The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-22
NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION.
Several Persons Terribly Mangied and In
stantlY Killed-MaDy Buildings
Damaged.

WEILsBURc ". Va, Feb. 2l.-A terrific natural
gas explosion occurred this morning by the gas
leaking into the cellar OF a two-story brick occu
pied by R. Hellesley & Bros, cigar makers. This
building and an adjoining one. occupied by Luke
Weller as a saloon, were blown into atoms, The
debris took FIRE and the intense cold gave the fire
sway and II spread Iapidly 20 adjoining buildings.
The shock OF the explosion was Sd ter
rlbe that glass was shattered and plaster
shaken from the ceiling in nearly
every residence in the town. The inhabitants ran
IN al directions terror-stricken. great many
buildings were found badly damaged quite dis
tance from the explosion. The list OF the killed
so far as known is: Conrad Hellesley, wife,
molner and child. An infant baby OF The above
and John Walters are still missing Search Is now
going on. The bodies recovered are terribly
mangled Owing TO the intense eXcitement, il IL
impossible 10 get individual losses, but they viii
By superhuman efforts the citizens GOT the fire
under control t4s,m
plCsion at Wellsburg increase the horrors OF the
singular disaster. Six lives are known TO be lost
Mr.: Helsley, his wife, the mother of Mrs. Heis-
years and the other eighteen months The eldest
OF the two children was taken out of the ruins
a. m. The youngest child has not yet been
found. NJ. Lucas Walters, wife and two children
had narrow escape; The missing named
sustained serious injuries but they are not con
sidered dangerous. Leonard Esterday, q shoe.
maker doing business in a small frame shop ad-
joining the walters home who boarded with Mr..
Walters and was asleep in his room at Mr.. Wal
ters'. received injuries 7 ot considered fatal.
The hremen are busily engaged throwing water
ON the ruins and endeavOring TO cool of the
debris so that search can be made for the re-
mains of the two missing children.
AS TO the cause OF the explosion it is reported
by reliable persons that Mr. Helsey stated during
the day and evening that the gas was leaking in
his cellar, and that he had oDened up some OF the
approaches thereto 10 allow the gas to escape and
retired for the night The supposition is that the
escaping gas found its way from the cellar to the
upper rooms OF the house, and coming In contact
with the fire in the CRATES or some gas Jets the
plosiOn took place.
The Hesley and Walters houses joined. and
were twostory bricks, and recently built. Both
buildings were entirely demolished. and portions
thereof were scattered from 100 to $50 feet in every
direction. The house occupied by Martin Brown
lee, on the southwest corner from Helsey. an old
structure. was almost shaken 70 pieces. The
ba, ksmith shop of George Davidson, opposite the
Helsley home, was entirely demolished. HIS res
dence, adjoining the shop is almost total wreck.
Two dwellings of Mr.. John Fare, and shop and
dwelling OF Andrew Barth, north OF Davidson s.
were badly damaged. The occupants of these
houses were thrown out of their beds and those
who were up were staggered by the shock, but
none OF them were injured Windows were
broken and doors blown open Tor two blocks and
more north, south ana west of the explosion. On
the houses on Commerce street and up on the hill
in the vicinity of the Catholic church suffered by
Leonard Hebrank had nearly every light of glass
broken. In fact, every house. as before stated,
within two and half OF three blocks is more oil
less damaged
The explosion was terrific 1t was heard fol
miles in the surrounding country, and many
farmers hurried TO the scene to ascertain the
cause. The concussion was felt in every house in
town. Windows furniture and crockery was rat
tied In way to terrify and be wilder the inhsbi
tants. AT Lazarasville one and quarter miles
north The concussion was felt