St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-05
DUPlnsED AND MANNED
Four Explosions of Natural
Gas in a Chicago Print
ing Office.
A Score of Firemen and 9th
ers Injured by the
Flames.
Two OF the Fire Fighters
viii Die Of Their In
juries.
Massive Iron Plates OF the
Sidewalk Hurled Into the
Streets.

CHICAGO. Jan. Am explosion or
natural gas in Donohue d Hennebow'S
printing establishment this afternoon
maiDed score of firemen and others.
Some of these may die and half OF them
are seriously injured, not the least
among them being Fire Marshal Swenie
himself, who had narrow es-
cape from the full force OF the
explosion. The explosion was in
the plate vault of the immense
establishment. which extended from 407
to 425 on the east side of Dearborn
street. The vault is 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 i'll this
vault making connections that were to
be used in supplying the boiler plant
with fuel. As precautiOn the doors
of the vault were closed.
Shortly after > o'clock, Foreman Rob
ert Granger. who was Ill charge of the
men at work in the press room adjoin-
ing tine vault, noticed flames coming
through the rick wall between the
press room and vaults. These flames
had the appearance of
Ignited Gas
that had escaped through the faulty
wall. Without waiting TO open
the door the foreman and employees ran
up the stairs and gave the alarm Of
fire. Then they returned 10 the base
ment, the flames still b9ing discernible,
and threw open the door OF the vault.
In a second there was a loud explosion
and nearly all the employees VINO were
in the building were thrown to the
floor, sustaining more or less serious
injuries.
Within few moments the fire insur-
ance patrol and three engine companies
were on tile spot, headed by Chief
Sweenie. The squad of tiremen rushed
to the basement for the purpose If pOssi-
BILE of preventing the spread of flames
TO the air and elevator shafts. They
| had no sooner reached the vicinity
OF the vault door than aSecOnd and even
stronger explosion followed and the fire
men. as the employees of the firm before
them, were hurled with terrific force to
tile floor. With their clothes on fire and
the exposed portions of their bodies
roasted and torn, they we're at once
rescued by the fresh arrivals and borne
to drug stores in the vicinity. While
they were being taken from the base
ment and within q few seconds of the
! other explosions came the third one. By
/ the overwhelming combustion OF the
/ pent-up gas the already lOOSened iron
work over the vault was
Torn From Its Eastenings.
| Chief Sweenie had not yet left the
| basement. and, while those who we're
! about them were caring for those who
| suffered from the 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 so came tine
fourth and last thunderous report,
| which tore apart tile sides of the vault
! and hurled the iron plates OF the massive
| sidewalk into the street.
The gas was finally shut OFF. and with
/ in a few moments what fire there was
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 OH
! the street below. Most of the injured
men were removed to the drug store at
| the corner of Dearborn and Harrison
/ streets, where by half-past , thousands
! of people had biOckaded the streets.
and to this place all the physicians in
the vicinity had been summoned to-
/ gether with the ambulances. The 800
employees in the building made their
escape without injury, and. although
badly frightened. made their exit III an
orderly manner. The loss 10 the build
ing viii be between $4,000 and $4,000,
/ fully covered by insurance. This was
mostly caused by the breaking OF plate
glass. All the glass in the first four
stories OF the building was broken.