Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-25
eoARoINe-HoUse BLOWN UP.
Three Persons Killed; Six Injurcd--Ugiy
Rumors IA TO the Cause.
NV teicorapb 70 thu Disn.,ch,


SAVANNAH. Ga, July 2l.-w. ]. Billiards.
boarding house. the three-story brick
dwelling No. 203 Congress street. was
blown up at Lao O'clock this morning.
Three persons were killed and six injured.
Two of them will probably die. There
were thirteen people in the house. The
explosion shattered the walls, which coll
lapsed in an instant aud fell mass OF
ruins. Most Of the occupants were asleep
and were hurled from their bedsand either
buried under tho falling d6bris or thrown
Billiard. Lockley, and Gus ROBBIE. The
wounded arc: John Roberts, right ankle
fractured and conclusion Of brain from
the shock j. l.. Tate. confusion Of
face and chest; Neldon HAYWOOD Ccol-
ored). collar-bone broken and bruised
Edward Rames. slightly bruised; Nr.
Edward Everett, slightly bruised
Samuel King (coloredl, badly injured
about the body. The first person
taken ont the ruins was J. L. Tate. collec-
tor for the Citizens Bank. who was sleep
ing on the second floor. and was pinned
down by falling timber. Five minutes
later the mangled body of Mrs. Bullsrd
was found eight feet under pile OF bricks
beneath the room where she was sleeping.
The body was taken out at 3 O'Clock and
laid in Franklin Square on a mattress.
Robbie came here from New York about q
month ago and was employed by
McDOnough a. Co. as scroll-man. He
slept in the front bali room on
the second floor, and was found under
a sheet on his bed, where be had evidently
been killed as he slept. He has a wife in
New York. from whom he received n letter
"A day or two ago. He was about forty
nine years old. The body of Lockley was
found about o'clock. IL was the last
taken ont Of the building. j. A. Rimes,
who was sleeping in the front room on the
third floor with Roberts. was huy'ed 10 the
second floor. and was pinned between The
bed and the floor until he was pulled out
by the firemen. He did not see Roberts
after the explosion occurred. The first he
heard was n grinding noise, and then came
q crash. and then n blank. The next he
knew he was being taken out from under
the Debris He was slightly bruised. Mr.
and Mrs Everett. who were sleeping in a
front room on the second floor, were
pulled out from under the ceiling above,
which held them fast.
Mrs. John Paige and baby. who were
sleeping in a room back of Mr.. and Mrs.
Everett. escaped unhurt and were lifted
out by the fremen. As fast a. the injured
people were taken out they were carried
into the rear Of Andrew Jackson's resi-
dence. Just east of the fallen building.
Jack Roberts. who slept with }. 4. Rimes
on the third floor, sustained severe injuries
about the body and head. Mr.. Bulard,
who was sleeping with his wife, had mar
vellous escape and received but few slight
bruises. Mrs Billiard was dead when
taken out. She was fearfully crushed.
The cause of the explosion ia "a mystery.
There are many rumors of an ugly nature.
but nobody will take the responsibility OF
making direct statement. One man in
situated that there had been a row in the
house toward the end of a iollltication in
which the inmates had been indulging.
Lamps were used instead of gas, and 1t
is said that there was no metre in the
house, though 1t was supplied with gas
pipes throughout. Most people, there
fore. are unable TO see how the explosion
could have been caused by gas.
The fallen building was three-story
tenement. built III the French fat style,
and facing north and south, the two top
floors being used "a sleeping apartments.
The explosion blew the entire building
to the northward. some of the furniture
being blown across Julian street into SPIN
tiers, while flying bricks went as far az Bay
street. she entire structure collapsing out
ward on Congress street.