St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-22
BLOWN UP BY DUST.
An Explosion and Fire Levels a
Large Flour Mill at Litch-
field, Ill.
Nearly 100000 Worth OF Prop
erty Destroyed by the
Catastrophe.

LITCHFIELD, ILL.,, March 2l.-Litch-
field was visited this morning by a
Sl,0OO,OO0 fire, in which the Planet
mill, the largest winter wheat mill in
the United States, was consumed, and
one man killed and several wounded.
At 1920 o'clock this morning fire was
discovered in the Planet mill, the
greatest producer of winter wheat
flour in the United States. The
mills were owned by Kehlor Bros,
of st. Louis, l.. A. Smith being general
manager. While the fire department
and the suddenly aroused citizens were
hurrying to the scene of the contlagra-
ton the entire city was startled by an
explosion, the like of which has rarely
been equaled. Houses tumbled upon
their foundations, chimneys toppled
and fell, sides and fronts of buildings
were crushed as if they were
egg shells. Women were al
most crazed with fright, and men
were panic-stricken. Few coulds con-
lecture the cause, the majority appear
ing to think that IL was the crack OF
doom. Those who witnessed the eX-
plosion say there was rumbling sound,
then simultaneously with the terrific
report a vast column of dust and
smoke arose from the burning build
ings, and from its midst a central
column of flames, by some described as
a ball of fire, ascended high in the air,
which instantly was filled with flying
debris. The report of this explosion
was heard at Taylorville, Hillsboro,
Staunton. Highland, Vandalia, Mendoza
and all other points within forty miles.
The fire departments efforts were use
less, so far as saving the mills property
was concerned.
Fortunately the night was calm, and
the buildings adjacent were not injured.
At daylight the planet mills. with ca
pacity of 1000 barrels per day, together
with the immense elevator and its con-
tentS,as we'll as number of cars loaded
with grain were a mass OF SmoulderIng
ruins. Miraculous to say, but one life
was lost; that is, only one body has
thus far been found, John Carr,
the head millwright, of Waterl 90,
who leaves a wife and three children.
Carr had entered the burning mills in
tending to save some tools. In the eX-
plosion he lost his life, and his charred
remains were recovered this morning.
The coroner's jury this afternoon eX-
onerated the mill owners from all blame.
A number of persons in the vicinity of
the mills and elsewhere were injured by
fragments Of glass and wood, but none
seriously.
j. b. NJ. Kehlor, one of the proprie-
tors, thinks tue accident was caused by
flour of an inferior grade being carried
to the dust room, which made very
combustible material, as one process OF
manufacturing dynamite is used from
the dust thus accumulated. LA. Smith,
the general manager, placed the loss at
S500,000, while the insurance is about
$230,000, placed in some twenty or thirty
companies. Other losses are: Adolph
NeYber, store and residence, and barns
partially demolished, $1,000, insured in
part; Mrs. Y. Hoffman, three tenement
houses; Charles Baker, Peter Oller and
Mrs. O'Nelll are left practically home
less. John Grass, store Immediately
east of the mills, was almost entirely
demolished, and yet, sssingUlar to say,
none of these residences were seri-
ously injured. Upon State, Rider
and Kisham streets, the prin-
city, nearly every plate glass
front was destroyed by the concussion
The damage to the Litchfield, a new
hotel, is not far from $4,000, while the
New York store sustained heavy loss.
More than one hundred residences were
damaged to greater or less extent,
and tonight it is impossible to ar
rive at anything like an accurate
estimate of the total damages
inflicted. Residences several miles
away i'll the country also suffered
slightly. At the Litchfield Car and Ma
chine cOmpany's works, half a mile
from the scene of he explosion, the
machine and line ard other shafting
were so moved out of position that not
a wheel can turn. Two hose companies
have been detailed to keep the flames
under control tonight, but, as rain has
sat in. it is thought their services wilE
hardly be needed