The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-12
BLOWN INTO ETERNITY.
A Tremendous and Fatal Elk
plOsiOn of Natural Gas.
Two Buildings at Columbus, Ohio
Hurled Into the Air.

While the streets of Columbus, Ohio, were
full of shoppers and persons going to their
homes after their days toll little after five
o'clock in the evening, an alarm of fire wa:
turned in from the corner of High and Mair
streets The changing of the bells on the fire
engines and the general confusion attracted
great crowd.
The alarm was caused by an explosion OF
natural gas in house at the corner Of Wal
and Noble alleys. While the crowd sur:
rounded the placea second explosion occurred
in house across the alley.
Without a thought of danger the crowd
rushed to the scene of the fire. 1t was found
that the first explosion had occurred in a two
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.
The police were quickly on the scene, but
the people were permitted to crowd by hum
dreds into the narrow alley and push up
close to the house.
The cries of the injured people within the
wrecked house could be plainly heard. Means
and shrieks mingled with the hoarse calls OF
the firemen, the changing of the alarm bells
on the engines and the murmurings OF the
crowd.
A whisper ran through the throng that a
natural gas main ran east and west through
Noble alley, but this was soon put at rest by
the statement that the blaze was due to a
gasoline explosion in the house, and the peo-
Die about did not heed the warning.
The fire was almost under control and the
people were standing about. The alley was
crowded with lockers on, many of whom were
turning to 60 home, when terrific explosion
rent the air. A sheet of flame burst from the
building at the northwest corner of the alley,
of hr,o
that thirty seconds before had constituted q
two story brick building went flying with
terrific force through the air. Then came
the quiet of death.
The scene that followed was terrible. The
people fed shrieking, in all directions, while
the alley was covered with mass of debris,
from which the means of buried humans
came.
Pallid, trembling women tottered and ran
across the alley and streets, moaning or
shrieking. Men with foreheads and shoulders
drabbled with blood staggered from among
the debris.
Petty Merrotte, enveloyed in a sheet Of
fame bare headed and frenZied, ran Shrek
ing from the house across the alley. A man
tore off his overcoat and ran to throw it
around her, but 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, as the water extingulshed
the flames She was lifted from the ground
and hurried into neighboring house. Every
inch of the clothing had been burned from
her down to the waist.
An old man, venerable and with white
hair and beard, was dug from the ruins and
hurried to place where medical assistance
could be given him. His frosty beard was
covered with blood and he seemed to be in
dying condition.
A mother, with her heart frozen by fear
and grief, staggered from the ruins, holding
tight to her breast the seemingly hfeless
form of her three-,nonths-old babe.
The explosion, as near as can be ascer-
tanned, resulted from an accumulation or
natural gas in the cellar Of the house occu.
pied by Michael Bowers and Mr.. Merrotte.
No natural gas pipes were ever put into the
house, but a natural gas main in Noble alley
leaked. The ground was frozen and the gas
entered the cellar. 1t has no odor and its
presence cannot be detected.
The force of the explosion in the Merrotte
and Bowers house took westerly and north
erly direction, and scattered bricks and lum-
ber and lathing for distance of twenty feet.
The side of the Merrotte house was blown
out and the roof, freed of its support, fell
over, hanging from the top Of one side of the
house to the yard below.
The exploded gas, after doing its terrible
work on the south side of Noble alley, leaped
over to the north side of the alley and COM
pletely destroyed the house at "a West Noble,
occupied by Edward Otstot and Mr.. James.
This house was a story and a half brick struc-
ture, with three rooms down and two up
stairs. Here the terrible force of the e1-
ploded gas was shown.
Every thing was blown to chips. A force
Of worklnen at work for a week could not
reduce the house to kindling wood so thor
oughly as did this explosion in one short
moment. The explosion was upward, as
bricks, doors, window sashes, lathing, siding,
etc., were piled in heap all about the build
ing and only dozen feet from it.
The work of getting out the dead and car
ing for the wounded was attended with great
excitement.
By the two explosions six persons were
killed and nearly thirty injured, many
fatally. ,1..