Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-11
DEADLY MEAL DUST.
An Explosion Caused by it Kills Three
Men and Wrecks Several Buildings.


An Explosion Caused by it Kills Three
Men and Wrecks Several Buildings.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1l.-Three men are known TO
have been killed, one fatally injured and a
number Of people badly bruised and shaken up
early this morning by an explosion Of meal
dust, which completely wrecked the three
story brick building on north Halsted street.
occupied by David Oliver, as an oatmeal mill
Several adjoining buildings were also badly
shattered. The explosion, which occurred
shortly after O'Clock, was a terrific one, the
shock being felt mile away. Bricks and tim
bers few in every direction and nearly every
pane Of glass within a radius of six blocks was
smashed. Almost before the rumble Of the ex-
plosion died away
FLAMES sPRANa UP FROM THE WRECK
and the whole place was ablaze in a few min
utes. The fire spread with incredible rapidity
and when the first fire companies reached the
scene they had block Of roaring flames to
contend with general alarm was at once
turned in. Engines were stationed at every
available point around the blazing patch and
buildings that did not take fire at the outside
were saved after the hardest kind of work
the wind ignited buildings two blocks away,
and for half an hour the firemen had all they
could do to prevent half a dozen serious con-
fagrations.
THE STREETS WERE FILLED WITH DEBRIS
for block ON every side of the burned patch,
and this seriously obstructed the firemen. They
stumbled over boarding and timbers and debris
until their clothes were torn, their hands and
faces cut, and their limbs so badly stiffened
that they could scarcely walk. 1t was nearly
two hours before the flames were under
control.
When the fire was at its height the widest
rumors were advanced regarding the loss Of
life. 1t was known that four men had been at
work in the meal mill and about twenty in the
planning mill next door. Besides these, the
women and children. At one time il was as rs
serted that twenty people had perished. but
later this estimate was found to be greatly ex-
aggerated.
The men at work in the planning g-mill all made
their escape, q few OF them badly hurt. but the
majority only slightly injured. Hundreds of
men
SEARCHED ANxIoUsLY FOR THE MISSING MILLERs
and after some time one of them, John Holmes,
was found lying in an alley across the street
from the mill, terribly burned and lacerated
He was working in the second story of the mill
when the explosion occurred. and was hurled
through a window and across the street He
cannot live. No trace can be found Of the
other three men, Chas. Miller, Chas. Cooper,
and John Smith, and it is believed that their
bodies are buried in the debris. The firemon
are hopeful that no more lives were lost, but
people living in the vicinity are sure that more
bodies will be found when the debris is ex-
plored. This cannot be done thoroughly for
several hours. Persons who were asleep in the
buildings adjacent to the wrecked mill were
THROWN OUT OF THEIR BEDS
by the force of the explosion, and most of
them were more or less injured during the
terrific bombardment of brick and other de-
bris.
Charles Murphy occupied rooms over the sa-
loon at the corner of Fulton and Halstead
streets. With him were his family. consisting
OF his wife, two children, and mother. They
were all in bed when the explosion occurred,
an j were all asleep. The force of the concus-
sion swayed the house from side to side, and
all the members of Murphys family were
thrown violently upon the door or against the
walls. In en- instant
THE HOUSE WAS ENvELoPED IN FLAMES
and the cries Of the dazed occupants reached
the people on the street. Chas Bleu was
among the spectators, and upon hearing the
cries from the Murphys rushed into the build
ing at the risk of his life and carried out the
women and children, making three trips into
the burning house. Murphy was SO dazed that
he was almost unable to get out of the house.
All were rescued without serious injury Bleu
was badly scorched and bruised.
The inmates of Heng's boarding house across
who reside next door, escaped from the shat
tered buildings with great difficulty, several Of
them being badly bruised and all losing their
personal effects.
The losses will aggregate about S15O, ,OOO
The loss on the mill is about s75,OOO. Jacob
Press, the planning mill proprietor, loses about
s5O.0O0. 1t is estimated that the other losses
will be S25,0O0.
WORKING AMONG THE DEBRIS.
A battalion of twenty fremen and over one
hundred volunteers are at work clearing away
the ruins. Ernest Casper, one Of the three
known to be dead, was working in the cupola
at the time Of the explosion. The cupola was
lifted almost entire, and thrown a distance of
60 feet upon the south side of the street. The
mutilated form of Casper is somewhere under
the wreck
John Christensen, the kilnman, is the second
known victim. His body has not been found,
and he may have been blown some distance by
the force OF the explosion. Charles Miller,
the engineer, is also buried under the mass of
debris, and it is thought that his body will be
found near the boiler.
David Oliver, proprietor, and Peter NJ.
Kimme, manager of the mill, were on the
ground early this morning, but as vet have
been unable to learn positively the cause Of
may have caused it, but the terrific force is un-
precedented if this theory be accepted No
other reasonable explanation is offered, how
ever, and the explosion Of the dust is accepted
until better reason can be found A vast
crowd surrounded the ruins For distance of
a mile in some directions plate-glass windows
were shattered and buildings violently jostled
by the terrific force Of the explosion.
ONE BODY RECOVERED.
About 1880 the excavating party discovered
the body of man which was supposed to be
that of Engineer Miller.
The corpse was found in the north driveway
of the mill and was covered with about three
feet Of debris. The lower part of the body
was covered with bruises and burns and the
face was mangled SO that it could not be rec
ognized. The unfortunate man had evidently
been blown from the engine room clear to the
driveway.
The boilers have been uncovered and are in
tact, which disposes Of the theory that they
had exploded. The police say there is no evi-
dence Of the use Of dynamite and it is not con-
sidered certain that meal dust was the material
that exploded.
THE GO" DYNAAiITERS.
Damaging Testimony Against Bowles
and Broderick.