Evening journal., 1890-01-29
EXPLOSION IN A SCHOOL
Serious Results Of an Expert
ment in Chemistry.
NITRo.cLYcERINE SHOOTERS DIE

A Fatal Blow Up IN the Pennsylvania oil
Regions by which Two Men Perishcd.
Three Men killed while Blasting Near
sunbnry, Pa.
LEXINGTON, ILL.,, Jan. 2o-Disaster came
70 the public school here this afternoon by
which the instructor had his eyes blown out
md a score Of pupils received injuries. That
the calamity was not further augmented by
the panic that followed is something short
OF marvellous. Among the most seriously
injured are:
A List of the Injured.
Barnard, Hattie, aged to. injuries 20 breast
. from flying iron; dangerously cut
Dawson win. seriously cut
Hatsenhar. Win, seriously injured
Jess Professor D., instructor horribly burned.
sight lost win probably die.
Kemp Cora, aged 10, compound fracture Of
leg.
Longstafi, Asa, seriously injured.
Merrill, BERTHE, aged 20, compound fracture OF
leg and severed artery; likely TO die.
Stevenson, Russell injuries to leg and terribly
bruised.
Preparing for the Experiment..
Professor J. jess, the principal Of the
school, called the class In chemistry together
shortly before 8 o'clock, The class wascom-
posed Of the older boys and girls Of the in
stitution, with the girls in the majority.
They had entered on the study Of gases, and
they were full Of anticipation, for tho in.
structor had promised them several expert.
ments with oxygen. The generator was a
gas pipe eight inches long and two in Diane
ter, and was apparently calculated TO resist
an ordinary expansive pressure Of the gas
1t is said TO have been in use for years, and
probably this might explain the catastrophe
that followed.
Frightful Explosion.
When every preparation had been com
pleted, Principal Jess caused the chemical
action 70 begin. He had just turned to-
wards the apparatus to illustrate a state
ment when an explosion, like the bursting
OF IA mighty bomb, occurred The room wns
Oiled with flying fragments Of iron and
splinters. The windows were shivered into
thousand fragments, and following the
short silence there came the groans and
shrieks OF the wounded and the cries OF the
panic stricken.
Panic Ensued.
Those who could ran for the exits, and
the children in the other portions Of the
building, hearing the explosion and feeling
the building tremble, were beyond the con-
troll Of the teachers, and joined ia the mad
rush for tile outer air. The teachers were
helpless to stay the rush, and there were
many bruised and torn in the battle.
Fire Follows the Report.
The force OF the explosion drove pieces O
tho pipe through the brick walls and thl
room was filed with steam. A piece Of th'
iron had been blown through a can Of gaso
line, which ignited and sprang into a great
sheet Of flame. Fortunately the fire was
promptly extinguished. II was found that
Professor jess was horribly burned about
the face, head, hands and arms. His sight
is lost forever and IL is probable that he will
never live to regret the calamity. The next
most serious case was that Of Berthe Merrill
who has a compound fracture Of the leg and
an artery severed. He is also likely 70 die
Terror Stricken Parents.
The room was full Of bleeding scholars
some prostrated by their injuries and Others
through fright. Hundreds Of terrified parents
and friends focked terror stricken to tht
place, and many tainted as they beheld their
mutilated and terribly injured children Gov
cred with blood and surrounded by wreck
age. All of the injured ones were carried c
their homes and surgical aid summoned from
Bloomington. The explosion is attributed
by some Of the teachers 70 impure chemicals
but probably resulted from ignorance OF tho
use of chemicals
Three Men killed Near sunbury. IA
SUNBuRY, Pa. Jan. 90 "A gang Of Ital
ians, Poles and Hungarians, who were EN-
ployed in widening the roadbed Of the Sha-
mokin, Sunbury and Lewisburg railroad,
yesterday set three blasts and then retired
to await the explosion. For some unex
planned reason only two Of the blasts ex
ploded The men did not know this, how
ever, and had returned TO their work when