The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-19
FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
Hotel Wrecked by Natural Gas
at FindIay, Ohio.
sEyERAEKILLEDA ANDINJURED
Caused by a Girl stepping on a Match
While Leak Was Being Exam
iued--.The Narrow Escape of
Over Hundred Guests.

l FxDLAY, O., Jan. 1S.-The first great
disaster Findlay has ever experienced
from. the use Of natural gas occurred
shortly before o'clock this afternoon,
while the guests of the Hotel Marvin
were waiting TO be summoned to dinner.
It was discovered that gas was escaping
from leaking pipe somewhere in the
dining room and Mr.. Marvin, the owner
Of the building, with three plumbers,
spent the entire forenoon trying to 10.
cate the leak. About 10 o'clock they
entered chamber underneath the
dining room and found such IN accu.
mutation OF gas that they could not
breathe, and 1t was suggested that
a hole be sawed through the floor into
the dining room in order 10 obtain fresh
air. This was done, and just as the hole
was made, one OF the dining room girls
who wGs sweeping the floor stepped upon
match, and in an instant an explosion
occurred which not only wrecked the
building, but killed two girls aud MANNED
aud injured dozen other employees. The
iorcs OF the explosion was 30 great that it
blew ont the fame Of the ignited gas,
and no Ere followed the awful ruin
which the shock had caused. The
Shole city rocked as II by an earthquake
by the conclusion, and all the windows
on the square were demolished, while the
wreck iu the hotel building was all but
complete, the only rooms in the house
escapiug destruction being the pariors
and the Office.
Had the explosion occurred ten min
utes later the loss OF life would have been
frightfuI, as nearly q hundred people
were waiting in the rooms to be called
for dinner, and as matter of fact one OF
the>clerks, Frank Poundstone, was on
his way TO make the announcement
when the explosion occurred, and he was
caught in the falling debris, he being
one Of the painfully injured. When the
work OF removing the dead and rescuing
the dying was began, 1t was found thar
Katie Walters, 9 waitress, hSd been
Killed outright. Ella Johnson, a dining
room girl, was found alive under a mass
OF brick and mortar, but she died short.
ly after being carried to place OF safety.
Kate Rooney, another dining room
girl, was also fatally injured. but
Is still alive. Frank Poundstone
clerk, Is painfully bruised, but will re-
cover. Anson Marvin, owner Of the
building, was probably fatally injured,
as great deal Of the flame from the gaS
was inhaled. Albert French, porter at
the hotel, was cut on the neck and head,
but will recover. Frank Andrews, oue
of the proprietors, had his right eye
knocked out and was seriously burned
about the face and throat. Charles
Graves, Philip We'll and Jack Oahill, |
the plumbers, were painfully shocked
AID stunned, but will soon be them.
selves again.
Tie financial loss will be about $25, 900
on the building and $4,000 on the fur
nitpre, all fully covered by insurance.
The excitement throughout the city
over this catastrophe has been eQualled
since FiHdlay became municipality.
At0o'clock tonight another explosion
occurred in the same place as the one
this afternoon, Getting fire to the already
wrecked and badly demolished dining
room Of the Marvin House. The FIRE de-
parttneRs was quickly sammoned and
more serious damage was averted. The
gas from the main pipe was finally
turned of.