The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-05
Two Pressmen and Five LabOrers Also Injured
in Explosions That Partially Wrecked q
Large Printing Establishment
Four Terrific 0utbursts of Flame That
ScOrched Everybody Within Reach.
Plate Vault Torn to Pieces. and It's Brick and
Iron Hurled in All Directions Chief Fire.
man Swenie Among the Injured.
Natural Gas Causes the Injury of Twenty-Siz
Persons Mt Chicago.


Persons ut Chicago.
CHICAGO, Jan. 4.-Shortly before 3-o'clock
this afternoon terrific explosion of
natural gas wrecked the lower part of the
great printing establishment of Donohue
& Henneberry. OH Dearborn street. Tho
accident occurred during the progress of
small fire. and over q score of firemen. in.
cluding Chief Swenie OF the fire depart
ment and several laborers were seriously
injured. Two men are dying and others
are seriously burned. Following is the list
of injured,
Fatally Burned-James RUSSELL fireman. burn
ed about the head and internally injured; Thos.
Gallagher, fireman, internal injuries and face
Seriously but Not Fatally Burned-Dennis
swenie. chief of the ire department.; Patrick
tain truck No. L; John Mcdonald, captain Com
pany 10; Frederick J. Kaeder, captain Company
II: Martin Lacey, lieutenant Company Is:
10; j. c. Lain, lieutenant insurance
patrol; John Donlin, fireman; Matthew Koch.
William Paddon, Michael Nolan. Thomas New
ins. John Devlin. j. +. Kelly and Charles Fleming.
all nremen; Edward Mullen, timekeepor for
Donohue & Henneberry; John sheehy and August
Gnatt, pressTen; Clinton Cleveland. John Far
raghagk, Henry Schroeder and A. MuIlane labor
ers; unknown man employed by gas company.
The explosion was in the plate vault
located immediately beneath the sidewalk.
which Is formed of heavy iron frames
covered with glass and iron. During the
early part of the afternoon three employees
of the natural-gas company had been at
work in this vault. making connections
that were to be used in supply ing the boiler
plant with fuel. As preoaution the doors
of the vault were closed. Shortly before
O'Clock foreman Robert Granger. of the
press-room, which adjoins the vault.
noticed flames I'm the vicinity of the brick
wall which extended between the press
room and the vault. These flames
had the appearance of ignited gas
that had escaped through the
partition wall. Without waiting to
Open'the vault doors the foreman gave IN
alarm of tire. He then returned TO the
vault doors. Instantly there was an ex-
plosioD. and nearly all of the employees
who were in the vicinity, about ten ia
number. were thrown to the floor. oil re-
ceiving moro or less serious injuries.
THREE MORE EXPLOSIONS.
Within few moments members of the
fire insurance patrol and hose engine CON-
panes were on the spot. headed by Chief
Swenle The squad of firemen rushed TO
the basement and had no sooner reached
the vault door than q second and stronger
explosion followed, and all the men were
hurled to the floor or across the room against
the wall on the opposite side, which they
struck with. terrific force. Several
of the men were rendered senseless and
the flames which had IRnited their CLOTH
ing roasted their hands and faces In q most
horrible manner. Other firemen were
close behind them, however. and for q few
minutes the fire was left to take care of it.
self, while the injured men were rescued.
Before one-half of them had been taken
out, and while the basement was full OF
men working with desperation TO save
their helpless comrades. came q third ex-
plosion more terrific than either of it's
predecessors. and the wouid-be rescuers
were LAID beside the men they had come TO
assist. This time the already loosened
iron work covering the vault was torn
from it's fastenings. and came laundering
down. Fresh food for the gas was
already at hand, and score
vault TO rescue the men who had been in
jured. Undeterred by the danger of an
other explosion. and cheered on by Chief
Swenie. the fremen worked as men can
when their own lives and the lives Of 9TH
ers were trembling III the balance. One by
one the burned and battered men were
dragged from the basement. and as the last
one was taken out Swenie called: Now
rush for the upper floor. which was made
just in the nick of time. for fourth ex-
plosIon came which made brick, mortar
and irony work fly like feathers, and gave
the chief scorcning, as he beat a hasty
retreat, that he will remembe for many q
long day. HurryinQ to the door. Chief Swe-
ME called to the driver of patrol wagon
standing near and ordered it TO drive at
once to the Office of the Datural-gas COM
pany and tell them to shut OFF the flow of
- ha
answer for the safety of the building"
The patrol wagon took only few min
to fulfill its mission. The gas was shut of,
and the fremen, led on by the chief. who
had improved the opportunity to have his
face and hands dressed and bandaged. went
at the fire once more and made short work
of il. The great building, however. had
been badly strained and torn, and every
pane of glass in the entire eight stories was
lying In fragments on the ground. lt Will
cost $50 600 to repair the damage done.
There arc usually about eight hundred
people mpIoy ed in the building but there
was no panic among them. They were for
the most part out of the building before
the first explosion took place. and none OF
them was injured. Several who had re-
mained after being told TO get out were
seized with n passionate longing for fresh
air when the gas went of the second time,
and the wild time they made in reaching O
place of safety was a source of amusement
TO their moro prudent co-laborers who
stood at safe distance watching develop.
ment5.
The injured men were quickly removed
to a neighboring drug store, where tempo
rary relief was applied, and they were
then removed TO their houses or TO hos
pitfalls. Some pathetic scenes were wit
messed in a drug store close by the scene
of the accident. The floor was covered
with the bodies of men whose scorched
and blackened faces bore testimony 10 the
agony they were suffering. Near the door
lay stalwart fellow bearing the badge Of
Truck O. He was shockingly burned. bat
be made no sign or sound.
1T was q mighty close CALL said Chez
Swenie as he was being treated after every
thing was over. land 1 thought the whci
business was to be blown TO pieces. ]
would say that the fame extended forty
feet into the basement and then 10 was that
nay men and myself were burned. The
building was rocked by the force of the ex-
plosion and 1 hastened 70 the street and
ordered every one out of the place. expect
ing that the structure would be blown 10
pieces. When the third explosion came
was standing on the stone and iron side
walk IN front of the building. The force of
the explosion lifted the heavy material up
several feet. after which the big stones and
iron dropped down into the basement. L
barely had time 10 jump into the street."
Assistant Fire Marshal Musnam also had
o narrow escape. When the third explosion
came he was standing on the sidewalk
directly over the natural-gas pipe. from
which the ignited gas was flowing. Tho