The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-30
A DEADLY BLAST.

A DEADLY BLAST.
FrightfuI Eject Of IN Explosion Of Nat.
ural Gas at Columbus. O.-S.x 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 tho
house from which the cries Of injured
people within could be plainly heard
means and shrieks mingled with the
hoarse calls OF the fircmen, the clang-
ing of the alarm bells on the engines
and the murmuring Of the crowd. A
whisper ran through the throng that q
natural-gas main ran east and west
through Noble alley, but this was soon
changed into rumor that the blaze was
due to gasoline explosion in the house
and the people did not heed the warm
ing.
The fire was almost under control.
The people we're standing around laugh
ing and talking. The alley was crowded
with lookers-on, many Of whom were
turning to 60 home. At that moment .
terrific explosion rent the air. A sheet
of flame 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 q mass OF deb-is from which tho
means of buried men came. Pallid,
trembling women tottered and ran across
the alley and streets moaning orshriek-
ing. Men with foreheads and shoul-
ders dabbled with blood staggered from
among the debris. A woman enveloped
in sheet Of flame, barcheaded 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 hose saw her
danger and turned the stream on her. It
knocked her down but saved her life.
She was lifted from the ground and
hurried into 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 place where medical
assistance could be given him. His
beard was covered with blood ana he
seemed to be lying. 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 cf 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 ci
Charles Berry was dashed from its
mothers arms by the force oi
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, colored boy
Mrs. P. Merrotte, her body was taken
from the cellar; -- Berry, an infant
Two others are dead, hut have not yet
been identified. The wounded are:
| DR.. T. X. Wissinger william Brady. William
Neil. William James, Mrs. William james, -
Blanlinger, Theo. Shouting Onicer Lynsky
Charles Licklighter, - Gambler, William
Riley, Bell Smith, Elmer Gates, Mrs Corn, Et
keemer, Elmer Grach. Charles Lowery, -
Westlander. Pet Merrotte, Thomas Doyle
| Flora Bowers, Emma Bowers Aaron Been
Benjamin Morgan, Shawnee, Marshal
Kilbourne, - Berry, - Wolf, Peter MeE
| rotte.
It is thought that Pet Merrotte viii
die. The injured have been taker
either to the hospitals or their homes
Many of them were injured by 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 hous,
occupied by Michael Bowers and Mr.
Merrotte. No natural-gas pipes wer,
ever put into that house, but there was
natural-gas main in Noble alley which
leaked. The ground was frozen and tn,
gas, seeking its way out, went by tn,
easiest way and Of course entered tn,
cellar. 1t has no scent and it
presence could not be detected.
saturated the buildings. The fore,
Of the explosion in the Merrott,
and Bowers house took a westerly ant
northerly direction and scattered brick
and lumber and lathing for distance
of twenty feet. The side of the Mer
rotte house was blown out, and the root
freed of its support, fell over and 10,
hanging from the top OF the house I.
the yard below.
The exploding vapor after doing it
terrible work on the south side Of Nobl,
alley leaped over to the north side o
the alley and completely destroyed tn,
house at "a West Noble, occupied b,
Edward Otstot and Mr.. James. This hous
is similarly constructed with the one op
posite, being one-and-one-half-stor
brick with three rooms down and tw,
upstairs. Here the terrible force Of tn
exploded gas was shown. Every thinl
was blown to chips. A force Of work
men at work for week could not reduc
the house to kindling-wood SO thorough
ly as did this explosion in one short mo
ment
Kepetto. PaepagliOni & Co. Forced to tn
Wsll-Ltabilities Of 10000. 900.
New York, Jan. 25.-Merchants Il
the South American trade have receive,
cable advices that the jobbing house Q
Repetto, Paepaglioni & Co., probabl,
the largest hardware and provisions es
tablishment in Ruenos Ayres, hav
l -: u