Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-30
BLOWN TO ETERNITY.
Awful Work of Exploding Gas and
Gasoline at Columbus.
Three People Killed and Forty Seri-
ously Injured.

COLUMBUS, Jan. 25.-Like thunder
clap a calamity has fallen upon this
city which has filled many homes with
mourning and all hearts with terror.
Last evening an alarm of fl re was
sounded at o'clock which called the
department to the corner of Wall and
Noble alleys, in the rear of Eichenlaub's
theater, where a story-and-a-halfdouble
brick residence, occupied by Peter
Morotte, lamp-lighter, was on fire.
The fire followed loud explosion, and
the word soon went out that it was
caused by the bursting of gaso line
stove. f;
Mrs. Morotte and five children were
in the house and the mother ran out en-
veloped in flames. A young man named
Chas. LOwery threw his coat around her
and smothered the flames. She was
carried across the alley to the house oc-
cupied by Edward Ostoll and VIM.
James.
A crowd gathered, and half an hour
later another explosion occurred, lifting
the two-stoy double brick across the al
ley high up in the air and showering
bricks, beams and mortor on the heads
of the shrieking and flying people.
There was a scene of horor for few
minutes that could not be described.
To add to the horror, the horses attach.
ed to one of the truck and ladder wa g.
ons, frightened by the falling walls and
flying debris, ran off, and dashing into
the crowd gathered on Front-st. knock
ed down and seriously injured many be.
fore they could be checked. The fire.
men soon had the flames in the Morotte
building under control ana the cry
went up that many were buried in the
ruins.
All sorts of wild rumors flew around
and the list of the dead soon ran up into
the hundreds if the frightened people
could be believed.
Within q few minutes the firemen
had rescued seven people and they were
carried off in patrol wagons to the
hospital or their homes.
After all in sight had been rescued
the firemen began removal of the wreck
as it was certain all the inmates of the
house had not escaped.
Shortly after o'clock the first body
was found buried beneath mass of tim
bers on the sidewalk on the east side OF
the house. 1t was that Of a colored boy
about Is years of age and was bruised
and mangled; then the body of Charles
Becht, a barber, was found. Next the
body of woman. sob, it's mother!'
cried an anguished voice, and youni
Marotte, youth of q, who had beer
frantically searching the ruins, sobbeC
in anguish that brought answering
tears to the eyes of the bystanders.
The firemen worked until 10 o'clocl
by electric light, and had found thre
. dead bodies. 1t is not known weathe
others are buried in the ruins.
: The mystery of the case is how tn
second explosion occurred. The mos
, plausible theory is that the first ex
plosion loosened the gas mains and fill
: ed the cellar of the second house witt
the hidden danger.
/ The clothing Of the burned victim
was .permeated with the odor of gas
1t Is the worst accident ever know
in Columbus, and may prove to be still
greater as the ruins are explored.
ii COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 25.-The Natura
q Gas Co. announce that all persons in
: jured in the explosion last night Wi
+ receive damages for their injuries with
in two hours after presentation. TIL
r company wants no lawsuit, and will d
> eAerything within the bounds OF reason