New-York tribune., 1885-02-01
EXPLOSION OF NATURAL GAS.
HOUSES WRECKED AND PEOPLE HURT.
KNOCKED DOWN BY FLYING BEER KEG-FIREs
BURNING IN SEWERS.

there was an alarm on the big bell in Municipal
Hall tower. 1t was OF such an irregular character
that even Chief Evans, who was in the rotunda OF
the hall at The time was at loss to know where it
came from In moment word was transmitted by
the telephones at the Mayors office and at the
! engine houses that disastrous explosion of
natural gas had occurred at Forks Of Roads,"
otherwise known as Th;rty-fourh and Butler-st,
and that there had been serious loss of life as
well ms OF property. 1t was soon learned that the
| explosion had occurred in the building at No. 1851
Pcnn-ave, and that the adjoining buildings had
been wrecked by the explosion. A few minutes
after the first explosion Citizens Line car filled
with passengers passed the wrecked building
second explosion occurred and the car was thrown
from the track by the force of the upheaval The
CONSERVATION among the passengers was mole than
a panic.
Hardly one of tho whole number of passengers
escaped without more or less injury. The driver
was blown from his position and severely hurt
that he may die. At the time pieces of timber
aud flying debris of all kinds were hurled III the
air, making havoc among those who had gathered
IN the vicinity and the list of injured was increased
until it had reached between twenty and Thirty.
Several other eruptions followed and the number
of houses wrecked was increased to ten or fifteen.
About 1920 signal that the fire had been ex-
tinguished was sent in, but not more than ten
| minutes had elapsed, when another alarm sounded
from the same box and additional steamers hurried
TO the spot. not only to aid in extinguishing the
ames but to assist in the of the injured and in
hunting for those who supposed TO be buried
in the ruined buildings.
One of the buildings destroyed was the Iron City
| Hotel, n liquor shop owned by an Engshman.
| George Morris. Ii was a low frame building, twelve
feet front and thirty feet deep. with the kitchen
| and diningroom in the basement. Above the bar
| room were two bedrooms Next to this was the
| meat shop of Mrs. lIammersdocrfer. building like
| the one occupied by Morris. Across Thirty-thrdst
was the dram shop of George Mueller. lie lived in
a sour-story brick house. his barroom being on the
| hrst floor and his tobacco mandatory on the
second floor. Above this and in the front OF the
| second floor sleeping apartments.
The first explosion in the cellar OF Mrs. Hon.
| mersdoefeTs house about 1O:35 q. III. Mrs. Ham,
mersdoerfcr seat her sister, Mary Smolder, INTO the
| cellar for basket. When she reached tho cellar
| she struck a match and instantly there was loud
explosion and the little building was aimast shaken
| apart Mrs. Hammersdoefer was thrown across
her shop; plastering. glass and loose articles came
| crashing IN from all sides and the girl in the cellar
screamed wildly Before people could recover their
self po,scssion there was another loud report. IL
| came from the cellar of the Morriss tavern and
| wrecked the basement. Mrs. Morris. who was get
ting dinner ready was thrown against the doof ana
| n window and more or less cut and bruised. MOTIFS
| hinsef was IN bed at the time. He was blown out
on the door. but not seriously hurt. The barroom
was crowded with men. who were thrown about
| like 80 many tenpins Mrs Iammersdoeier found
her sister and pulled her up from the cellar Her
little daughter, Lizzie. was blown against the WallI
| coyrrod with debris and badly hurt about the head
and face. Miss Smoidcr,.w who went To the ceiar, u
! :, badly burned that she cannot recover
In the meantimc the third explosion occurred in
| Georro MueIlers store across the street. In the
store at tho time wero Annie Mueller. daughter
Of the proprietor. Lizzie Gaimath; a COOK III
| worker Miss Mueller was just going down 10 the
| cellar when the explosion occurred She fcll down
stairs aud was caught by the feet. where she hung
screaming Charles Ruth, barkccpcr heard her
screams and ran into the room. which by tins time.
| va, IN tlames He made his way through the fall
ing ruins and debris 10 the ccllarway and rescued
| her Dr. Zcigler was blown against wall ana III,
| jurcd internally. Lizzie Galmath was burned
about the face and seriously hurt. Jack stern was
80 terribly burned that his death Is only question
When the third explosion occurred. passenger car
| No % of the Citizens Line. was JuSt passing a
beer Srg blown from of the liquor stores. MI mo
| driver William kota, and knocked HIM senseiess.
| The passengers were not injured. August Horn,
| IacoI, stein Nellie Oxenshor John Bernard, Willie
| 4 Patton and George Inser were passing along
| Pcnn-age.. when the explosion occurred ana all
| were more or less hurt by lying dehrIs q,
| The houses OF Morris and Mueller were wrecked
| and every honsc within square was more or less
| damaged. Among the number were Ebert iliu9,r
| store the Lawrence Bank Icers drug store scott )
| grocery Boehm's icwclry store, Ges's conirction-
cry store. aud Peyton's grog shop No one was
killed outright but four or five VIII dic; me loss
| nf buildings and stock is estimated at from
| $1,000 to 10000 The gas .ilro Is sun turning
| in the sewers
rnE CAUSE OF THE CALAMITY.
| The cause of the explosion was blg leak Ill inc
huge main of the Fuel Gas Company winch runs
along Butler-st close TO the curb. There is sewer
opening in front of Mucller's place and the gas
which is coming ont of it is still sending
ont blazo several feet high from the
cracks between the bricks Indignation
| against the gas company runs high ana
| threats of tearing up the pipes are freely
made. Senator Uppennan is already preparing u
bill to compel councils To take measures ioi .,i9 ny
safety of the people Ihe people say ,s nsy was
held tonight in the open AR by the gnt Vi e rho
| burning gas. II was attended by thousands IL ne ne
feeling found vent series OF RESOLUTIONS oi tho
The onicres of the gas company say the mains
have been laid as carefully "s 20 posSS,U,t sSnnt
any reasonable precanton that may De prescrloe'o
by the authorities. This does not satlslS tRc Ics
| dents of the two cities. over 200 miles oi pipes
have been laid under the streets, and as the expo
slons that have occurred thus Tar nave pccn III
different neghborboods the feeling ~ go,ioia, ra"s
the city resting force almost as dangerous
| rs a Volcano and that no man can ten wien an i oA
poson will occur that will destroy scores Oh liVes.
The gas ~ absolutely odorless and 80 pehetratihg
that in number of instances, when the pressure as
been high il has need its way thr0ngn the pores
OF cast pipes an inch III thickness ne hnoT W.
edge Of this general and tends 10 increase @ .no
| terror of the peope IL is claimed by many large
| property owners that long rs the leaks III tne
| pipes cannot 10 detected in the manner that cor
| aas leaks are discovered, the new fuel cannot ps
| used with safety. They also insist that its use
should be prohibited as u dangerous nulshhGo a9i
| the present II tho councils should ioiow .hiS au
vice. the loss to the companies controlling INC iue
! would exceed 81 $lO,0O0O0O. .L;
| There was an explosion of natural gas carry TINS
| morning in Miin Township, opposite Mcheco-
| port on the line Of the Carpenter Gag company,
| who have a line running from the Mmrraysvviiie v .
well high pressure to supply Woods Mill NIL. ~ ~