St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-22
An Explosion of Natural Gas in Vir-
ginia Kills Every Member of
Family of Five.
Several Persons Seriously Injured
and Several Killed in Various
Railroad Accidents.
Bad Blaze at Huron, Dak., in Which the
Cardiff Giant is at Last
Destroyed.
Philadelphia is Not Skipped and Scores Two
Fires in Which Several Lives
are Lost.
TERRIBLE GAS EXPLOSION.

A Whole Family Wiped Out of Existence.
WELLsBURG, W. Va, Feb. 81. About l 80
this morning Terrific explosion of natural
gas shook the town to its foundation, start
ling evers one The citizens rushed into the
streets, not knowing what had happened.
The cries Of the people in the immediate
ncighborhood brought every one. The large
business and dwelling block on the corner of
Charles and Green streets, owned and occu-
| pied by Heseley Brothers, cigar manufac-
turers, and Luke Walters, saloon--the fami
| les of each residing over the business rooms
Of the buiIding-was demolished and leveled
with the ground. By a great effort
the fire was eonfined TO the building
blown up and two frame DWELLING houses ad-
| Joining. The whole family of Mr.. lIeseley,
consisting Of himself, wife, mother and two
children. were instantly killed. Ali the
bodies were easily recovered except that of
the Youngest child, aged Is months,
which has Just been recovered burned to a
crisp among the ruins. johnnie Walters,
aged II, is missing and supposed TO be
buried in the ruins. Mr.. Walters, his wife
and two other children were badly injured,
| some of whom will not recover. Several
others are reported fatally injured. Houses
| for several squares away were completely
shattered by the explosion. The loss is un
known at this writing.
LATER REPORTS
from the scene of the gas explosion at Wells
burg Increased the horrors of the singular
disaster. Six lives are known 10 be lost:
Mr.. Helseley, his wife, the mother of Mr..
Helseiey, two children Of Mr.. Helselcy, one
aged wears, the other Is months. The
elder Of the two children was taken out OF
! tlle ruins alive, but 81 seriously injured that
it died at a. III. The Youngest child has
hot vet been found. Mr.. Lucas Walters.
wife and two children were saved, but the
eldest son, AGED about IA years
is missing. The missing named
are Undoubtedly in the ruins. Mrs. Walters
sustained injuries, but they are not consid
cred dangerous Leonard Esteriay, shoe.
maker doing business in frame shop adj
Joining the Walters home, who boarded with
Mr. Walters and was asleep in his room,
received injuries not considered serious.
Miss Lucy Letzkus residing with Mr. Wal
tcrs, asleep in the second floor, was carried
with the bed BY the explosion into an all
Joining lot, aud miracufous'y escaped injury.
The firemeu are husily throwing wlter ON the
ruins, tndeavoriDg To cool off the debris so
search can be made for the remains OF the
two missing children. As to the
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
it is reported by reliable persons that MIR.
Hrlsciey stated during the day and evening
that the gas was leaking in his cellar and that
he had opened up some Of the approaches
thereto To allow the gas to escape, and re
tired for the night. Tue suppjsiti0n is that
the escaping gas found its way from the
cellar To the upper rooms OF tine house and
coming in contact with the fires in the CRATES
or in the jets, the explosion took place. The
Helseley aud Walters houses Joined and were
tSo-story bricks and recently built. Both
buildings were entirely demolished and por
lions thereof we're scattered from 100 to $50
ieet In every direction.