Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-08
GAS IN THE sAwDUST.
An Explosion at Buffalo That Wrecked Wall
and Killed n Man.

An Explosion Mt Buffalo That Wrecked a Wall
and Killed a Man.
BUFFALO, n. Y, Dec. S.-A few minutes past
this morning an alarm of fire rang through the
planning mill and yards of Lee Holland & Co.,
on Court street, and workmen fastened to help
in putting out the fire. 1t was found to be To-
Gated IN the shaving room, situated above the
boiler room, and into which shavings are
brought by suction through pipes.
This room is walled up solidly
with brick and is completely freproof.
fire starting in it cannot under ordinary cir
cumstances communicate with other portions
of the building. Ii burns itself out in that
walled-up room But there is another danger
common to such rooms and other places where
dust accumulates. Dust is as explosive as
powder and its destroying force is
almost as powerful 1t was the
dust in the shaving room that ex-
ploded this morning and caused the disaster.
Between the boiler room and another portion
OF the building is a narrow alleyway, about
twenty feet in width. A door to the boiler
room opened from it. Through q side from
the shaving room above the fire working
down into the boiler room, and it was for the
purpose OF drowning out this little blaze that
the workmen rushed forward, hose in hand.
They were standing in the narrow passage
when the explosion occurred.
BURIED UNDER A WALL
Directly In front OF them was the brick
wall of the boiler room and shaving room.
using about thirty feet. The top portion of
this wall was blown out fell upon a light roof
over the passageway, carried it down and buried
the workmeu beneath. 1t was impossible at
once 10 tell how many were buried, but
il was believed at the moment that several werc
killed and rumor TO that effect quickly spread.
% add to the horror there a rush of es-
Gaping. scaidinS steam pouring out upon the
debris. large pipe crossing the passageway
from the boiler room bore steam to other
portions OF the building. This was broken
short off by the falling wall and allowed the
steam TO escape. Some of the victims were
almost perboileG.
The steam was shut of as soon rs possible
and willing hands were quickly at work in mad
haste to rescue The imprisoned workmen Ii
was found that six were caught in all. One
was completely ont of sight, while others were
buried up to the breast. 1t took about twenty
minutes to get them all out
The KILLED AND INJURED.
Nick Brader was the first man rescued. He
was not deeply imbedded. as he was near the
edge of the falling material, and was only
slightly hurt. Two boys named Martin yolk
and Hea Steve were caught together.
They were buried almost UP to their
chins. They were upoa their feet, par
tally doubled Up, and Steve was almost
on top OF Nolk, pressing upon his legs These
boys were not scalded. 1t is said that a door
or piece OF board saved them to some extent
from the falling brick. They were tightly
wedgod in, however, and Volk seemed to be
suffering. lie was groanlng terribly.
The fourth reached was Peter Wurtz. He did
not appear to lie very badly bruised, Int he
was terribly scalded by escaping steam. The
fifth and last man was quite dead. His name
was Louis Loesch, unmarried, aged thirty
two. The dead man and three of the injured
were carried away by ambulances.