The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-07-30
A SEWER GAS EXPLOSION
ST. Louis Streets Torn Up and
Buildings Wrecked.
Several People killed and Many Wounded
Iron Mountain Yards Wrecked
The Pecuniary Loss Will BE
Heavy.

ST.. LOUIS, July 27.-Furious at re-
straint, held back by the high water
in the river and forced on by the flood
of sewage and water thrown upon the
recent Waters-Pierce oil fire, the gas
generated by the escaping stock,
heated by the intense summer sun, ex.
piodcd about 5 o'clock last night,
wrccking about one-half of the grea:
Mill creek sewer, the largest of the
drainage system, and causing a known
loss of two lives, injuring two others
with possibly other fatalities to
bo revealed by the search of the
wreckage. The first explosion oc-
Cured Immediately under The whole
sale liquor house OF Carl E. Fuchs 1Ol4
South Fourth street, which stood di-
rectly over the sewer, and was fol-
lowed an instant later by an upheaval
100 feet further east, across Third
street, the latter completely wreclsing
the Iron Mountain railroad southern
yards and extending ncacly 1000 feet
to the very edge of the river.
At Fuchs liquor house the gas lifted
up the basement and first floors of the
building and escaping let ths wreck
age fall back to the bottom of the
sliIny stream, leaving the second and
third floors badly shaken but still in
position.
Scarcely had the explosion occurred
than the police. fire and ambulance
departments were summoned to the
scene and the work of rescue begun.
The first body to be taken from the
wreckage of Fuchs store, lying on
the bottom of the sewer. was that oil
Albert Mueller, barlseeper, who was
dead and badly mungled by the explo
sion. Search for Fuchs, who was
known to be in the store, was then
pursued, but so far no trace of his re-
mains has been fonnd. 1t is, however,
considered certain that the body is
either in the wreclsagc at that poin,
or has ifoated down and lodged
against the debris fnlling into the
sewer at the place of the second up
hcaval.
The wounded SO far as known are
Mrs. j. Timpo, who was injrrncd by
flying debris; her little son, who was
with her, and Charles lIumpc, who
was standing in the front part of the
wrecked building, and was with the
front blown far ont into Fourth street
which is Mt that point very wide be
cause of its junction with Broadway
None of the injured suffered seriously.
The force of the explosion is showr
by the fact that manhole caps, weigh
ing 2OD pounds each, were blown of
tho entire length of the main sewer
which reaches west to Tenth street
and two blocks farther on tributary
sewers.
AT present practically 1000 feet O
sewer is an open stream, smelling t.
heaven with it's noisome filth ant
gases The yards of the Iron Mountain
road nre SO thoroughly torn as tc
interrupt traffic in that vicinity unit
tho sewer can be rebuilt And this, n
the structure is large enough to drive
two four-horsc teams abreast in it, is
work of no small magnitude Tho
pecuniary loss cannot now be esti
mated.
Mrs. Timpo subsequently died of hel
injuries
The following people were also in
jured by the explosions;
Richard j, Tucrnstal, injured by fly
ing debris; will recover. unknown
man, both legs broken by being thrown
violently in the air and falling on the
pavement. Firemen Guchon and Fin
negan, overcome by gas; will recover