Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-02-07
THE DEADLY GASOLINE.
Six Lives Lost by an Explosion at
Alliance, o.
The Terrible Consequences Following
aChiId's CareIessness I'm Turning
Fauaet i'm it's Fathers Store.

ALLIANCE, o., February l.--About
O'Clock this afternoon q terrible ex-
plosiOn occurred in the business center
of the city. The glass i'm the windows
for blocks along Main street was shat
tered, and CONSERVATION reigned su-
preme. Men lost their senses, and
dust covered everything for radius of
a quarter of mile. When the horrible
cloud arose it was discovered that the
explosion occurred at the brick business
block of +. NJ. Orr, occupied by him
on the first floor as stove and tin
store, the second and third stories be-
ing used for tenement apartments.
His block was leveled to the ground,
and two brick blocks, one on each side,
succumbed to the shock. while others
further away We're shattered, riddled,
and badly injured. In few moments
flames arose from the ruins and the fire
alarm was sounded. Such excitement
prevailed that the fire gained so much
headway as to nearly consume the ruins
and burned two houses before it was
got under control.
: Meanwhile the scene was narrowing
in the extreme. 1t was known that six
or more people were killed, or were
then imprisoned in the wreck and
would perish by the fire. Men, women,
and children, bare headed and wiring
ing their hands, and relatives of the in
mates of the building destroyed, wan
dered about in the hopelessness of des-
pair at ther inability to save the in
mates.
THE LIST OF THE DEAD.
f. NJ. Orr.
Elmer Orr, his son.
Mrs. Homer Highland, daughter.
Mrs. Frank Evans.
Two children,
Who were aged about two and four
months, were knOwnsto have been in
the building ut the time of the explo-
sion. These all perished. The women
and children were in the second and
third stories, and are supposed to have
been killed by the falling wall. Mr..
Orr and son were both spoken to while
confined under the debris, but were
burned to death. These bodies were all
recovered at 10 o'clock tonight, and
were SO crushed and charred as to be
hardly recognizable. They were ta.
ken to Sharer's undertaking establish
ment, where the scene baffied descrip.
ton.
The only person in the Orr building
known to have escaped was Frank Ev.
ans, whose wife and children perished
Besides those killed, the following have
broken limbs or are cut and bruised by
flying timber, &C.: Robert Joyce
Frank Evans, Frank Fries, J. ID. Lewis
esq, JegsF Miller, Maggie Miller, and
John Baker.
The explosion was caused by the
fumes from gasoline. A child Of Mr.
Orr turned the faucet in barrel, anC
the oil ran out on the floor. Mr.. Orr wa.
mopping it up when the gas raising
thereform ignited from the gaslight.
| John Currey and Charles III. Hayden
of Duprez 4 Bendict's MINISTRIES, were
blown out of Orr's store through plate
glass window, and carried clear across
the street, where they were picked up
badly injured, and carried to their ho
tel. They will recover.
The damage is estimated at from
500, 900 to $780, 900; partly insured. Busi
ness was entirely suspended in the citj
after the explosion. The minstrel Ell
tertainment was declared off. 1t il
thought that all the bodies have beer
| discovered