The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-04


NATURAL Gas KxPLIoeIoN.
seve1el Persoss Iejarea at Pittsburg.
Bu1r1rSos BLOWN UP AND kHE DEB
RIs IGnrTKD.
PursBusG, Jan. 3l.-Throe exI b.
sion OF natural gas, att(1ded by
the lfious injury Of seter8 persons
and tie destruction Of much prop
erty, occurred shortly before noon
to-day at Forks Of Roads" other
wise knovn as Tbirty-foursh aud
Butler streets. The explosion oc-
CURED in three buildings, One was
the Iron City Hotel, a saloon operat.
ed by 40 Englishman named Geo,
Morris. II was a low frame builds
ing, IL feet front and 80 feet deep.
with the kitchen and dining-room
in the basement Above the bar
room were two bedrooms Next
to this was the meat shop of Mrs
Hammersdoerfer, which building
was just like the one occupied by
Morris. Across Thirty-third street
was the saloon of George Mueller.
He lived in a fsur-story brick house,
the bar-room being on the first floor
and a tobacco mandatory on the
second floor. Above this, and in
the front of the second 6oor, were
sleeping apartments. a
The first explosion occurred in
the cellar of Mrs. Hammersdoerfer,
1890 A. M. Mrs. Hamnersdoerfer
sent her sister into the cellar for
basket. When she reached the cell
lar see struck o match, and instant
ly there was loud explosion. and
the little building was almost shak-
en- apart. The proprietress was
thrown across her shop, plaster;ng,
glass and loose articles came crash
ing in from all sides, and the girl in
the cellar screamed wildly.
Before people could recover their
self.possession there was another
terrible explosion. 1t came from
the cellar of Morris saloon, and
wrecked the basement. Norris was
in bed at the time and was blown
out on the floor, but not seriously
injured. The bar-room was crowd
ed with men, who we're thrown
about like ten-pins.
Mrs. Hammersdoerfer found her
sister and pulled her up from the
cellar. Her little daughter was
blown against the wall and covered
with debris, and was badly hurt
about the head and face. Miss
Shoulder, the girl who first went
into the cellar, is so badly burned
that she cannot recover.
In the meantime a third explO-
sion had occurredin George Muller's
saloon, across the street. In the sa-
loon at the time were Annie Mueller.
daughter of the proprietor, ar d
Lizzie Galmath, caok: Or. Ziegler,
Of Allegheny, and Jack Stern. mill
worker. Miss Mueller was Just GO
ing down into the cellar when the
explosion occurred. She fell down
the wrecked stairs and was caught
by her feet, where she hung scream
ing Charles Ruth, a barkeeper, heard
her scream and ran into the room.
which BY this time was in flames.
He made his way through the fall
ling ruins and debris to the cellar way
rescued her. Dr.. Zeigler was blown
against the wall and injured inter-
lnally. Lizzie Galmath was burned
about the face and seriously hurt.
Jack Stern was SO terribly burned
that he cannot recover.
When the third explosion occur
red passenger Car No. 20, of the Cit
izens' Line, was just passing. A
beer keg blown from one of the sa-
looms hit the driver, William Kata,
and knocked him senseless. The
passengers were not injured.
! August Horn, Jacob Stein, Nellie
Oxenshort, John Bevard. Willie A.
Patton and George Zinzer were pas
sing along Penn avenue when the
ex plnsion occurred, and all were more
or less injured by flying debris.
The houses of Morris and Mueller
we're badly wrecked, and every
house within square was more or
less damaged. Among the number
were Ebert's saloon, the Lawrence
Bank. Tees drug store. SCOTS gro-
Ger, Baehin's jewelry-store and Pey-
| toms saloon. No one was killed
outright. bat four or five will die.
There is intense excitement in the
neighborhood. and gang of men
has been formed from the citizens to
tear MP the gas pipes tonight. The
loss on buildings and stock is esti-
mated at from s15yO to $4,000
The gas fires is still burning in the
sewers.
The concussion from these explo-
sions created the widest excitement
] in the immediate vicinity, and hun
dreds of people gathered about as
the ruins had taken FIRE. The flames
however, were promptly extinguish-
ed in each case.