Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-22
4 Detailed Account.

tTfGenWlCh street and College Place. At
that time the street was filled with hurry
lng people and heavily-laden wagons and
trucks. The first small white vaporing
cloud burst from the ground floor
Of Nos. 20, - and IL Park Place,
then was heard dull, deep, sullen
roar, as if d huge monster was trying 70
break his bonds. The roar was followed by
an eruption, and mass of BRICK, stone ana
timber was hurled thirty ~ heavenward.
The cries of terror of the men and the al
most human screams OF the horses was
only a small accompaniment of the terri
bic scene which instantly followed. Not
more than second could possibly
have elapsed before the front walls OF Nos.
90 - and a fell, crashing into the street.
To those who saw the sight II was horribly
attractive. The great walls slowly rolled
and Sweled out with an undulating motion
until, slowly at first, but then more rapidly,
they gave way, and in moment there was
not
STICK OR STONE STANDING
above the first floor between the dividing
walls. The mass of brick, stone and timber
fell upon the sidewalk and Tiled half the
width Of the street.
The attention OF those who were gathered
from all quarters was attracted by the
sound of escaping steam, which was spout
ing forth from pipe which had been
broken by the falling walls. The crowds
which had gathered made the streets almost
unpassablc. IN the meantime fire had
broken out and was licking he lower part
of No IS. At least fifty men had climbed
upon the pile of ruins, hoping to rescue
some OF the unfortunate people from being
buried in the ruins. They were driven from
their posts by the fire, which was spread
ing rapidly. it had burst out on the
other side of the ruins and ran rapidly
up the elevator haft at the main entrance
to the block of buildings, of which numbers
10, - and a were part. For time the
kissing steam fought the fire, but as that
died out the element made more headway.
Could the IRE department have been on
the scene 1T THE time of the explosion, the
TERRIBLE EFFECT
of the fire would have been prevented in 4
large part. As it was. the first contingent
did not appear until five minutes after the
explosion. The delay was due TO the
blocked condition of Murray street and
Park place and Church street. A line OF
hose was laid and one feeble little stream
from d hydran played or the fire,
which was breaking out on the side
next to No. 6S. Soon after other engines
arrived, but the efforts of the department
were all directed to one portion Of the fire.
To those who We're watching the slowly
creeping flames the delay was Il terrible
strain.
Suddenly the fire burst out in darkly col
Ored flames from the third, fourth and fifth
stories OF that part of the building on Park
place next 10 Greenwich street, This
part of the building was occu-
pied by Lindsay's type foundry The
floors and other parts of the place were
saturated with oil or other infiammable
matter, which spread the flames gener-
ously.
MURMUR
ran through the thron@ that the building
was lost, and the multitude shuddered at
of the fate of the occupants OF the
ruins.
When the full force of firemen did at last
get to work, the Roadway of the fire was
soon checked by their skilled endeavors.
As interest in the explosion and the fall
ing walls in measure subsidized, horrible
conjecturcs Were circulated as to how
many We're injured in the ruins. Working
people as well as those engaged III offices
and warehouses generally got their lunch
con at noon. There was Il restaur-
ant on the ground floor of
No. "a, in which it was thought
there We're about twenty-five persons when
the accident happened. In the upper por-
ton of the building there was
ALAlGE NUMBER
of working people employed by lithograph-
ers and other trades 1t is not known how
many people We're employed in the places,
but as Saturday is recognized as half holi- |
day, beginning at l p. IN, IL Is presumed
that most of them who were not out |
getting something to eat were in the build |
ing.
4 deep feeling of horror spread through |
the throng as estimates of the number of |
victims We're passed from mouth TO mouth. |
For almost two hours this was the only |
subject Of inquiry. 1t was on the lips Of I
everyone.
During the whole of those long two |
hours fire reigned supreme. 1t could not |,
De sufficiently subducd TO permit the fire |
men to make any effort to eXtricate the |
lead and wounded. The number of dead |
was vaciously estimated at from
TWO TO THREE HUNDRED.
Policeman Back said he hauled three men |
,ut of the kitchen in the basement under |
he restaurant. He entered through the
shop. Back said he saw at least
fifty persons partly buried in the basement
some of them We're alive and calling loudly |
or help. but most Oh them were evidently |
lead.
Jacob SchluSeinge, employed in the build
nc on the opposite side of Park place. said
here must have been at least one hundred |
PERSONS in the building when the explosion |
occurred.
Frank Burris OF the photo-engrav-
ng company said that he was in the upper
window Just opposite the scene of disaster.
aw a number of people fall from the upper
windows, and he describes ii as if having |
,een blown from the window. Following
hem almost Immediately were the falling
walls, which fell upon and
BURIED THE PEOPLE.
As soon as the flames were under control
he work of recovering the bodies of the
Unfortunate persons who We're buried
cneath the ruins was begun. About
orty manly firemen climbed upon
ne great heap of bricks that
lied the street and began the search for
odies. They worked ike fiends They
eemed to realize perfectly that on their
forts depended the lives of many OF the
DOR wretches who We're buried beneath I
ne heaps of brick. Ore minutes delay
hight decide the fate of some Door fellow.
After twenty minutes the workmen saw
ne dead body OF man down in a heap of |
rick. Then every man worked for all he |
'as worth and pushed away the mass in
4 astonishing short space Of time. At2:2O |
clock the body of the man was found 1t
as burned ana charrad so that the feat |
res were unrecosnizabie.
The Chambers street hospital sent a corps
physicians and surgeons, who assisted |
lie tremen in