The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-08

Seven Lives Lost, IA Many More Persons
Injured and Four Buildings Demolished
by an Explosion of Gasoline at Alliance.
Ohio.
ALLIANCE, o., Feb. I.
The most dreadful disaster that ever &C.
Cured in the city of Alliance befell us
about four o'clock this afternoon. At that
hour a terrific explosion Of gasoline took
place in the store of F. NJ. Orr, theresult Of
which was the entire demolition of the Orr
block, together with the Miller building or
the west side and two frame buildings on
the east side. But great as was the loss Of
property, it is as nothing compared to the
loss of life which resulted from the explo
sion.
The following are the names Of those
known to ave lost their lives:
f. N. Orr, proprietor Of the store and
block.
Elmer Orr, his son.
Mrs. Homer Highland, his daughter.
Atwo-year-old son of Mrs. Homer High.
land.
Mrs. Frank Evans.
Two small children of Mrs. Frank Evans,
aged respectively two years and four
months.
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 positively known to have per.
ished have been extricated from the de.
gled beyond recognition. The work, how.
ever, of clearing away the rubbish
and searching for bodies is being vigorous.
ly pushed forward by the aid of such light
as is afforded by the moon and a bonfire in
the street.
Besides those who persisted the following
persons were more or less injured Robert
Joyce, Jerry Miller, Frank Evans, Maggie
Miller, Mrs. Frease, Mr.. Baker, j. D. Lew.
is, John Curry, Charles Hayden. The two
last named are of the minstrel troupe of
Duprez s. Benedict.
Some escaped, as it seemed, almost by a
miracle. The grocery store Of Mr.: McCon-
mel, adjoining, had some seven or eight per-
sons in it, but all of them were dragged
out not severely hurt.
The scenes Immediately following the
disaster were well calculated to affect the
most Indifferent. Tit buildings were an
indescribable mass of ruins. Men and
seeching that something might be done
Mr.. Homer Highland, whose wife n
child persisted, was almost beside himself
with grief and horror, as was also Mr..
Frank Evans, whose wife and two children
likewise persisted. Mrs. Orr was CONF
pletely Frustrated by the shock.
The only person in the building known to
have escaped save ONE employees engaged
in the workshop attached to the rear, was
Mr.. Frank Evans. The great loss of life
resulted from the fact that the second ana
third stories were used as dwellings.
The persons within were not all killed
outright, as could be too plainly told by
their audible but %unavailing cries for help.
Eve .ything was done that colld be to res.
cue The victims, but the rapid spread of the
flames, notwithstanding the heroic efforts
of the fire company, soon drove the res
cuers back.
The explosion was caused by the fumes
from the gasoline. A child OF Mr.. Orr
turned the faucet in q barrel and the fluid
ran out on the floor. Mr.. Orr was hopping
it up which gas arising therefrom ignited
from a gas light.
John Curry and Charles H. Hayden Of
Duprez & Benedict's MINISTRIES were blown
out of Orr's store through q plate glass
window and carried clear across the street.
where they were picked up badly injured.
They were carried to a hotel, They viii
recover
The Orr block, one of the finest in the city
and completed only last fall, Is q total
wreck, as are the Miller block and the
building occupied by Mr.. Fullerton as q
leather store and by Miss Stanly as a mil.
linery establishment. A reasonable esti.
mate Of the value of the property destroyed
would be $1,000, a very small part OF
which was covered b. Insurance..
The explosion was of such force that 1t
was felt and heard for q distance of two
miles. Those in the immediate vicinity
thought for q moment that there had been
an earthquake. Some d of its force
may be gl-aned from the fact that a team
o: horses standing in the street in front
were thrust against the walls of the build
ing on the opposite side Of the street. Ali
the winiow-glass on either side of the
street for q distance considerably more
than a block was smashed. 1t will take
S2,OO0 or 5000 to replace the glass broken.