River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-01-30
a DEADLY BLAST.
Frightful Effect of an Explosion of Nat
urai Gas at Columbus. O.-Sx Persons
Killed and Thirty Others Badly Hurt.

uraI Gas at Columbus. O.-Six Persons
Killed and Thirty Others Badly Hurt.
COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 25.-A few min
utes after p M. Friday an alarm OF
fire from the corner of High and Main
streets called the fire department out
An explosion of natural gas occurred in
one-story dwelling at the southwest
corner of Wall and Noble alleys, at
the middle of the square bounded by
High and Front and Main and Mound
streets. Patrol No. l was on the
scene, but no rope was stretched and
the people crowded by hundreds into the
narrow alley and pushed up close to the
house from which the cries OF injured
people within could be plainly heard
means and shrieks mingled with tho
hoarse calls of the fremen, the clang-
ing of the alarm bells on the engines
and the murmuring of the crowd. A
whisper ran through The thronC that a
natural-gas main ran east and west
through Noble alley, but this was soon
changed into a rumor that the blaze was
due 20 gasoline explosion in the house
and the people did not heed the warn
ing.
The fire was almost under control
The people were standing around laugh
ing and talking. The alley was crowded
with lool5ers-on, many of whom were
turning to go home. At that moment a
terrific explosion rent the air. A sheet
of fame burst from the building at the
north west corner of Noble and Wall
alleys. A great mass of bricks, beams
and stone that thirty seconds before had
been two-story brick building flew
with terrible force through the air.
The scene that followed was terrible.
The people fed shrieking in all direc-
tions. The alley was instantly covered
with a mass of debris from which the
means of buried men came. Pailid.
trembling women tottered and ran across
the alley and streets moaning orshriek-
ing. Men with foreheads and Shout
ders dabbled with blood staggered from
among the debris. A woman enveloped
in sheet of flame, bareheaded and
frenzied, ran shrieking from the house
across the alley. A man dashed
off his overcoat and ran to throw
it around her. A fireman who
held the nozzle of a hose saw her
danger and turned the stream on her. 1t
knocked her down but saved her life.
She was lifted from the ground and
hurried into a neighboring house.
Every inch of clothing had been burned
from her down to her waist. Her name
was Pet Merrotte.
An old man, venerable, with white
hair and beard, was dug from the ruins
and hurried to a place where medical
assistance could be given him. His
beard was covered with blood and he
seemed to be dying. But saddest of all,
a fearless mother, with her heart frozen
by fear and grief. staggered from the
ruins holding tight to her heart the
seemingly lifeless form of her 3-months-
old babe.
Six lives were lost and thirty people
were injured. Five dead bodies were
taken from the ruins, two of them
those of an unknown man and an
unknown babe. The infant child of
Charles Berry was dashed from its
mothers arms by the force of
the explosion and almost Immediate
ly was run over and killed by fire.
department team which was running
from the building. The names of the
identified dead are: Charles Bech, bar
Der; Frank Seymour, a colored boy;
Mrs. p. Merrotte, her body was taken
from the cellar; - Berry. an infant.
Two others are dead, but have not yet
been identified. The wounded are:
DIR. T. X. wissinger, William Brady. William
Neil, William James, Mrs William James, -
Blankinger- Theo Shouting oheer LynslSy,
Charles Licklighter - Gambler, William
Riley, Bell Smith, Elmer Gates, Mrs. Corn, Ed
Keemer, Elmer Grach, Charles Lowery, -
Westlander, Pet Merrotte, Thomas Doyle
Flora Bowers, Emma Bowers. Aaron Been,
Benjamin Morgan, - Shawnee, Marshall
Kilbourne, - Berry, - Wolf, Peter Mer-
rotte.
1t Is thought that Pet Merrotte will
die. The injured have been taken
either to the hospitals or their homes.
Many of them were injured by a team
running away with truck and knock
ing people in every direction.
The explosion, as near as can be ascer-
tanned. resulted from an accumulation
of natural gas in the cellar of the house
occupied by Michael Bowers and Mr..
Merrotte. No natural-gas pipes were
ever put into that house, but there was
natural-gas main in Noble alley which
leaked. The ground was frozen and the
gas, seeking its way out, went by the
easiest way and of course entered the
cellar. 1t has no scent and its
presence could not be detected. 1t
saturated the buildings. The force
of the explosion in the Merrotte
and Bowers house took westerly and
northerly direction and scattered bricks
and lumber and lathing for distance
of twenty feet. The side of the Mer-
rotte house was blown out, and the roof.
freed of it's support, fell over and lay
hanging from the top of the house to
the yard below.
The exploding vapor after doing its
terrible work on the south side Of Noble
alley leaped over to the north side of
the alley and completely destroyed the
house at "a West Noble, occupied by
Edward Otstot and Mr.. James. This house
is similarly constructed with the one OPP
posite, being a Observation-Disclosures
brick with three rooms down and two
upstairs. Here the terrible force of the
exploded gas was shown. Every thing
was blown TO chips. A force of work
men at work for week could not reduce
the house to kindling-wood so thorough
ly as did this explosion in one short mo-
ment.