The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-01-30
EXPLOSIONS. ]. Isl <.
Horrors Of Natural Ges in Startling
Succcssion.
Buildings Flllcd with l:umnns Blown "a
AtODs-Terribic Cntastrophc at
Columbus, ohio.


COLUMBUS, O.. Jan. 25. Last evening
terrific explosion rent tho air.
sheet OF fame burst frcin the building
at the northwest cor;.e: of Noble and
wall alleys, great mass Of bricks,
beams ard stone, tnat thirty minutes
before had constituted two-story brick
building, were flying with terrific force
through the air; rnd thcn the quiet OF
death. The scene thai followed that
was terrible. The peorle flcd shrielsing
In all directions, while the alley was In.
stantly covered with mass of debris
from which tho mcc.,; C.. buried men
came. But for only moment was IL
quiet In rlccnent troubling women
tottered and ran across the alley
and streets moaning and shrieking.
The men, with fcrcheads and shoulders
draped in blccd, staggered from among
the debris. a woinan onveloped in q
sheet Of flame, bareheadcd and frenzied,
ran shrieking fro IN the house across the
alley. A man dashed off his overcoat
and ran to throw 1t around her. A fire.
man who held the nozzle of hose saw
herdanger and turned the stream on her.
1t knocked her Gown but saved her life,
extinguishing the flames. She was lifted
from the ground ana hurried to neigh.
boring house. Every inch of her cloth.
ing had been burned from her down to
her waist. Her nanc was Pot Merrett.
An old man, venerable, and with white
hair and beard, was dug from the ruins
and hurried to u place where medical
assistance could bo given him. His
frosty beard was covered with blood and
he seemed to be in u dying condition.
But saddest of all, fearless mother,
with her heart frozen by fear and grief,
staggered from the ruins holding tight
to her heart the seemingly lifoless form
OF her threemonth sold babe. And so
on throughout the long sad list of killed
and wounded. The explosion, as near
as can be ascertained. resulted from an
accumulation Of natural gas in the cellar
of the house occupied by Michael
Bowers and Nir. Marriott. No nat.
ural gas pipes we"o ever put into
that house, but the cause was natural
gas main in Noble alley, which leaked.
The ground was troaen and the gas seek
ing its way oUt went by the easiest way,
L
has no scent and its presence couldn't be
detected. 1t saturated the buildings.
The force OF the explosion in the Mar
rottand lowers house took westerly and
northerly dire, tion. and scattered bricks
and lumber and lathing for distance
OF twenty feet. The side Of tho Marriott
house was blown out, ana the roof, freed
of its support, fell ovor and lay in an al.
most entire condition hanging from the
top of the house to the yard below. The
exploded vapor, after doing it's terrible
work on the south side of Noble alley,
leap ed over to tho north side of tho
alley and completely destroyed the
house at "a West Noble, occupied by Ed.
ward Otsot and Mr.. James. This house
Is similarly constructed with the one
opposite, being c.and-a-half-story
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 workmen
at work for q week could not reduce the
house to kindling-wood so thoroughly
as did this explosion in one
short moment The explosion
was upward, as bricks. doors, windows,
sashes, lathing, siding, otc., were piled
in heap all about the building and
only a dozen feet from it, The house
shot up and parted like piece of fire.
works, falling back as do the sparks
from q rocket--parted into myriads of
pieces. The great mystery was how the
flames passed from one cellar to the
Othpr without hay;nr no ,,uob nc Ate,
turbed the brick or stono on the road
way. The work of getting out the dead
and caring for the wounded has been at.
tended with great excitement. The dead
number six and the wounded thirty,
some of whom will die from ther
wounds.
A Dollar of 1904.