The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-01-30
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
A Terrific Natural Gas EX-
plOSiOn in Columbus Wrecks
Two Houses.
Six People Killed and Over a
Score Receive Serious
Injuries.
Ohio Special.-There is a scene

CoLUMBUs, Ohio, Special.-There is ascene
of death and destruction in this city to-
night whose horrible features and sickenlng
details are surpassed only by the JOhnstOwn
flood. Never i'll the history OF Ohio has
such a dreadful disaster occurred as that
which sent thrills of horror through
the thousands who witnessed it to-
night 4 double explosion occurred
and it dealt out death with dual force.
A few moments after o'clock All alarm OF
fire sounded calling out the entire depart
ment The streets were thrOnged with the
thousands OF tUilers who were returning to
their humes 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-
dencc 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 i'll 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
throu.5ll 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.
Mrs. Marriott was blown out Of the house
and Il 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 acct
dent. and it was soon necessary to close the
doors that no more might enter. Suddenly
the air was rent by a tremendous explosion
which made the earth quake and filled the
air with flying tjmbers, bricks and debris
of all kinds The house in which lay
Mrs Marriott had been blown to atoms and
its uccupantS buried beneath the wreck.
Hundreds OF spectators who lined the side
walks were knocked down by the shock and
laid powerIess. Then, to cap the climax,
team of spirited horses attached to one OF
trenzied by the explosion and dashed away
into the crowd, carrying death in their
wake. They ran over and injured scores of
people. \ beautiful little babe was knocked
from its mothers arms and, falling beneath
the mcrcilesS wheels of the vehicle, was
crushed to death before her eyes.
Guided by the cries and means of the man
gled and dying, men CROPPED in the dark
hess pulling out dead body here man
ged. yet living, form there, and conveying
them to resting places. Groups of men,
women and children gathered around the
pr'~trate forms, and blood7Gunt 40 shri"I'
~ - EeSt. u0okht.
ito &pir~~
wee Versa. IC 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. harles Becht, Mrs. John Marriott, in
FAINT son OF Charles Berry, James Seymour: col
Ored bOv. unknown white man, unknown babe.
Iniured-Dr. r. X. Wissinger. badly and prob
ably fatally burned and bruised Herman Baker
badly burned; Daniel Cherry, burned painfully;
Charles Wolff, cut and bruised seriously; Mrs
Fully, burned and injured internally, probably
fatally; Patrick Suiske, 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 Wiener, cut and burned; - -,
Wolff, cut and burned; Miss Belle Smith,
badly hurt; Mrs. Corn, badly burned;
Peter Marriott, terribly burned about shoulders
and neck; Tom Doyle, hands burned partially
off; Emma Powers, probably fatally burned;
Marshal kibOurne, horrible injuries on neck
and head William Brady, probably fatally SUI
located William James, hands and lace roasted;
will die Mrs. William James badly cut and
bruised Bankinger, 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
pitfalls, where many are being cared for.
Miss Belle Smith, who was badly injured,
had gone into the doomed house just prior
to the explosion. Her face was badly
bruised and she was suffering from many
bruises about the body. She was
almost completely buried in the
debris and had to be dug out
The doctors pronounce her injuries
serious, but think she will recover. Elmer
Gales, a young man, was standing opposite
the house when the second explosion &C,
CURED, and was struck by missile which
broke his leg. A young man named
Meshildcr, who is a resident of Granville
Ohio, was severely burned and shocked
Pet Merritt, fifteen year-old girl, was Sc
riously burned about the shoulders anC
, chest. When she reached the street sh'
was almost naked Her life was saved by
} turning stream of water OF
her DR.. r. K. Wissinger was IL
the James house when he wa
ho ~,
jured at the other place when the seconC
' explosion occurred. Those who heard hin
talk say he said he suddenly saw the flame
creeping along the floor of the room, ant
! Immediately threw himself under a tabl
a and placed his hands over his eyes to shielC
e them Benjamin Morgan also a spectator
= was badly injured. He was knocked dowl
by one of the hose carts in the general rusl
for safety, after the first explosion, and thel
o run over by the mad crowd. Morgan live
e at Shawnee, and was a delegate to tn
# miners convention which has been in ses
sion here. He is thought to be
INTERNALLY INJURED.
Theodore Shouting was watching the fir
, across the street when the explosion OF
q Cured The blaze and falling debri
n frightened the horses of hose car
! which wheeled and ran on to the pave
/ ment. The gentleman was knocked dow
o and had one leg broken in two places
: Tom Doyle, a saloon porter, was burned i
= most horrible manner. When tn
q impromptu bandages were remove
d from his hands the flesh dropped o
y in many places leaving the bone exposed
p Police Officer Lynsky was in the house 9
e the the time it fell and was badly injured
y. The scenes at the morgue are CHASTITY. Th
J. remains of those killed are cut and burne
d almost beyond recognition. Peter Marrit
n lamplighter occupied one part of an &C
It joining house, which was wrecked. II
r. has four children and all of them al
a. badly injured. Another part of tt
d same house was occupied by
e. widow who disappeared when the explC
y sion occurred, and cannot be founC
le Archie Mcneil had his leg broken and WI
III otherwise hadlv bruised Mr. McNeil W.