The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1891-01-20
GAS EXPLOSIONS.
FIndIay, a., Experiences Terrible Disas-
t.r-PwopIe Killed sn Chicago.

FfSpLAY, Jan. t9.-The first great
disaster Findlay ever experienced from
the use OF natural gas occurred shortly be-
fore 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon while
the guests OF the Hotel Marvin were
waiting 10 be summoned to dinner. In tho
morning it was discovered that gas was
escaping from some leaking pipe sonle-
where in the dining room, and Mr.. Mar
vim, the owner OF the building, with
three plumbers, spent the entire fore
neon trying 10 locate the leak, About
10 o'clock they entered the chamber
under the dining room and found such
an accumulation of gas that they could
not breathe, and IL was suggested that u
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 was sweeping the
floor, stepped OF match and In an in-
stant an explosion occurred, which NOT
only wrecked the building, hnt killed
vo girls and MANNED and injured
dozen other employees. The force Of the
explosion was SO great that IL blew out
the flame Of ignited gas, and no fire fol-
lowed the awful ruin which the shock
caused. The whole city rocked as III Ia
earthquake, and all the windows ON the
square were demolished. Had the ex-
plosion occurred ten minutes later the
loss OF life would have been frlghtful, as
nearly a hundred people were waitlBg
TO be called 10 dinner. When the rescu-
Ing party began work In the debris the
body of Katy Walters, dining room
girl, was soon found, badly crushed.
Ella Johnson, another waitress, was
found alive under mass OF brick and
mortar, but died In O short time. Kate
Rooney, waitress, Anson Marvin, owner
OF the building, and Frank Andrews
were fatally injured. Frank Pound
stone, clerk, and Charles Graves, Phillip
Well aud Jack Kahill were painfully
bruised and cut but will recover. The
pecnniaTy loss amounts 10 S35, 900.
CHICAGO, Jan. l9-With a crash heard
for a mile, and the smashing OF plate
glass windows for radius of three
blocks, a sewer manhole blew up at the
intersection OF jackson streets and
Wabash avenue, when both thorough
fares were crowded with shoppers and
work people. Dozens OF people were
thrown to the ground by the terrific
force Of the explosion, and a wild panic
ensued. Several passers-by were in-
jured by falling glass. One woman.
Mrs. c. K. Ross, colored, was killed out.
right. She was nearly over the man
hole when the cover blew up, slamming
her backwards fat against the curbing,
smashing her skull and scattering her
brains about the stone. f. III. Mack re-
ceiyed serious scalp wound from
paving stone shot upwards, and had
painful gashl, IA .JAea wEiC4 n stont. n.
Sheldon, Il. Karplers and Il. W. Wad-
dell were also injured, but not danger
ously The Office OF the Singer Sewing
Machine company was badly damaged.
Out OF sixty windows in the premises not
one escaped. At the Wellington hotel
and Chiekering piano buildings eighty
windows were broken. 1t Is supposed
that Illuminating gas leaked into the
manhole and was lgnited In some manner
by the electric light wires.