The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-02
GAS EXPLOSIONS.
Terrible Ruin Wrought by Three
Explosions in Pittsburg, Pa.
Twenty or Thirty Persons Injured and
12 or Is Buildings Wrecked.

PIrTsBURG, Pa, Jan. 31.-Three explosions
OF natural gas occurred this morning near 34th
street, on Penn avenue, in this CITY,
The meagre details which could be secured
over the telephone were TO the effect thai an
explosion had occurred in August Rugh's
saloon, 1851 Penn avenue, and that the adioin-
ing buildings had also been wrecked BY the
explosion. The conclusion created the widest
excitement in the immediate vicinity, and
hundreds OF people gathered about, as the
ruins had taken fire and rumors were current
that a number OF persons were buried in the
debris. At the same time pieces of timber and
flying debris Of all kinds were hurled in the
air by tho second explosion, which caused
havoc among those who had gathered in the
vicinity, and the list of injured was swelled
until it had reached between 20 and 30. Sew
eral other erupttons followed, and the number
of houses embraced was increased TO 10 or 10.
About 1920 signal that the fire had been
extinguished was sent in, but scarcely ten
minutes had elapsed when another alarm
sounded from the same box and additional
steamers hurried to the spot to aid in ex-
tinguishing the flames and to assist in the care
of the injured.
Explosions occurred in three buildings. The
first explosion occurred in the cellar of Mrs.
Hammersdoerfer's house about 1876 a. IN.
Mrs Hammersdoerfer sent her sister into the
cellar for basket. When she reached the
was loud explosion, and the little building
was almost shaken apart. The proprietresS
was thrown across her shop; the plastering,
glass and loose articles came crashing 10 from
all sides and the girl in the cellar screamed
wildly. Before people could recover their self
possession there was another terrible explosion,
which came from the cellar of Morris's saloon,
and wrecked the basement. Mrs. Morris, who
was getting dinner ready, was thrown against
the door and badly bruised. Her little baby
Ana-r =
cut and bruised. Morris himself was in bed
at the time, and he was blown out on the
floor, but pot seriously injured The bar room
was crowded with men, who were thrown
about like so many ten-pins.
Mrs. Hammersdoerfer found her sister and
pulled her up from the cellar Her little
daughter Lizzie was blown against the wall,
aud covered with debris and badly hurt about
the head and face. Miss Smoder, cher sister,
who went to the cellar, is so badly burned that
she cannot recover.
In the meantime third explosion occurred
in Geo. Mueller's saloon across the street. In
this saloon at the time were Annie Mueller,
daughter Of the proprietor; lizzie Golmath, a
cook; DR.. Zeigler, of Allegheny, and Jack
Stern, a mill hand. Miss Mueller was just
going down TO the cellar when the explosion
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, which by this time was
in flames. He made his way through the fall
ing ruins and debris to the cellar-way and res
cued her. DR.. zeigler was blown against a
wall and injured internally Lizzie Golmath
was burned about the face and seriously hurt.
Jack Stern was SO terribly burned that he will
die.
When the third explosion occurred a passen-
ger car was Just passing. A beer keg was
blown from one of the saloons, hit the driver
and knocked him senseless. The passengers,
however, were not injured. Six persons were
passing along Penn avenue when the explo-
sions occurred and we're more or less injured
by the flying debris. The houses of Morris and
Mueller were badly wrecked, and every house
within square were more or less damaged.
No cne was killed outright, but four or five
will die. Jack Stern, who was in Mueler's
bar room, is reported dead. There is intense
excitement in the neighborhood, and gang of
men was formed from the citizens to tear up
the gas pipes. The loss On the buildings
and stock is estimated from SIS, 900 to $40, 600
A gas fire is still burning in the sewers
No deaths have occurred from yesterdays explo-
sions and the twenty.one victims are resting easy
with the exception Of Mary Smolder, the young
woman who struck the match which caused the
first explosion. Her condition is very serious.