The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-01-30
A Terrific Natural Gas Ex-
plOsiOn in Columbus Wrecks
Two Houses.
Six People Killed and Over a
Score Receive Serious
Injuries.

night A double explosion occurred
and it dealt out death with dual force.
A few moments after o'clock an alarm or
fire sounded calling out the entire depart
ment The streets were thronged with the
thousands of toilers who We're returning to
their homes from workshops and factories,
and quickly spread the news that fright
full calamity had happened in the southern
part of the city. The streets leading to that
section were soon crowded with people
going to the scene. An explosion
had occurred at the double resi-
dence of Michael Bowers and John
Marriott, at the corner of Wall and
Noble alleys. The cause of the calamity
was an accumulation of natural gas in the
cellar of the house referred to. The city
has recently been supplied with natural gas.
and leading past the house occupied by
Marriott and Powers is one of the mains
through which the commodity is furnished
to the public. The pipes had leaked and
the explosive fuel had found its way
through assures in the ground to the cellar
which was the seat of the horror. 1t be-
came ignited in some unknown manner
and exploded with terrible force, wrecking
the building and filling the air with debris.
MIS-. was D1ONIl oA1 Va AO0o~
and a man named Goulding, who was
standing near the structure, was
BLOWN ACROSS THE STREET.
Mrs. Marriott was carried across the street
and into the residence of William james.
The house where the injured lay was soon
crowded with people, attracted by the acci-
dent, and it was soon necessary to close the
doors that no more might enter. Suddenly
the air was rent by tremendous explosion
which made the earth quake and filled the
air with flying timbers bricks and debris
of all kinds. The house in which lay
Mrs Marriott had been blown to atoms and
its occupants buried beneath the wreck.
Hundreds of spectators who lined the side
walks were knocked down by the shock and
laid powerless. Then, to cap the climax, a
team of spirited horses attaehed to one OF
the fire department ladder trucks beGame
frenzied by the explosion and dashed away
into the crowd, carrying death in their
wake. They ran over and injured scores of
people. A beautiful little babewas knocked
from its mothers arms and, falling beneath
the merciless wheels of the vehicle, was
crushed to death before her eyes.
Guided by the cries and means of the man.
gled and dying, men groped in the dark
ness, pulling out dead body here man
gled, yet living, form there, and conveying
them to resting places. Groups of men,
women and children gathered around the
prostrate forms, and blood7epat'"o shriet'
~- m ar vest pocket, = -
little 4alar--
wee versa. lt required several hours to re-
move all the dead and injured from the
ruins, and it is not yet known who or how
many are victims. Following is the list of
killed and wounded so far as known:
Killed-Charles Becht, Mrs. John Marriott, in
FAINT son of Charles Berry, James Seymour, col
ored boy, unknown white man, unknown babe.
Injured-Dr. T. K Wissinger, badly and prob
ably fatally burned and bruised; Herman Baker,
badly burned; Daniel Cherry, burned painfully;
Fully, burned and injured internally, probably
| fatally; Patrick Suiskie, cut on head;
Aaron Beens, cut on face and head; BENJAMIN
Charles Lowry, burned and bruised; Albert
Ticklider bruised and cut; - Brady, burned
and CUT Edward Yemsr cut Nan and RoIs b%Enes s;t5
Peter Marriott, terribly burned about shoulders
and neck; Tom Doyle, hands burned partially
| Off Emma Powers, probably fatally burned;
| Marshal Kilbourne, horrible injuries on neck
and head; William Brady, probably fatally suf-
located; William James, hands and face roasted;
1
| bruised; - Blankinger, horribly burned and
cut.
MANY OTHERS WERE BADLY INJURED,
bnt were carried away by friends and their
names cannot be learned tonight, The
houses for several blocks around the scene
of the explosion have been made into hos
pitals, where many are being cared for
Miss Belle Smith, who was badly injured
had gone into the doomed house just prio1
to the explosion. Her face was badly
bruised and she was suffering from many
bruises about the body. She wa
almost completely buried in tn,
debris and had to be dug out
The doctors pronounce her injurie
serious, but think she win recover. Elme
Gales, young man, was standing opposite
the house when the second explosion oc
Cured, and was struck by missile whicl
broke his leg. A young man names
Meshilder, who is a resident of Granville
Ohio, was severely burned and shocked
Pet Morritt, a en-year-old girl, was Sc
riously burned about the shoulders ant
chest. When she reached the street sh
, was almost naked. Her life was saved b.
. turning stream of water o.
her. DR.. T. X. Wissinger was i
the James house when he wa
/ hurt. He was attending the patient in
!. iured at the other place when the secon
7, explosion occurred. Those who heard hir
e talk say he said he suddenly saw the flame
: creeping along the floor of the room, an
i Immediately threw himself under tabl
1 and placed his hands over his eyes to shiel
9 them. Benjamin Morgan, also spectator
= was badly injured. He was knocked dow
2 by one of the hose carts in the general rus
for safety, after the first explosion, and the
. run over by the mad crowd. Morgan liv'
e at Shawnee, and was q delegate to th
# miners convention which has been in Sc
: sion here. He is thought to be
INTERNALLY INJURED
Theodore Shouting was watching the fl
!. across the street when the explosion o
. Cured. The blaze and falling debr
4 frightened the horses of q hose car
! which wheeled and ran on to the paw
Z ment The gentleman was knocked dow
Q and had one leg broken in two place
Tom Doyle, saloon porter, was burned
: most horrible manner. When Il
3 impromptu bandages were remove
d from his hands the flesh dropped Z
y in many places, leaving the bone expose
p Police Officer Lynsky was In the house
z the the time it fell and was badly injure
The scenes at the morgue are ghastly. II
!. remains of those killed are cut and burn,
d almost beyond recognition. Peter Marrit
N lamplighter, occupied one part of an a
It joining house. which was wrecked. !
= y has four children, and all Of them q
! ! badly injured. Another part of Il
d same house was occupied by
.. widow, who disappeared when the expl
y sion occurred, and cannot be foun
e e Archie Mcneil had his leg broken and "
I, otherwise badly bruised, Mr.. Mcneil W
:. bystander who was caught by the falli
le walls, The saddest case was that Of
he Pfeiffer. He was struck by the falling til