Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-01
THE FORCE OF GAS.
PittsburR Shaken by Three Terrific
Natural Gas Explosions In
Quick Succession.
Seven or Eight Persons Fatally Injured
Two Houses WTeoked-GM Still
Burning in the Sewers,
A rAlE oF pnsrRuorIoN.

rALEoF DESTRUCTION.
PITrsBURd, Pa, Jan. al.-Three ex-
Ploslons OF natural gas occurred this
morning near Thirty-fourth street on
Pennsylvania avenue. Several people
are reported killed, twenty injured
and ak TO eight housed wrecked.
TIB PARTICULARS.
Natural gas Is responsible for AN
other terrible explosion which Rt this
hour seems TO involve not only the
wreck OF houses, but a serious loss OF
life aud msimings which will follow
the victims to their graves,
| THE ALARM
Shortly before ] . O'Clock there was
an alarm On the big bell Ia the munic.
| ipal hall, but IL was OF such an irreau.
lar character that even Chief Evans,
| who was In the rOtunda Of the hall at
the time, was at q loss 10 know where
IL came from. In a moment word was
transmitted by the telephones at the
mayors ottlce and at the engine-house
that
A D1sABTROus EXPLOSION
Of natural gas had occurred a. the
Forward OF the Road, otherwise
known 30 ThlTty-FOut IA and Butler
streets, and that there had been a Beri.
Gus loss Of life, as well As u great de.
stIuction of property. Meager details
which could be secured over the tele.
phone were 70 the effect that the exc
ploelon occurred In August Ruhia ga
loon, at No. go PennaS lvAnia avenue,
and that an adj lining building had also
been wrecked by the explosion. The
conclusion created the widest ex lite.
ment In the immediate vicinity and
hundreds OF people gathered about, M
the ruins had taken Gre and rumors
were current that number OF persona
were
BURIED IN THR DEBRIS.
Just few mOmenta after the occur
renee a Citizens line car passed In
front Of the wrecked building, filled
with passengers. There WAS u sec
ond explosion, and the car was
thrown from the track by
the force of the upheaval. The con.
sternation among the passengers was
more than panic, and scarcely one %
the whole number escaped without
more or lees injury, The driver was
blown from his position and 80 severe
" injured that
lie MAY NOT RECOVER.
At the same time the pieeea OF timber
and dying debris OF all kinds which
|
explosion caused havoc among those
who had gathered In the vicinity, and
the llrt Of injured was BWell,d until II
had reachtd between twenty and
thirty, Several other eTuptions fol-
lowed, and the number OF HOUSES em-
braced was increased to ten OF
tifteen. About twenty minutes
past IL o'clock signals that the FIRE had
been eAtiugulHhcd were sent in,
hut scarcely ton minutes had elapsed
until another alarm wAs sounded from
the same box, and additional steamers
hurried 10 the spot not only 10 aid In
extinguishing the flames, but to assiat
la taking care Of the iDjuri d end hunt
Ing for those who were supposed 10 be
BURIED UNDER THE RUiLDINOs,
which had been involved In the gem
eral destruction. In the excitement
Immediately following the only names
OF the injured RsCertained were those
Of Gibson, the card liver, Aug Horn,
an iron.wOrker, and Seinger, baker.
The Injured were taken To the Ofiice
OF Clark'g Solar Iron works on Thirty.
fourth street.
THE SCENE or THE THREE RxPLo-
HIORs
Explosions occurred In three build
iugs. One was the Iron Guy saloon,
operated by AN Englishman named
Geo Morris. IL WAS a low frame
building Of twelve feet front and thir-
y feet deep. IL was occupied by q
family who had kitchen aud dining
rooms In the basement Above the
bar-room were two bed rooms.
Next 10 this was a neat-BhOp OF Mrs
Hamersdofer, which building was just
like the one occupied by Morris.
| N. IL. I.N a..
saloon OF George Mueller. H0 lived
IN four-slory brick house, tho bar-
room being ON the first floor aud, to-
bncco mandatory, also ops
rated by Mueller, WIS on tine
second floor. Above this and In the
front OF the second door were sleeping
apartments
THE FIRST EXPLOSION
occurred In the cellar IT Mrs. Ham
mersdofer. About 1895 Mrs. Ham
mersdOfer sent her sister, Mary Smoul-
der, into the cellar for basket When
she reached the cellar she struck a
match and instantly there WINS loud
explosion and the little building WAS
almost shaken apart. The prOprietreas
WAS thrown across her shop. The
plasterlng, glass and loose articles
came crashing In from ali sides, and
the girl In the cellar
SCREAMED WILDLY.
Before the people could recover self
possession there was another terri
BILE explosion. 10 came from
the cellar Of Morris saloon
and wrecked the basement. Mrs.
Morris, who was getting dinner ready,
was thrown against the door and bad,
ly bruised. Mr. Morris himself was
ln bed at the time. He WAS blown
out on the floor. but was not seriously
injured. The baF-rOOm was crowded
with men who we're thrown about
LIKE TEH-PIHs.
Mrs. Hamersdoier fou I'd her Sister
against the wall aud covered with
debris, and badly hurt about the head