Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-02
DEADLY GASOLINE.
Three Brick Blocks in the Business Por.
tion of Alliance, o., Demolished
by an Explosion.
Six Persons Killed and q Number of
Others Injured-TwO Men Roasted
In the Ruins.

ALLIANCE, o., February la frightful gas
oline explosion occurred in F. M.Orr's stove
and tinware store to-day, demolishing the
building and burying in the ruins an un-
known number of people. Four persons
have been extricated, and four more are
known to have been inside. Men are at
work to rescue, if possible, those still alive,
and recover the bodies of the dead. Orr's
store was in large, new brick block, in
the middle OF the town. 1t is rumored
that child turned the spigot of the gaso-
line tank, and the gas escaping, ignited by
the fire in the stove. Several people were
in the store, and two families lived on the
second and third floors. Besides those
ingulfed in the dsiris. many ~~oro or
less seriously injured. The force of the
explosion wrenched and broGe the win
dows in the other buildings for an entire
square. The damage to the structures is
estimated at $4,000.
Additional Particulars.
. ALLIANCE, o., February About 4
O'Clock this afternoon terrible explosion
occurred in the business center of the city,
The glass in the windows for blocks along
the main street was shattered, and con-
sternation reigned supreme. Men lost
their senses, and smoke and dust covered
everything for a radius of a quarter of a
mile. When the horrible cloud arose it
was discovered that the explosion occurred
in the brick business block of +. NJ. Orr,
| occupied by him on the first floor as a
stove and tin store, and the second and
third stories used for tenement apartments.
His block was leveled to the ground, and
two brick blocks, one on each side,
sUCCUNBED TO THE SHOCK,
riddled and badly injured. In few mo-
ments smoke arose from the ruins and a
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 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 FIRE.
Men. women and children, bareheaded,
and wringing their hands, relatives of the
inmates of the buildings destroyed, wan
dered about in the hopelessness of despair
at their inability to save the inmates. +.
NJ. Orr, Elmer Orr, his son, Mrs. Homer
Highland and daughter, Mrs. Frank Evans
and two children, aged two years and four
months, were known to have been in the
building at the time of the explosion.
| These all perished The women and
children were in the second and third sto-
ries, and are supposed to have been killed
| by the falling walls Mr.. Orr and his son
were both spoken to while confined under
the debris, but were
BURNED TO DEATH.
These bodies were all recovered at 1C
O'Clock tonight. They were crushed OF
charred so as to be hardly recognizable
They were taken to Sharer's undertaking
establishment, where the scene battles de-
scrpton. The only person in Orfs build
| ing known to have escaped was Frank
| Evans, whose wife and children perished
Beside those killed the following have
broken limbs or are cut and bruised by
| flying bricks, ETC.: Robert Joyce, Frank
| Evans, Frank Fries, j. d. Lewis, Jerry
Miller, Maggie Miller and John Baker
The explosion was caused by
FUMES FROM GASOLINE.
A child of Mr.. Orr turned the faucet in
the barrel, and the fluid ran out on the
floor. Mr.. Orr was mopping it up, when
| tne gas arising tnerelrom lgnlted from q
gaslight. John Curry and Charles II
Hayden, OF Duprez & Benedict's MINISTRIES
were blown out of Orr's store through the
plate-glass window, and carried clear
across the street, where they were picked
up badly injured and carried to the hotel
but will recover. The damage is estimated
at from 100000 to $4,000, partially in.
sured. Business is entirely suspended
After the explosion the minstrel enter
tainment was declared off. 1t is thought
all the bodies have been recovered.