The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-06-16
a BIG RxpnosIoN
In Pittsburgh-p Damage from a Riast-Three
Persons injured.

vailed in Lawrencesille as that which o,
CURED on Butler street, near Thirty-fft
street, about II o'clock this morning. A
| that hour thete was Suddenly heard 1
most terrific report that fairly made th
buildings in that vicinity tremble, an
that resounded mile away. The next in
slant the streets were fairly aliy
with people who rushed from ala
of, even down from the hillside
to learn what had caused such
terrific report. Itappears that for SOM
time past workmen have been making Al
excavation on the property owned b!
John G. Storm, where it is the intention
10 erect new building. Tho propert,
fronts on Butler street, directly opposite
Deputy Mayor Porter's Office, and neal
Thirty-ffth street. A few feet below thu
surface q rock almost as hard as Hint wa
encountered. This morning the contrac
tor, Patrick Shields, decided TO blast Il
out. lie had q hole dug three feet deep
Into this was rammed as tightly as posi-,
ble a charge Of blasting powder one and 8
half feet deep.
Those who were eye-witnesses to the
occurrence say that Shields took no pre-
caution whatever TO avert an accident. AZ
ter the fuse was ready for the match, he
made no notification whatever to the ma
ny pedestrians aud vehicles that were pass
ing along the street. but merely told hi.
workmen to stand back a little. It was the
first blast, and he evidently had mis-
Judged the terrific forcc OF the powder
The fuse was applied, and the next mo.
ment the crowded street was the scene oi
the widest confusion. Far q couple oI
minutes pandemonium seemed to reign.
The air for several squares away was filled
with flying stones, which alightly directly
down In the most populous portion OF the
city, some of the knife-edged stones
alighting as far back as Penn avenue, and
others down at the Forks Of the Road.
When the cloud Of dust had cleared
away, one man was seen lying bathed in
blood directly in front OF where the blast
was put of. Heiwas John Connors, one
OF the laborers who had been struck on
the head by one OF the fragments OF rock,
and terribly. cut. He was taken into a
new barber shop. After having his bead
bandaged he wasremoyed to his home ina
buggy, in tho Sixteenth ward. But a short
distance from where he was found lay
Mrs. DIETRICH, q lady who had been stand
ing inffont of her home, No. S53S Butler
street. Itwas at first supposed that she
had been killeda as she lay perfectly still.
She was picked up and carried into her
house when it was found that she had
tainted from fright Mrs. Mary Gusky
was standing in her gard, backof 3645 But
ler street. Ons Of the rocks flew clearover
the house top down int the yard, striking
her on the head and knocking her
to the ground, cutting several ugly gashes.
In addition TO the above, several other
persons were reported rs having received
slight cuts and bruises. It Is believed
though that none Of the persons injuries
are fatal. The wonder is though that
some were not killed outright, as many
people were passing directly In front OF
the lot when the blast was put, and had
any OF the larger rocks struck them they
would certainly have been killed.
/, The stones played havoc with the win
dows in the vicinity, damaging the build
ings occupied by Deputy Mayor Porter,
Peter sauet's Keystone House, Ben.
Moore's cigar store, 0henbarts butcher
shop, Mrs. i. Stoughton's millinery store
and the Association for the Poor rooms.
Deputy Mayor Porter was sitting in his
office at the time, when q huge rock
crashed through his office window and
landed back near where he was sitting.
Mr.. ]. B. Wright made a miraculous
escape. He was sitting on q chair in front
OF his store, almost directly across from
where the blast was put of. A customer
called him into the store. Scarcely mo-
ment had elapsed after he quilted the
chair when the explosion occurred. A
huge rock dew across the street and land
ed fairly on the chair, shattering 1t to
splinteH.
When the nature and cause OF the acci.
dent had been learned there, the assem-
bled crowd was bitter in its denunciation
ofwhat 1t called Contractor shield's gross
carelessness. Officer Nc Aleese decided to
make an information before Deputy Mayor
Porter, charging him with malicious mis-.
chief. he was arrested and gave 81 900
bail for a hearing. Fortunately no street
car happened to be passing at the time.
AT that time Of day they are always
crowded. Had one happened along there
would probably have been great loss oflife.
CENTRAL AMERICAN AFFAIRS.
The Revelation Not Yet Ended-A peeisiyo
Battle Expected.
p.rAwA lima A Adt,inaa frnr1 lNolon