Grand Rapids herald., 1892-12-29

and r. Piain's 1evelry store Next 20
the postoftlce 10 Frank McDermotrs
saloon with two apartment hoors above
Seventeen families occupy these ouiid-
lngs. Inc tunnel company's shaft Is
about twenty-five feet long by twelve
feet vide. A few feet behind the
lower end of the mouth of the shaft
was . rude shed IN which steam chests
for tnawlnx out the cartridges OF ex-
plosyes were kept. This shed was
WITHIN ten feet of the rear wslls OF the
postoftice and barber shop.
No one has yet been found who can
tell exactly how the explosion oc-
Cured. but the following facts have
been learned: Some fifty cartridges OF
FOrsythes powder had been brought
from the storage house early TINS
morning to DO prepared for sending
down To rns drillers working IN the
heading, which 10 being blasted out un-
der Fourth street, depth OF eighty
tive feet. As the explosive WAS frozen.
Foreman McEntee placed the car
tridges IN the steam chests TO thaw
them out. They had been there about
tifteen minutes when the explosion oc-
Cured. All that Was left OF the chests
and sheds after the explosion were .
few splinters. but q big hole about
three feet deep by eight feet wide told
tue story of its downward force.
After the Explosion.
The effect OF the explosion on
Davrens fats were terrible Every
window sash IN the rear was ripped out
and the glass driven pieces OF all sizes
through the rooms and those IN the
front blown out. Men, women aud
children were rudely dashed 10 the
floors. some beng struck by large
sheets of glass. and others by pieces OF
woodwork ana falling ceilings. Amidst
the confusion could be heard the cries
of the wounded and the means of the
dying. Scantly clad women and chill
dren rushed from the building, not
waiting, not to see who was hurt or
missing. fearing that the walls were
about to collapse. Firemen and police
were quickly on the spot and began q
search through the buildings.
The ambulance from 81. Johns hos
pital and corps Of doctors arrived
simultaneously aud the wounded were
quickly removed to the hospital. Then
the dead and dying were taken to
stores near by. The last victim taken
out was Henry OBrien, who was car
RED to the station house, where ne
died few minutes after. While all
this was gong on the horror of the oc-
caslon was intensified by the bursting
out of flames on the third floor of one
of the apartment houses. The tames
spread rapidly and before the firemen
got them under control nearly the
whole row of buildings was gutted.
Cut by Glass.
The damage was not confined to the
fats. For half mile In every direc-
ton the window panes, large and small
IN the stores and houses, were blown
out, falling on the heads Of many peO-
pie passing along the sidewalks. by
which means many were cut and
otherwise injured and scores of men
and women could be seen rushing to
the drug stores aud doctors offices to
have their wounds attended to. At
least twenty families were rendered
homeless, most of them losing every
thing they possessed except the things
on their backs.
A two story frame building used as a
refrigerator factory by Sylvester Gray.
direcIy opposite the tunnel shaft was
demolished. as were brick building
adjoining the tunnel lot, owned by
Frank McMann and another by Isaac
Van Ripper. The row of flats was owned
by James Davren, president of the
board of assessors. His loss is es.i-
mated at $25, 900. The buildings were
insured against fire for $500. The
other losses will aggregate $4,000
more. There were nine men working
in the tunnel when the explosion oc-
Cured. One of the men said they felt
the shock and thought the shaft had
Ill r,anA