The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-01-22
GUESTS ARE MANGLED
AN OHIO HOTEL WRECKED BY
GAS.
Two Persons Killed and Many Others Hurt
Stepping on a Match Causes the Catas-
trophe-Scores of Guests Narrowly Es-


Stepping on Match Causes the Catas-
trophe-Scores of Guests Narrowly Es-
cape.
TFindlay (Ohio) dispatch.
The first great disaster Findlay has
ever experienced from the use of natural
gas took place shortly before o'clock
this afternoon while the guests of the
Hotel Marvin were waiting to be sum-
moned to dinner, when terrible explo-
sion took place, practically wrecking the
building and claiming from ten to fifteen
human victims, two of whom are already
dead and two others probably fatally in
jured. The names of the killed are:
Katie Walters, waitress, killed out
right; Ella Johnson, diningroom girl,
died soon after being eXtricated from a
mass of brick and NOR tar.
Following are the names of the in
jured: Arson Marvin, owner of the
building, probably fatally injured, as he
inhaled great deal of flame from the
gas; Frank Andrews, one of the pro-
prietors, right eye knocked out and
seriously bruised about the face and
throat; Frank Poundstone, day clerk
at the hotel; painfully bruised and hurt
about the neck and face, but will re-
cover; Albert French, porter of the
hotel, cut on the neck and head but
will recover; Charles Graves Philip
We'll, Jack Cahill.
This morning it was discovered that
gas was escaping into the dining
room from a leaking pipe somewhere,
and Mr.. Marvin, the owner of the build
ing, with three plumbers, spent the en-
tire forenoon trying to locate the leak.
About 10 o'clock they entered chamber
underneath the dining-room and found
such an accumulation of gas that they
could not breathe, and it was suggested
that hole be sawed through the floor
into the dining-roOm in order to 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 on a match and in an instant an
explosion occurred which not only
wrecked the building but killed two
girls and manned and injured a dozen
other employees.
The force of the explosion was SO great
that it blew out the flame of the ignited
gas and no fire followed the awful ruin
which the shock had caused. The whole
city rocked as if in an earthquake by
the conclusion, and all the windows in
the square were demolished, while the
wreck of the hotel building was about
complete, the only rooms in the house
escaping destruction being the parlors
and the Office Had the explosion oc-
Cured ten minutes later the loss of life
would have been frightful, as nearly 100
persons were waiting to be called to dim
ner, and as matter of fact one of the
clerks, Frank Poundstone, was on his
way to make the announcement when
the explosion occurred, and was caught
in the falling debris, he being one of the
painfully injured.
The financial loss will be about $25, 900
on the building and $4,000 on the furni-
ture, all fully insured 1t is a question,
however, whether any insurance will be
realized, as none Of the destruction was
caused by fire.
The excitement throughout the city
over the catastrophe has never been
equaled since Findlay became a munich
pality.
At o'clock tonight another explosion
occurred in the same place as the one of
the afternoon, setting fire to the already
wrecked and badly demolished dining
room of the Marvin House. The fire de-
partment was quickly sumponed, how
ever, and more serious damage was
aVortpd