Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-15
DEADLY GASOLINE.

"A Barrel OF inc DNuSCAVuS
in an Alliance (OJ Business Block
. Three buildings Demolished, Seven
Peonle Killed and Nine Badly Injured.
ALLIANCE, O., Feb. 2-About four
O'Clock yesterday afternoon a terrible eX-
plosion occurred in the business center OF
the CITY. Glass in windows for blocks
along Main street was shattered, and con-
sternation reigned supreme. Men lost their
senses, and smoke and dust covered every
thing for a radius of a quarter of q mile.
When the horrible cloud arose It was dis
covered that the explosion had occurred
at the brick business block OF F. II.
Orr, occupied on the first floor as a
stove and tin store, and on the second and
third stories as tenement apartments. The
block was leveled to the ground, and two
brick blocks, one on each side, succumbed
to the shock, while others, farther away,
were shattered, riddled, and badly injured.
In a few moments flames arose from the
r1ins and the fire alarm was sounded. Such
excitement prevailed that the fire gained so
much Roadway as TO nearly consume the
ruins. and burned two houses before it was
got under control.
Meanwhile the scere was narrowing in
the extreme. 1t was known that six or
more pe@ple were killed or were then inn
prisoned in the wreck, and would perish by
fire. Men, women and children, bare
headed, wringing their hands, and relatives
of the inmates of the buildings destroyed,
wandered about i'll despair at their inability
to save the unfortunates. f. NJ. Orr, Elmer
Orr, his son, Mrs. Homer Highland, his
daughter, Mrs. Frank Evans, and
two children aged two and four
months. were known to have
been in the building at the time of the eX-
plosion. These all persisted. The women
and children were in the second and third
stories, and are supposed to nave been
killed by falling walls. Mr.. Orr and son
were both spoken to while confined under
the debris, but were burned to death. Many
were also wounded.
The list of the killed and manned, so far
as known, is as follows:
KILLED-Mr. Orr. proprietor of the store
and block; Elmer Orr, his son; Mrs. Homer
Highland, Mr.. Orr's daughter: Mrs. Frank
Evans; two small children OF Mrs. Evans,
s sxed tw EsspestizSiidY s t%G 81 SfMSr Mrs. AID Hix fS'n mon'hs'
INJURED-Robert Joyce, Jerry Miller, Frank
Evans, Maggie Miller, Frank Fries, John
Baker, ]. ID. Lewis.
Besides those above named there were
two or three others in the store at the time
of the explosion whose names have not
been learned, but who were spoken with
beneath the ruins before life had been
crushed or burned out of them. At present
all those previously known to have persisted
have been eXtricated from the debris. Some
OF these are charred and mangled beyond
recognition.
The scenes Immediately following the dis
acfnr y-nra we'll on1a,lafaI tn ffaot tln most
Indifferent. The buildings were an indie
scribe mass Of ruins. Men and women
rushed about frantically beseeching that
something be done. Homer Highland,
whose wife and child persisted in the flames,
was almost beside himself with grief and
horror, as was also Frank Evans, whose
wife and two children likewise persisted.
Mrs. Orr was completely Frustrated by the
shock.
The great loss of life resulted from the
fact that the second and third stories were
used as dwellings. The persons within
were not all killed outright, as could he too
plainly told by their audible but unavaiIing
cries for help. Every means that could be
was used to rescue the victims, but the rap
id spread Of the flames, Notwithstanding the
heroic efforts of the fire company, soon
drove the rescuers back. The grocery store
of MIR. Mcconnell, adjoining, had some sew.
en- or eight persons in it, but all Of them
were dragged out not severely hurt.
The explosion was caused from fumes Of
gasoline, a child Of Mr.. Orr having turned
the faucet in a gasoline barrel, allowing the
fluid to run out Oh the floor. Mr.. Orr was
hopping up when the gas arising from the
oil ignited from a gaslight and the explosion
occurred. John Curry and Charles II.
Hayden, Of Duprez & Benedict's Ministries,
were blown out of Orr's store through
a plate-glass window and carried clear
across the street, where they were picked up
badly injured, and carried to a hotel, but
will recover.
The Orr block was one of the finest in the
city and was completed only last fall. 1t is
a total wreck, as are the Miller block and
the building occupied by Mr.. Fullerton as a
leather store and by Miss Stanley as a
millinery establishment. A reasonable es-
innate of the value of the property de-
stroyed would be $50, 600, a very small
part Of which was covered by insurance.