Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-02-01
Whole Buildings Shaken by the
Awful Explosion.


which involves not only the wreck of houses
but loss of life, and maimings which will
follow the victims to the grave. Shortly
before twelve o'clock there was an alarm on
the big bell in the Municipal Hall tower
but it was Of such irregular character that
even Chief Evans, who was in the rotunds
of the Hall a. the time, was al
loss to kno where it came
from. In a moment word was transmit
led by telephone at the Mayors office and
at the engine houses that disastrous ex.
plosioa of natural gas had occurred at the
Forks of the Road, otherwise known as
Thirty-fourth and Butler streets, and that
there had been serious loss OF life as well
as great destruction to property. The
meagre details which could be secured
over the telephone were to the effect that
that explosion had occurred in August
Ruhs saloon, at No. 1851 Penn avenue,
and that the adjoining building had also
been wrecked by the explosion. The con-
Cussion created the widest excitement in
the immediate vicinity, and hundreds of
peoDle gathered about, as the ruins had
taken fife, and rumors were current that
q number of persons had been buried in
the debris Just a few moments after the
occurrence Citizens Line car passed in
front Of the wrecked buildings filed with
passengers.
4 second explosion occurred and the car
wss thrown from the track by the force of
the upheaYsl. The CONSERVATION among
the passengers was more than q panic, and
scarcely one of the whole number escaped
without more or less injury. The driver was
blown from his position and so severely in
iured that he may not recover. At the
same time the pieces Of timber and flying
debris Of all kind hurried in the air by the
second explosion caused havoc among
those who had gathered in the vicinity, and
the list of injured was swellei until it had
reached between twenty and thirty.
Several other erTptious followed, and
the number of houses embraced
numbered ten or fifteen. About twenty
minutes past twelve the signal that the fire
had been extinguished was sent in, but
scarcely ten minutes had elapsed until
another alarm was souneed from the same
box, No. II, and additional steamers hur-
ried to the spot, not only toad in extin-
gushing flames, but to assist in aiding
in the care of the injured and in hunting
for those who were supposed to be buried
under the buildings which had been iu-
volyed in the general destruction. In the
excitement no names could be ssceFtsined,
but the full particulars are given in the re
port which follows.
The IRjHred.
The casualties embrace very large mum
bCr OF persons whose names could not be
sscertaIned in consequence Of the excite
mcut occSsioued by the occurrence. The
only person thus far reported killed, was
Girl who was standing near Ruh-s saloon,
and was injured so badly that death ensued
in a short time. The driver Of Citizens
street car was so badly injured that 1t il
feared he can not recover. Gus. Horne, q
mill man, had his head crushed, and q
baker named Finger was also struck by fly
ing debris and severely hurt.
A partial list OF persons injured by the
explosion is as follows:
DIR. ZIEGLER. Allegheny, blown into the
air; jaw badly cut, and injured inter
nally.
WILLIAM KOTA, conductor Citizens line,
knocked oil the car by beer keg and
badly hurt.
GEORGE NORRIS, bsrkeeper at Muller
saloon, badly cut; leg broken.
JACOB STEIN, severely cut about the
head, probably fatally hurt
GUST. HORN, cut and burned about the
head not seriously hurt.
GEORGE KINZER, eye cut and terribly
lacersted about the face, left eye blown
out and otherwise dangerously hurt.
WILLIE ONENHART, thrown into the
gutter aud badly injured internally.
| GEORGE Bernhard, burned about the
head and badly hurt
| WILLIE PATTON, cut on the head and
slightly injured.
! MRS. MORRIS, blown against door IN
the cellar next to the building in which
the explosion first occurred, badly hurt.
! ANNIE MI TELLER, saloon keeper dsugh,
ter, badly cut about the face and head and
injured internally.
| GEORGE GIBSON, driver Of car No. q
knocked of the car and badly hurt.
| NICHOLAS DERFLER. driver for Verb
( Bros. feed store, badly cut on the
face. Not seriously hurt.
] GEORGE HAMMERSDORt, cut by flying
glass on the face.
MRS. DIR. EVANS, cut BY plate glass IN
the face and seriously wounded.
LIZZIE SM0LDER, injured about the
head and face.
LIZZIE HANIMERSDORF, injured about
the face dhead.
LIZZIE GALREITH. cut about the head
and injured internally, badly hurt
NELLIE OXENHART, hurt internally.
Of these Annie Mueller, Jacob Stein, DR.,
Zeigler, Lizzie Smolder, William 0xenhart
William Kots and George Kinzer are SC
badly injured that their recovery is cousid
cred very doubtful Mrs. Mueller, mother
of Annie, is missing, and the ruins are be
i ing searched for her remains
A Marrow Escape.
! Among the many narrow escapes report
ed was that Of the passengers on q Citizens
line car, which was passing when the explo
sion occurred. The windows Of the car wer'
shattered, and bricks and debris fell upor
the platform. A daughter and niece o
j " & Risaal who were on the car were GOV