Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-02-09
AN AGENT OF DEATH.
Seven Lives Lost, Many More Persona
Injured and Four Buildings Demolished
by an Explosion of Gasoline at Alliance,
Ohio.


ALLIANCE, o., Feb. l.
The most dreadful disaster that ever oc
Cured in the city of Alliance befell us
about four o'clockethis afternoon. At that
hour a terrific explosion of gasoline took
place in the store of F. NJ. Orr, the result Of
which was the entire demolition of the Orr
block together with the Miller building on
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 have lost their lives:
f. M. Orr, proprietor of the store and
block.
Elmer Orr, his son.
Mrs. Homer Highland, his daughter.
A two-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 ou: of them. AT present
all those positively known to have per-
ished have been extricated from the de-
bris. Some of these are charred and man.
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 bonfire in
the street.
Besides those who perished the following
persons were more or less inj jured: Robert
Joyce, Jerry Miller, Frank Evans, Maggie
Miller Mrs. Frease, Mr.. Baker, j. ID. Lew
is, John Curry, Charles Hayden. The two
last named are of the minstrel troupe OF
Duprez O. Benedict.
Some escaped, 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
ont nSfs cSeHegefH, fiituiutery following the
disaster were well calculated to al, ct the
most Indifferent. The buildings were an
indescribable mass of ruins. Men and
women were rushing about frantically be-
seechinG that something might be done.
Mr.. Homer Highland, whose wife and
child perished, was almost beside himself
with grief and horror, as was also Mr..
likewise perished. Mrs. Orr was com
pletely prostrated by the shock.
The only person in the building known to
have escaped save some employees engaged
in tn. workshop attached to the rear,
Mr.. Frank Evans. The great loss of life
resulted from the fact that the second and
third stories were used as dwellings.
The Iersons within were not all killed
outright, as could be too plainly told by
their audible hut unavailing cries for help.
EN .vthiug was done that could be to res
cue the victims, but the rapid spread of the
flames, notwithstanding the Lcroic 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 a barrel and the fluid
ran out on the floor. Mr.. Orr was mopping
it up which gas arising theretrOm ignited
from gas light.
John Curry and Charles II. Hayden OF
Duprez & Benedict's minstrels 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.
They were carried to a hotel, They will
recover.
The Orr block, one of the finest in the city
and completed only last fall, is total
wreck, are the Miller block and the
building occupied by Mr.. Fullerton as a
leather store and by Miss Stanly mil
linery establishment. A reasonable esti-
mate of the value of the property destroyed
would be $4,000, very small part OF
which was covered by insurance.
The explosion was of such force that it
was felt and heard for a distance Of two
miles. Those in the immediate vicinity
thought for moment that there had been
an earthquake. Some idea of its force
may be CLEANED from the fact that team
o. horses standing in the street In front
were thrust against the walls of the build
ing on the opposite side ef the street. All
the winiow-glasS either side of the
street for distance considerably more
than a block was smashed. 1t will take
5000 OF 5000 to replace the glass broken.