The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-02-06
INATuRAL eAs ANp pYNAMITe.

destructive Explosions in Pittsburgh and
/ New York City-The Former Caused BY
Natural Gas, and the Other by Giant
Powder.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF NATURAL GAS.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Feb. 2.-The big leak
in the Pennsylvania Fuel Gas Company's
main at Thirty fourth and Butler streets re-
I suited in several terrible explosions Satur-
day. About score of persons were in
| jured, some, it is thought, fatally, and sew
eral buildings were badly wrecked. The
first explosion took place at the butcher
shop of one Hammersdoerfer. About 10 80
Mrs. HammeTsdoefer's sister-in-law, Mrs.
Smolder, went to the cellar for a basket
and struck match. An explosion instantly
followed. Mrs. Hammersdoefer being
| thrown across the shop, while her sister-in-
law was buried in the ruins of the cellar.
A daughter of the former was badly injured
about the face and head. Mrs. Smolder
was rescued III a few moments, and was
found to have sustained such serious in
jurieS that her recovery>iS doubtful.
The noise of the eXplC son drew crowd
| of people to the scene, but they had not had
| time to learn the cause of the trouble when
a second explosion took place in the saloon
OF George Morris next door to Hammers
| doerfer's. The basement was wrecked and
one of Morris children was hurled through
a window sustaining a number of severe
| but not dangerous cuts. Mrs. Morris was
stunned by being thrown against door,
while number of men in the bar were
tossed off their feet and thrown hither and
thither.
While the excitement attendant on the
/ second explosion was at its height q third
and more violent disaster of similar char
acter took place in George Mueller's saloon
across the street. Mueller's daughter was
going down the cellar when the explosion
| occurred. She fell down in such way
that she was unable to get up, but lay
screaming. The room caught fire. and she
would have been speedily cremated but
for the bartender, Charles Roth, who res
| cued her at the peril of his own life. Lizzie
Galmoth, cook, Dr. Ziegler, of Allegheny,
| and Jack Stern, mill-WOrker, were also III
the saloon. The doctor was blown against
the wall and injured internally, the Gal
moth girl sustained slight injuries, and Jack
Stern was terribly burned.
Just aSthe last explosion took place a
| Street-car with large number of --pasSen-
gers was passing the door. The car was
| thrown from the track and one of its sides
smashed. The force Of the explosion in
Mueller's saloon hurled a beer-keg from
the sidewalk into the air. 1t struck
| William Kota, the car-driver, knock
ing him senseless. The flying debris
| penetrated the windows of the car, and sew
eral of the passengers were more Or less
cut and injured thereby. A man named
OXenheart, who was driving wagon, was
also badly hurt. Those most seriously i'll
jured are as follows, the life of the first
named being thought to be in danger:
Mrs. Smolder,who caused the first explosion
by lighting MATCH is thought to have inhaled
some of the burning gas. terribly burned
about the face and head; Fred Zinsgcr, ba-
ker, skull fractured and one of his eyes blown
out; Jack Stern, nose broken and otherwise
hurt; Amelia Ochenhirt, leg broken and
burned about the head and arms; DR.. Ziegler.
blown up the ceiling, dropped into the cell
lar and had to fight his way through flames.
and body seriously burned; Gus Horn, two
gasheSon head and cheek and burned; Willie
Payton, cut On head by flying glass.
The score Of victims are all resting easy
with the exception of Mrs. Smolder. Resi-
dents in the neighborhood where the triple
disaster took place have made frequent
complaintSlof late regarding the danger to
life and property from the leaks which were
known to exist in the main, and have
threatened to tear up the pipes unless steps
were taken to abate the trouble. Last
week a consultation of citizens was
held regarding the matter and legal
action would soon have been taken.
1t is believed that bill will be at
once introduced in the Legislature to pro-
vide against such occurrences in the future.
TWO STORES BLOWN UP.
New YORK, Feb. 2.-The large dry
goods establishments of Garry Brothers and
Ridley & Co., situated on the neighboring
corners of Grand and Allen streets, were
badly damaged by an explosion at $50
o'clock yesterday morning. At that hour
was felt a terrific explosion, fol-
lowed instantly by broad sheet
of flame and the crashing of heavy
glass. Those who first arrived at the scene
found the immense ShOw-WindoW of Garry
Brothers store was wrecked and similar
state of affairs in Ridley'S store opposite,
where the Allen street window was dem0l.
ished and one hundred and seven lights
Of glass in the upper part of the building
broken. A policeman found man ly-
ing in the gutter in front of Garry'5
store and noticed two men hobbling down
Allen street while fourth man was run
ming toward the Bowery. All four were
captured and locked up and when arraigned
at noon were remanded for further ex-
animation. They gave their names as
William Button, a waiter; James DAILY,
clerk Charles Henry, iaborer, and
Joseph Lamb, printer, also a member Of
the Dry-Goods Clerks Equality Association.
All the men were more or less cut by glass,
o6 GO ha6 ad 0c IN
necessitate sending him to a~hoSpital. The
damage to both the dry-gOods establish
ments is less than $1,000.
Thus far the whole affair is mystery, as
the prisoners firmly declare their innocence.
In police circles the explosion is explained
by the statement that Garry Brothers
have had great deal of trouble with
their clerks, who are all members of
the Equality Association. Just before
Christmas Garry Brothers discharged
one of their clerks for cause not deemed
sufficient by the Equality Association, and
his reinstatement was demanded and re-
fused by the firm. The result was a gem
eral strike among the clerks, which lasted a
few days and then terminated by the clerks
yielding 1t is intimated that the explosion
was the revenge of the association. The
police also charge the same association
with the indiscriminate smashing of dry
goods store windows last spring when the
early closing movement was being agitated.
So far as the four men arrested are con-
cerned there is no evidence against them
save that they were found in he vicinity Of
the wrecked windows by the police. Nor is
it certain what sort of explosive was used,
although the general belief is that giant
powder and not dynamite was the destruct-
ix,na