The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-27
QUEER SEWER EXPLOSION
Five Hundred Feet of Street Shoots
Into the Air Killing Three People.
Gasoline Thought to Have Accumulated in
One of the Big Sluice-Ways Beneath st.
heuis snd Accidently Become lgnited.
specia, TO the Indianapolis journal.

Special 10 the indianapolis Journal.
ST. LOUIS, July 26.-Three persons were
killed. three were seriously injured and
three men are missing as the result of the
explosion of gas in a sewer in the central
part of this city this afternoon. The list
of dead follows:
Carl Fuchs. wholesale liquor-dealer, No. 1Ol4
South Fourth street
Charles Miller, bartender, No. lola South
Mrs Temp. No. 1o14 South Fourth street
The injured are two children OF Mrs. Temp, Sc
riously. and r. j. Trunstall. fatally.
The missing are three unknown men who were
In Fuchss place.
The explosion occurred at 4:25 O'clock p.
NJ. The Mill-creek sewer is one of the
main sewers in the city. draining q densely
populated district Its capacity was
thoroughly tested By the great Waters
Pierce oil fire of Saturday last. and to this
fire 10 attributed to-day's explosion. It is
believed that the gasoline from the oil
tanks in some manner accumulated in tho
sewer and exploded. The force was terrific.
Mnnholes weighing two hundred pounds
were thrown into the air oil along the
line of the sewer. The force Of tho ex-
plosion seemed to center In Carl Fuchs's
wholesale liquor store, at No. 1914 South
Fourth street. and in the yards of the Iron
Noun tain railway, just south of that place.
The interior of Fuchs's place, q three, story
brick building, was completely destroyed
The building caved in and fell into tho
sewer beneath, carrying with 1t Fuchs, his
bartender. Charles Miller, and four men
who we're in the place at the time. and
about one hundred barrels of whisky.
Mrs. Temp. who was standing on the
porch of the third floor, was thrown fifty
feet ard SO badly injured that she died at
IL p. NJ. The damage done in the railroad
yards, while extensive, was not serious.
The sewer was exposed for . distance of
about five hundred feet, and several cars
standing on the track Immediately above
the Sewer fell in. So great was the force of
the explosion, however, that all the cars in
the yard we're derniled.
The experience of X. j. Trustall was 8
startling one. He was In Fuchs's saloon at
the time of the explosion. when the floor
caved In. With the other occupants he fell
into the sewer beneath, but, fortunately,
was carried by the swift waters away from
the building, and was not pinioned beneath
along by the water In the underground
sewer distance of five hundred feet, until
he. reached the opening made by the ex-
plosion in the railroad yards. Hero he
was observed floating upon the water un-
conscious by some of the men who had
rushed to the place immediately after the
explosion. Ho cannot recover.
The fire department. Was called ont to
search the ruins for the dead. but 80 strong
was the odor of gasoline that the men
could only work a short time before being
overcome. The body of Miller was the first
found, being buried under the bar. The
work was prosecuted under electric light
at night. and at IL p. NJ. the mangied body
of Fuchs was found plnioned under the
safa