Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-08-28

was Olo Ouo eye WlUueSS lelC TO U0G De-
ginning OF the accident. This man, A.
A. johnson, is q janitor in the build
ing at 81 Park Place, directly across
the street from where the acci.
dent occurred. He said that he was
standing on the steps OF 81 at noon,
when he heard the sound of an explo-
sion. 1t Came from across the street.
1t was not loud. Almost immediate.
ly the front walls OF the two buildings
collapsed and the entire building cav.
ed in.
A DREADFUL CRASH
was the result. 1t came so suddenly
that it was impossible for living be-
ing to escape from the buildings. On
the ground floor OF one ofthenumbers
was a restaurant that was crowded
with people. The other floors were
occupied by the Southern Publishing
company, S. Loutelle & Co., art de.
sHners; Ellis & Mcdonald, bookbind.
ers.
The owner OF the restaurant was OF
the rame OF Rosenfeld. 1t was said
also that a portion Of the building
was occupied by q drug firm, in which
the explosion occurred. OF course,
nothing definite was known, as the
RUINS WE'RE BURNING FIERCELY
and all OF the efforts being directed to-
ward getting the flames under control
in order that the work OF rescue and
OF recovering the bodies of the dead
might be begun. The junitor OF 81 said
that the accident occurred so quickly
that hedid not see a person escape, and
felt certain that everybody in the two
buildings were killed. AS near as could
pe learned the explosion took place in
the Metal Leaf factory OF Rosenfeld &
Co., on the second floor of No. 72
Park Place. This is Just over a drug
store on the ground floor of the build.
| ing. That was about 1885 O'Clock.
Michael Carroll, who was employed in
the Metal Leaf factory had been out
to his lunch and had Just reached the
| door OF 72 when he heard a terrific ex-
| plosion, which dazed HIM tor q
moment. He jumped up and ran for
his life. AS he got away he saw the
front walls OF number 70, 72 and "a
topple over with loud crash. AS
the walls fell, Carroll saw that there
were many pedestrians who were pass
ing the place who were covered under
| the bricks and stone.
In the Metal Leaf factory it is not
known how many girls were at work,
restaurant on the ground floor of No.
"a, which was kept by j. Peterson,
! there were
! cRowDoF PERSONS AT LUNCH.
The number is estimated at the time
OF the explosion between twenty-five
and thirty-ive.
There were q number OF girls in the
wash room in the basement. 1t is
thought that there were ten or twelve
in the wash room. Trippe & Co.,
druggists, at 10 and 72 PARK Place,
also had a large number OF employees.
The three children of Frank Haggerty,
the janitor OF No. 81 Park Place, were
IN front OF No. ~ Park Place when the
explosion occurred. They were killed.
Their father stood across thestreet at
the time.
The latest report OF the cause OF the
explosion WAS that the New York
Steamheating company furnishes
steam to the building. it is supposed
that the explosion took place from
defect in the receiving boiler in the
basement.
At the time the explosion occurred
many of those who worked in the
building were at launch. 1t was esti.
mated that there were
MORE THAN lao IN THE BUILDING
at the time. Those who saw the
catastrophe say that the earth trem-
bled when the explosion occurred and
that the fire was in the street in a
couple of seconds. The dust from the
wreck rose in such clouds that for at
least three minutes nothing could be
seen OF what WAS left standing, but
from the pail which hovered over the
wrecked building came clouds OF smoke
and sheets of flame and yells and
shrieks of agony. Out OF the clouds
OF fire and smoke half dozen persons
emerged, while from the six-story
building on the northeast corner OF
Greenwich and Park Place poured at
least 100 working people ofboth sexes
and all ages, uttering cries of alarm.
| When the the fireman arrived the Tay.
lor building, 66 to 76 Park Place, was
ablaze, and the Greenwich street ex.
tension OF the building was on fire.
A GENERAL ALARM WAS SOUNDED,
and the fremen looked around to see
if life could be saved. Close to the en-
trance OF 70 Park Place, and pinned
under a lot OF masonry was a man
whose head and shoulders were visible.
While the firemen were endeavoring
to unloose him, a crash was heard
above, and down came the wreck of
part OF the Taylor building cornice.
| The tiremen jumped for their lives
and none were hurt. When they dash.
ed back again the man had been en-
Jirely buried, and the bricks from the
Greenwich street building began to fall
80 thickly that the attempt to rescue
him had to be abandoned. Shortly
after this q man who said he was an
engineer. crawled out OF the cellar and
tell exhausted. He was sent to the
Chamberss street hospital, He was un.
able to give any account OF how he on.
capped. At ! O'CLOCK the fire was I'm.
dor control. Halt OF the Greenwich
street building had been burned, while
the Taylor WAS q complete wreck.