Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-03
NO ONE BADLY INJURED.
One Little Girl Was the Only Victim
That Could Be Found.
GLASS BROKEN In MANY HOUSES.
Terrible Experience of Horse That Loses
All Its Hair.
CAN'T FIND WHICH KIND OF GAS 1T WAS

Allegheny was shaken up yesterday after
noon by two peculiar explosions of gas.
The first occurred on Federal street, near
Isabella street, at o'clock. 1t was as if a
whole battery of boilers had let loose, and
every building within square was dam
aged. The cover of the sewer manhole was
blown high above the buildings, and almost
the same instant glass was shattered from
the bridge to Robinson street. There was a
great fash of flame as though the whole
street was on fire.
The explosion was greatest in front of j.
E. Ellison & Co. s secondhand furni-
ture store. Their horse and wagon
were standing on the street. The
horse was blown part way across the
street and every vestige of hair
singed from his body. Even the name and
tail went up in smoke, and the horse had
the shortest and cleaGest shave on record.
The frightened animal ran off up street, and
the falling glass and the singed horse made
sion, made an attraction that drew enormous
crowds
No One Was Seriously Injured.
A providence as mysterious as the cause
of the explosion had kept all people away
from the immediate vicinity of the explo-
sion, so that no one was injured, but within
ten minutes there was throng of at least
1000 people anxiously hunting for victims
of the explosion, but aside from one girl, no
one would own up to having been injured.
Her wounds were only slight.
The principal damage was at Ellison's
furniture store. The front was blown in.
The front was also blown out of C. A. Hen
nig's store next door and the windows
shattered in c. ii. Renters tobacco estab-
lishment at No. &C. The Girard House was
damaged considerably The double doors
in the main entrance and the windows in
the entire front of the building were blown
to pieces.
On the other side of the street the win
dows in Boyd Bros. trunk factory and those
in the Pittsburg Art Company's store were
broken. Windows were broken in num-
Der of other establishments and the globes
were knocked from the chandeliers at the
Worlds Museum entrance. The explosion
almost caused panic there, but the people
were soon quieted by Manager KEENAN,.
Another Explosion in the Rear.
While the crowds were examining the
damage on Federal street they were again
shocked by another explosion in an alley
that runs back OF Federal street, between
Robinson and Lacock streets 1t was similar
to the one on Federal street, but was not
nearly so heavy Little damage was done
there save to windows and no one was hurt.
The loss from both explosions will not ex- |
ceed $3.50.
1t has not been definitely settled whether |
it was sewer or natural gas that exploded |
and no one has any explanation of how il |
became ignited. One theory advanced was |
that spark from passing electric car had |
caused the accident, but as there is no badly |
singed or damaged car to be found that |
would plead guilty, the theory had |
to be dismissed. and the burden |
of blame still rests with the horse that lost
its hair As for that animal, Mr. Ellison
claims the only display of fire the horse
ever made was that after he was burned |
AS for the gas the Allegheny Heating Com /
pany's mains parallel the sewer but the au- /
thorities have still been unable to discover
any leak in the lines.
At $50 last night another explosion was
heard at City Hall, but it could not he
learned where it was. There was a general
feeling of alarm, however, all over the CITY,
ana people were almost afraid to strike
matches on the streets last night for fear of
being blown up.