The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-02-07
ANoraER HORROR
A Terrific and Fatal Gasoline Explosion
~ Alliance 0hto


A Terrific and Fatal Gasoline Explosion
At Alliance, Ohio.
ALLIANCE, OHIO, Feb. IA frightful
gasoline explosion occurred in E. ID.
OrI's stove and tinware stove to-day, de-
molIshIng the building and burying in
the ruins an unknown number of peo-
pie. Four persons bave been tttricated.
and four more are known to have betn
on the inside. Men are at work to res
cue. If possible, those still alive and re-
cover the bodies of the dead Orr's
store was in q large new brick block IN
the middle cf town II is Iumored that
child turned the spigg 1t of the gaso-
line tank and the gas escaping was
ignited by fire in the stove. Several
people WeIe in the st re and two fami-
lies lived on the second and third floors
Besides those engulfea in tue debris,
many were more or less seriously ipjur-
ed. The force of the explosion wrench
ed AID broke the windows in other
buildings in the entire square. The
damage To the structures is estimated at
$75, 600.
FURTHER DETAILS.
About O'Clock this afternoon terri
Bile explosion occurred in the business
Centre of the town. The glass in win
shattered, and CONSERVATION Teigned.
Men lost their senses, and smoke and
dust covered everything for raoi1s of
q quarter OF mile. When the horrible
cloud arose 1t was discovered that the
explosion had occurred at the brick
business block of F. NJ. Orr, occupied by
him on the first floor as stove and tin
store, and the second and third stories
were used for tent Inent apartments.
His block was leveled to the ground,
and two brick blocks, one on each side,
succumbed to the shock, while
others further away were shattered,
riddled and badly injured. In a few
moments the Fl .mes arose from the
ruins and fire alarm was sounded
Such excitement prevailed that the fire
gained so much headway as t. almost
entirely consume the Itiins and burned
two houses before it was got under con-
troll. Meanwhile the scene was harrow
ing in the extreme. 1t was known that
six or more people were killed or were
then imprisont d in the wrt OK, and would
perish by fire. Men, WON, and chill
dren, bareheaded and wringing their
hands, relatives of the inmates Of
buildings destroyed, wandered about in
the hopelcssness of dispaIr at their ina
hility to. save the inmat g. r. Nj. Orr,
Elmer Orr, his SOD, Mrs. Homer High
land, daughter, Mrs. Frank Evans and
two children, aged two and four months,
we're known to have been IN the build
ing at the time of the explosion, The
women and children were in the second
and third stories, and are supposed TO
have been killed by the falling walls.
Mr.. Orr aud son were both spoken to
| while confined under the debris, but
tn a nth h<NA
were all recovered at 10 O'Clock tonight
and were crushed or ehaEred so as to be
hardly recognizable. They were taken
to Shearer's undertaking establishment,
where the scene baffied description. The
only person in the Orr building known
t. have escaped was Frank Evans, whose
wife and children persisted. Besides
those killed, the following have
broken limbs. or were cut and
bruised by flying bricks. etc. Robert
Joyce, Frank Evans, Frank Fries,
J. b. Lewis. Jerry Miller, NJ Aggie Miller
and JnO. Baker The explosion was
carse1 by fumes from gasoline The
child OF Mr. Orr turned the farc~t in q
barrel and the fluid Iun out on he floor.
Mr.. Orr was hopping up when the gas
arising tberefrom ignited from gas
light,
JOnu OuTEy anu SaIhS IA. hd4ucbi Vi
Dupfez & Benedict's miiistrels, were
blown out of Oif's store through plate
glass window and carried clear across
the street, where they were picked up
badly injured and carried to hotel.
Both will recover.
The dsihage is estimated at from $780,
600 to $4,000. and partially insured
Business was entirely suspended in the
| city after the explosion. It is thought
that Ii, bodies have been recovered.