The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1890-01-30
The Columbus Horror.
EXPLOSION Of NATURAL GAS
AND GASOLINE.
Two Houses Blown Up, Killing
Six and Horribly Mangling
Fifty Others.
Columbus Post.

Columbus Post.
A horrible calamity came
upon this city last Friday
evening in the shape Of a fire
and explosion combined. At
$3.50 o'clock the fire depart
ment was called to the cor
ner of Wall st. and Cherry
alley, to extinguish a fire in
a frame house occupied by a |
widow lady named Mrs. John
Marriott. A large crowd Of
spectators gathered to the
scene when a report and a
shock told that a barrel of
gasoline had exploded. Mrs.
Marriott was blown out Of the
house, and a man named
Goulding was hurled across
the street. The injured
woman was taken into the
house opposite her own. DR..
Wissinger was called and a
number of neighbors rushed
into the house.
Within ten minutes a Sec
ond explosion occurred, shak-
ing the earth for squares
around and sendiug people
and debris flying in all di-
rections. Strong men trem :
bled with fear, and in the
short, awful suspense that
followed, seemed powerless
to act. 1t was but a moment,
however, and the multitude
rushed as one man to the
ruins. Guided by the cries
and means Of the mangled
and dying. men groped about
in the darkness, pulling out
a dead body here, and a burn
ed, mangled, but still living
body there.
The second explosion oc-
cured in Mrs. James house,
which was full of people at
the time. Mr.. James, wife
and child were among the
first rescued. They were all
three badly bruised and burn
ed. Mr.. James had thrown
open his house, and Mrs.
Marriott who was injured by
the first explosion was being
attended there. That was
the last seen Of her. Her
body has not bean found
The other occupants Of the
house were more or less bad
ly injured. One woman was
seen struggling with a baby
IN her arms her clothing
was on fire. A fireman turn
ed a small hose On her, and
other men ran to save her.
She was taken out and re-
lieved Of her precious charge
baby was dead.
The neighboring business
houses and residences were
turned into hospitals, and as
fast as they were taken out
from the debris the dead and
injured were carried to them.
A general panic followed and
considerable damage follow
ed by runaway teams. Two
belonging to the fire depart
ment ran away, demolishing
a chemical engine and a hose
cart. 1t was some time be-
fore the police could get the
crowd away so that a syste-
matte search Of the ruins
could be made. I
There were counted thirty
persons taken out of the
ruins who were very serious
y and some fatally injured.
Four are known to have been {
killed outright.
A young lady living in the .
house where the first explo- :,
sion occurred, ran to the Sec
md house that exploded, and
ifter the blowing up Of the n
after she was seen with her v
lair burned off and clothes
IN fire, and ran out threw
lerself into the snow. :,
Mr.. Tresenr1der, who saw y
Ter, came to her rescue and
'ut out the fire on her gar
nents. The lady in her 81
right was unable to tell her pl
anne. 81
The head of this house was
rought in with his head cut
pen, and the young lady '" ".
matched a curtain from one r
f the windows and disap-
cared into the street. Her "
$500 X,,oc ,,r IT,, ,nl - =.