcn and rushed into the
street. some going through the windows.
but were soon brought back 10y Tie prlnci-
pal.
: man who was repairing an awning on
the corner of Bond and Chew streets was
almost thrown OF his hddcr. and his watch
stoned precisely at the moment of the eN-
plo,ion. and two or three women tainted
from fright.
Mir. Jacob Hoffman, leader OF 4 band
hearing his name. said that he was in the
third story OF his house. No. 2G6 Bond
street. NJ the time Of the explosion. and The
reporf WAS q REGULAR sound, OF the loud
ness 81 half-doZcn of cannon. The whole
house shook. and hearing the women IN the
lower part OF the house screaming, he
Thought. a. the old run was under the
house. that the house WAS sinking, several
house, i'm this ncighborhoOd having sunk
during a heavy rain some years ago. n
man told Mr. Hoffman that his window
cla>> would be paid FOR. Mr.. Hoffman re-
piled tina, he wanted So for his "skcar-
ness"
Mr.. Wilson was at her stove, and when
Che heard the report she thought that
uowder i'm the stove had exploded. She
tainted i'm a chair. and did not revive Tor
fifteen minutes. OtherneighborS gave SIM
liar expressions. ~
The report was heard at q great distance
from the place OF occurrence. IL Is GER
tainlv very fortunate and truly miraculous
tIat only two children were killed. The
pl9te which covered the man-hoic, and
weighing about TWENTY-FIVE pounds. wa,
thrown q distance OF fifteen feet. ana broke
the step, of house No. ZIG Chew street. ana
large stones were thrown in all directions,
and no one received even scratch there ny
Robert SWEET SAYS that be accidentally
dropped a cigarette into the man-holc. \
child six wears Of age. named Bechman,
who WAS present at the time, saws thai
Master SWEET lit match and threw 1t INTO
the sewer, and Billy Nasnc>S, u'e years on
aye. states that SWEET ignited bunch OF
rae, and threw them into the tunnel. Mas
ter SWEET was locked mp in the Northeast
ern station 10 await the action Of the cOr0-
ner's jury.
Tie damage 10 the sewer will he about
$1,000: damage TO surrounding property,
$50. Persons from all parts Of the city
visited the scene Yesterday and stayed Tor
bolus. Lieutenant Barber and Sergeants
Carroll and Shcin and the other officers
djd much service at the scene OF deStruc-
ton. .,.-.,,
known sanitary engineer, IN speaking OF
the explosion. said that. in his opinion,
without having visited the spot. II wa,
caused bv a collection OF illuminating ea,
or carhurcttad hydrogen, as ordinary sewer
,o, (sulphuretted hydrogen will not ignite
cXccut under extraordinary circumstances
NOT likely 10 have occurred in this ease.
lie had no doubt that in building the sewer
the Joint Of a gas-main had become lOosened
i'm some way. thus causing leakage, which
had filled the sewer. lie did not see how
AN explosion could have occurred had the
sewer been properly ventilated. as Is done
I'm England. I'm London, for instance,
ventilation j. secured by the erection OF
brick towers az intervals along the line OF
the sewer. \ coke fire Is Kept AWAY,
burningin these shafts, causing an upward
draft. which draws In and consumes al
noxi0u, and dangerous gases.
About neon it was rmored that two
small children, Alexander Mccarthy and
Andre Hinternacht, were missing, aud il
wa. thought that they were buried in the
sunkcn sewer. At first it was hoped that,
. like many other rumor> which had oriSi-
mated thercabouts, this one was without
foundation.
About 1870 p. ". Mr.. Charles y. Hook,
SUPERINTENDENT Of the tunnel, set mum
her of men at work 10 remove the dEbrtS
fstoncS and earth abOutsthe place where il
WAS thought the children were buried
After quarter Of an hours work lat
was uncarthed which Mr.. Alexander
Mccarthy identified as that Of his child
About balf-past o'clock, after digging t
a depth of about eight feet, one OF The
laborers threw down his shovel, and cross
ing himself, exclaimed:
..Mv God; here j. the child"
4 portion Of the head was in view, an(
after removing more dirt the child wa
found living upon its face, with its legs i'm
bedded in the ground, in an upright posi-
ton. IL was identified a Mr.. Mccarthy
hoy. Bruises produced by the stones, &c
were found on the entire body, ana tii
face and head were slightly cut, but iror
the condition OF the mouth II Is belleNe
that the little fellow died from sulocatlon
When the first body had been found
was evident that the other missing chill
WAS also i'm the sewer, Is they had beel
seen together The labOrers continues
their work, and about fifty minutes late
the second body, that OF little Andre Hin
ternacht. $50 Chew street, was found lyin
on his right side. Upon examination
bad cut was discovered on the right side
his skull. and his face was very red ant
badly swollen.
Tie BOYS were each six years OF age, am
had been seen crossing the stree, together
The strange part Of the accident to The III
lie ones Is that they were almost at the bot
I'm ~ the innnel. whilst the maiOr POI