Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-05
DEATH IN THE GAS
Terrible Explosion in Oonahue
& tleneberry's
CHICAGO PRINTING HOUSE
More Than Score OF F.rem-n and Labor
efs Wounded-Som- OF Th-m
HAY Die.

CHfcAGO, Jan. Am explosion OF
natural gas IA Dohahue 4 Henneberry's
printing establishment this afternoon
manned a score of firemen and labor
ers. Some of these may die Half of
them are seriously injured. not the
least among them being Fire Marshal
Swenie himself, who had q narrow es-
cope from the full force of the OK
plosion. The explosion was IN the
plate vault of the immense printing
and publishing establishment of Dona-
hue 4 Henneberry, extending from
Nos. Alt 70 l,5 on the east side of Dear
born street. The vault 10 located I'M
mediately. beneath the sidewalk. which
Is formed If heavy iron frames COW
cred with glass and IRON.
During the early part of the after
noon three employees Of the Natural
Gas company had been at work IN tins
vault making connections that were 10
be used in supplying the boiler plant
with fuel. As precaution the doors
of the vault were cloeed. shortly after
o'clock Foreman Robert Granger,
who was IN charge of the men At work
n the press room, which adjoins the
vault, noticed flames in the vicinity of
the brick wall winch extended between
the press rom and the vault. These
had the appearance of lgpited gas that
had escaped through the faulty parti-
ton wall.
Threw Open the Door.
Without waiting to open the vault
ba ~ "a N,
up stairs and gave an alarm of fire.
They then returned to the basement.
when some one, the flames still being
Instantly there was Q tremendous ex-
ploslon. and nearly all of the en-
ployes who were in the vicinity, about
ten in number, were thrown to the
floor, all sustaining more or less seri-
Gus injuries. Within few moments
members Of the Fire Insurance patrol
and engine companies were on the spot
headed by Chict Swenie.
The squad of fremen rushed to the
basement for the purpose. II possible.
of preventing the spread OF flames to
the air and elevator shafts. They had
no sooner reached the vicinity of the
vault door than . second and even
stronger explosion folio we'd and the fire.
men, as the employees of the firm be-
fore them, were hurled with terrific
force to the floor. With clothes ON fire
and the exposed portions Of their
bodies roasted and torn they were at
once rescued by the fresh arrivals and
borne to the drug stores in the vicinity.
While they were being taken from the
basement and within q few seconds of
the other explosions, came the third
overwhelming combustion of the pent
up gases and the already loosened iron
work covering the vault was torn from
its fsstenings.
The Fourth Explosion.
Chief Swenie had not yet left the
basement and while those of the unin-
jured about HIM were caring for those
who suffered from q third explosion,
he gave orders for the men TO retire
from the vicinity of the vault. 1t was
none too soon, for as they did eo came
the fourth aud last thunderous report,
which tore apart the sides of the vault
and hurled the iron plates Of the mas.
slve sidewalk into the street. The gas
WAS finally shut off and within few
minutes what fire there vas was placed
under control, but the south end of the
immense building had been strained
and torn and the heavy plate glass IN
the eight stories was lying in great
masses on the street below.
Most of the injured men were re-
moved to the drug store of Roper *
Baxter, at the corner of Dearborn and
Harrison streets. where, by 2:30 o'clock
thousands of people had b.ockaded the
streets and to this place all the pbysi-
clans in the vicinity had been sum-
moned, together with the ambulances.
The sixty employees In the building
made their escape without injury, ana
although badly frightened made their
exit in an orderly manner. The loss
to the building will be between 5000
and 20. 900 fully covered by insurance.
THIS was mostly caused by the breaking
four stories of the building was broken.
The Injured Firemen.
The firemen injured are: FIRE mar
shal Dennis swen.e, forehead and
cheeks burned, and beard and hair
snged; William McInncrney, hands
and face burned ana left foot bruised /;
fire marshal Patrick OMalley, face
badiy blistered: John Don.ln, face and
hands burned and two teeth Knocked
out; James Russell, internal injuries,
face burned and bruised, may die;
Capt. Charles SyferlycK, BADLY burned
about face and hands; Lieut.. j. &.
Lam, badly burned about head; Mat
thew Koch, badly burned about head
and body and arms; William PaGdon,
face burned; Lieut.. Martin Lacey,
hands aud face horribly blistered
Micnael Nolan. seriously burned about
face and hands: Thomas Neyins, face
| aud hands burned; Thomas Gallagher,
seriously burned on face and hands
and injured internally; Capt. John
Mcdonald, face and hands cut and
burned: Lieut.. Patrick Murphy, face
bruised and burned; j. +. Kelley, face
and hands burned; William Fleming.
face and hands biistered: Capt Fred
ercs J. kaoder. crushed between press
ard wall. not dangerous
Tmpioyes who Were Hart
The following employees of Dona.
hue and ienneberrv we're all
harn, about the face and hands
Edward Mullen. John Sheeby, August
Omatt. Clinton Cleveland, John
FaffAB. Henry Schr eder. A. Auslsne
Al eiapioye OF the Economic "a.
company. name unknown vas also
badly iulurea-
SORE foisoS VICTIMS.