Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-01-11
V|'e 1}epubliea'l.
WATERFOWL. WIS.
AWFUL WORK OF GAS.

Two Families Nearly Exterminated by
Explosion nt Pittsburg.
PITTsBURa, Pa, Jan. by an cxplo-
sion of gas this morning the house at
1910 Sarah Street, South Side, was
wrecked, and three persons were killed
and several Injured. The list of the
killed is as follows:
THOMAS DUFFY, aged So, iron worker.
Mrs. SOPHIA DUFFY, aged SO.
DAUGHTER OF MRS. DUEFY, aged 2
years.
The injured:
WILLIAM DUFFY. aged Z; burned and
hunt by bricks; taken TO South Side Hos
pitaI
WILLIAM HARRIS, iron worker; severely
burned.
Mrs. HARRIS; hurt by falling wall
CHILD OF MRS. HARRIS; burned and
severely bruised.
The explosion occurred in three
storey brick house which was jointly
occopied by the families of Thomas
Duty and William Harris. The latter
family occupied three rooms on the
third floor. Harris goes to work at
7 o'clock. He arose shortly
after 6, leaving his wife and
child in bed, and taking the scuttle in
one hand lighted lamp in the other,
started down stairs to the cellar for coal.
The house was closed at the time, as
the Duffy family was yet in bed.
Harris thought he recognized smell of
gas, but was not alarmed, not
thinking of any danger. He opened the
cellar door, and started slowly down
the steps, trying to shield the lamp for
fear that stronger gust of icy air rush
ing up the stairs into the warmer atmo.
r o Enf1
AS Harris reached the bottom step
the very air seemed turned to fire,
which Tor moment blinded him and
caused intense pain. At the same time
he felt himself caught up and hurled
half way up the steps while his lighted
lamp was shattered against a post.
The neighborhood was shaken then by
the terrific explosion, and the few per-
sons on the street saw the house totter
for moment, then the roof fell IN, fol-
lowed by the right wall. The upper
floor was crushed in and tell carrying it
to the first. which held, and this alone
saved Harris life.
Meanwhile the harvest of death had
been awful, for the Duffy family was
wiped out Of existence save the young
son, and he may die. The second floor,
the brick wall and the roof simply
crushed the ceiling as though 1T was
paper, and sleeping calmly in their
beds, Thomas Duffy and his wife and
their little child III the cradle by their
side were awakened only to be crushed
cnd burned IN the ruins.
: policeman sent IN an alarm at once,
and coon large force Of men were
placed at work to rescue the impris
oned inmates. Mrs. Harris and her
child were found easily and taken out.
They were cut and badly frightened.
William Harris was taken out easily,
but it took twenty-five minutes to dig
where the Dutfys were imprisoned.
They were alive when reached, but
died as they were being taken out.
One-half the house is occupied by the
family Of Charles Reid, and the mem
bers were asleep. They also were
hurled from their beds. Mr.. Reid said
he had scarcely fallen on the floor
when two other explosions occurred in
rapid succession and the entire house
threatened to collapse. There was
neither natural nor illuminating gas in
the house, and it is supposed that the
gas leaked into the cellar from one of
the large mains on the street. The prop
erty loss is 81 800.