The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-02-05
Buildings Wrecked and People Blown
About Like Leaves.
SCORES OF PERSONS WOUNDED
Many of Whom WIZ Die-what Happened
to u Passing street. Car-Graphio
Descriptions of the Shocking
Caiamity-Ths Victims.
FIRES AND OTHER MlSHAPS'
Another Pittsburg Explosion.

OF natural gas occurred this morning
near Thirty-fourth street and Ponnsyl-
vania avenue. Six people are reported
killed, twenty injured and six or eight
houses wrecked.
DETAILS OF THE CALAMITY.
Natural gas Is responsible for another
terrible explosion, which at this hour
seems to involve not only the wreck OF
houses, but serious loss of life and
maimings, which will follow the victims
10 their graves. Shortly before u
o'clock there was
AN ALARM ON THE mo BELL
on tho municipal hall, but II was of such
an irregular character that even Chiei
Evans, who was In the rotunda OF tho
hall at the time, was ut loss to know
where IL came from. In moment word
was transmitted by telephone TO the
MAYORS Office and at the engine houses
that disastrous explosion OF natural
gas had occurred at Forwarden road,
otherwise known as Thirty-fourth
and Butler streets, and that there had
great destruction of property. The
meagre details which could DO So
cured over the telephone were to the
effect tn 1t an explosion had occurred in
August Rush's saloon, No. 1856 Pennsyl-
vania avenue, and that an ad loining
building had also been wrecked by the
explosion.
THE CONCLUSION
created the widest excitement in the
immediate vicinity, and hundreds OF
people gathered about, as the ruins had
taken fire, and rumorS were current
that numbers of persons were buried IN
the debris. Just a few moments after
the occurrence Citizens line car
passed in front of the wrecked build
| ,,,rro Gllal with m a SppOnu
explosion occurred, and the car was
THROWN FROM THE TRACK
by the force of the upheaval. The con-
sternation 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 pieces of timber and lying
debris of all kinds, were hurled in the
air by the second explosion, and caused
havoc among those who had gathered
in the vicinity, and the list Of the in
jured swelled until it had reached be-
tween twenty and thirty. Several
| OTHER ERUPTIoNS FOLLOWED,
and the number of houses embraced
was increased to ten or fifteen. About
| twenty minutes past II o'clock signals
that the fire had been extinguished were
sent in, but scarcely ten minutes elapsed
till another alarm was sounded from
the same box, and additional steamers
hurried to the spot. not only TO AID IN
eXtinguishing the flames, but TO assist
in aiding to care for the injured and in
hunting for those who were
SUPPOSED TO BE BURIED
under the buildings, which had been
| involved in the general destruction. In
the excitement Immediately following
the only names ascertained were CID
son, the Car driver; August Horn, an
iron worker, and Ieinger A. Barker.
The injured we're taken to the office OF
Clark's Solar Iron Works, on Thirty
Fourth street.
WHERE THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED.
The explosion occurred in three build
ings. One was the Iron City hotel
saloon, operated by an Englishman
named George Morris. 1t was low
frame building, twelve feet front and
thirty feet deep. The man by whom 1t
was occupied had kitchen and dining
room in the basement. Above the bar
room were two bedrooms. Next to this
was a meat shop OF Mrs. Hammersdoe-
fer, which building, was Just
like the one , occupied MPpied s BY M Eas
a saloon kept by Geo, GO Mueller. He
lived in four-story brick house, tie
bar-room being on the first floor and
tobacco mandatory, also operated by
Mueller, on the second floor. Above
this and In the front of the second floor
was the sleeping departments.
THE FIRST EXPLOSION
was in the cellar of Mrs. Hammersdoe-
ter, about 1926. Mrs. Hammersdoefer
sent her sister, Mary Shoulder, into the
cellar for basket. When she reached
the cellar she struck a match eand in
stantly there was loud explosion and
the little building was almost SHAKEN
apart. The proprietor was thrown across
her shop. The plastering, glass and loose
articles came crashing ii from all sides,
and the girl in the cellar screamed
wildly. Before the people could recover
their self possession, there was
| ANOTHER TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
1t came from the cellar of Norris sa-
loon, and wrecked the basement. Mrs.
Morris, who wa. getting dinner ready,
was thrown against the door and badly
bruised. Mr.. Morris was in bed at the
time. He was blown out on the floor,
but was not seriously injured. The bar
room was filled with men,
who were thrown about like ten.
pins. Mrs. Hammersdoefer found
fer sister and pulled her up from the
cellar. Her little daughter Lizzie was
blown against the wall and covered
with debris and badly hurt about the
head and face. Miss Shoulder, the girl
who went into the cellar, was so badly
burned that she cannot recover. In the
meantime
| ATHIRD EXPLOSION
occurred in George Mueller's saloon,
/ across the street. In the saloon at the
time were Annie Mueller, daughter OF
the proprietor; Lizzie Gatmouth, . cook ;
DIR. Zerger, of Allegheny. and Jack
Stern, mill worker. Miss Mueller was
lust going down into the cellar when
the explosion occurred. She fell down
stairs and was caught by her feet, where
she hung, screaming. Charles Ruth, the
bar-keeper, heard her screams and ran
into the room, which was by this
time in flames. He made
his way through the falling ruins
and debris to the cellar-way, and res
cued her. DIR. Zergler was blown
against the wall and hurt internally.
Lizzie Gatmouth was burned about the
face and hurt. Jack Stern was terribly
burned. His death is only q question
: of few hours. When the third explo-
sion occurred tho Citizens line passen-
ger car, No. %, was just passing.
BEER KEG,
blown from the saloon, hit the driver,
William Kata, and knocked him sense
less. August Korn, Jacob Stern, Metie
Oxenshort, girl, John Bernard, Willie
Patton and George Zinzer were passing
along Pennsylvania avenue, and all
were more or less injured by flying de-
bris. By the explosion the houses OF