Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-02
THE DEADLY NATURAL GAS.

A Terrific Explosion That Wrecked
Several Buildings I'm Pittsburg.
PITTsBURG, Pa, Feb. Natural gas, that
wonderful fuel which was to be Pittsburg's
blessing, seems destined to be its curse. A
long series of explosions, which have been
more or less serious in their results, was
brought to climax yesterday when three
explosions followed in rapid succession,
wrecking several houses and iniuring some
twenty or more people. The first explosion
occurred about 1875 a. m. in the cellar of
Mrs. Hammersdoerfer's house at the corner
of Penn and Butler streets. Mrs. Hammers
doerfer sent her sister, Mary Smolder, into
the cellar for a basket. When she reached
the cellar she struck match and instantly
there was loud explosion, and the little
building was almost shaken apart. The pro-
prietress was thrown across her shop. Plas-
tering, glass and loose articles came crashing
in from all sides, and tie girl IN the cellar
screamed wildly. Before people could re-
cover their self possession there was another
terrible explosion. 1t came from the cellar
of Morris saloon next door and wrecked the
basement. Mrs. Morris, who was getting
dinner ready, was blown against the door
and badly bruised. Her little baby was
blown through window and more or less
cut and bruised Morris himself was in bed
at the time. He was blown out on the floor,
but not seriously injured. The barroom was
crowded with men, who were thrown about
found her sister and pulled her up from the
cellar. Her little daughter Lizzie was blown
against the wall and covered with debris and
badly hurt about the head and face Miss
Smolder, who went to the cellar, is SO
badly burned that she cannot recover.
In the meantime the third explosion occurred
in George Mueller's saloon across the street
In the saloon at the time were Annie Muel-
Ter, daughter of the proprietor; Lizzie Gall
math, a cook; DR.. Zeigler, of Allegheny, and
Jack Stern, a mill worker. Miss Mueller was
lust going down to the cellar when the ex-
plosion occurred. She fell down stairs and
was caught by the feet, where she hung
screaming Charles Ruth, barkeeper, heard
her screams and ran into the room,
He made his way through the
falling ruins and debris to the cellar way and
rescued her, Dr. Zeigler was blown against
q wall and injured internally. LIZZIE Gal
math was burned about the face and serious
ly hurt. Jack Stern was SO terribly burned
hours. When the third explosion occurred
a horse car of the Citizens line was just
passing. A beer keg blown from one of
the saloons hit the driver, William Kota,
and knocked him senseless. The passen-
gers were not injured. August Horn,
Jacob Stein, Nellie Oxen Short, John Bernard
willie 4: Eatton and George Zinser were
passing along RennsylKania aEenue when the
EXPLOSION occurred and all were more or less
;ni,..ad nv the dYing debris.
The houses of Norris and Mueller were
--.eked and every house within a
badly W." was more or less damaged. Among
s ~ n,7mber were Erbert's saloon, the Law
renee rem bank, Tees drug store, scott's grocery,
Roahm,s jewelry store, Giles confectionery
store Sore and Peyton's SALOON. No one was
Filled outright, but four or Eve VIA aye.
T T1,eeu cause Of the explosion was big leak
in the huge main OF the rue.
oiase to The curb. The scene is beyond the
COMPREHENSION Of those who DO aaE Hnaef-
stang the force of the gas. Everything IN
1ba injured buildings is wrecked, and the
h,,i1dinos have bulged eight to ten inches
The glass in the neighborhood was all wreck
ed The loss at Mueller's iss-Builaing, se,'
400. stock in barroen, 81 800; stock IN elgal
SHOP. 81 500; goods in house, 81 Ooo; ~: Ihe
1 1nop - Mrs Halnmersdoefer is about $1,000
and that to Morris about 81 900.