The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-11

eI5, W6l6 III ulON' A"N ~ 80 -
and others are so seriously burned that
they may not recover.
The Victims.
Fatally burned:
JAMES RUSSELL. fireman. burned about
the head and internally injured.
THOMAS GALLAGHER, fireman, internal
injuries and face almost burned on
The following were seriously but not
fatally burned:
DENNIS SwENIE, chief Of the FIRE depart
ment.
PATRICK O'MAILEY. fire marshal
CHARLES SYFERLICK, captain truck NO. 1.
JOHN MCDONALD, captain company III.
FREDERICK J. kAEDER. captain company
q.
MARTIN LACEY, lieutenant company Is.
PATRICK MURPHY, lieutenant company ~
J. {. LAIN, lieutenant insurance patrol.
JOHN DoELIN. fireman.
MATTHEW KOCH, fireman.
WILLIAM PADDoN, fireman.
MICHAEL NOLAN, fireman.
THOMAS NEvINs. fireman.
JOHN DEvLIN. fireman.
j. +. KELLY, fireman.
CHALEs FLEMING, fireman.
EDWARD MULLEN. timekeeper for Donohue
& Henneberry.
JOHN SHEEHY, pressman.
AUGUST CHAT, pressman.
CLINToS CLEVELAND, IabOrer.
JOHN FARRAGHAGH, labOrer.
HENRY SCHROEDER, lsborer.
A. MULLANE. lRbOrer.
Unknown man employed by gas company.
The explosion was in the plate vault,
which is located i'm mediately beneath the
sidewalk, which is formed of heavy iron
frame covered with glass and iron. Dur
ing the early part of the morning three
employees of the natural gas com panv had
been in this vault making connections
that were to supply tine boiler plant with
fuel As a precaution the doors of the
vault were closed. Shortly before o'clock
Foreman Robert Granger of the press
room, which adjolns the vault, noticed
flames in the vicinity OF the brick wal
which extended between the press-room
and the vault. These flames had
the appearance of ignited gas that
had escaped through the parti-
ton wall. Without waiting to
open the vault doors the foreman gave an
alarm of fire. Then they returned to the
basement. when some one threw open the
vault doors. Instantly there was an ey-
plosion aud nearly all of the employees who
were in the vicinity, about ten in number,
were thrown to the floor, all sustaining
more or less serious injuries. Within a
| few moments members of the fire insur-
ance potrol and hose engine companies
were on the spot, headed by Chief Swenie.
a Sc, ond Explosion.
The,squad of firenen rushed to the base-
ment and had no sooner reached the
vault door than a second and stronger ex-
plosIon followed and all the men were
hurled TO the floor or across the room
against the wall on the opposite eide,
which they struck with terrific force.
Several of the men were rendered sense
less, and the flames, which had ignited
their clothing, roasted their hands and
faces In the most horrible manner. Other
firemen were C ose behind them, how
ever, and for a few minutes the fire was
left to take care OF itself while the injured
men were rescued.
Still Third.
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 a third explosion
more terrific than either of its predeces-
sors aud the would-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 its fasten-
| ings and came laundering down. Fresh
food for the gas WAS already at hand and
a score of gallant tiremen sprang into the
vault to rescue the men who had been in
iured. Undeterred by the danger OF an
other explosion and cheered on by Swenie,
the tiremen worked as men can work
when their own lives and the lives of 9TH
ers were trembling in the balance.
Out just in Time.
One by one the burned and battered
men were dragged from the basement,
and az the last one was taken out, Swenie
called: "Now for your lives, men," and
there was rush for the upper floor which
was made Just in the nick of time, for a
fourth explosion came which made brick,
mortar aud iron work fly like feathers,
and gave the chief a scorch, as he beat a
hastv retreat, that he will remember Tor
many a long day. HurryinR TO the door.
Swenie called to the driver of patrol
wagon standing near and ordered 1t to drive
at once to the office OF the natural gas
company and tell them to shut off the
flow OF gas. III 1t is not DONE" he said,
"I won't answer for the safety of the
building"
The patrsl wagon took only a few min
utes 10 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 ban
daged, went at the fire once more, and
made short work of it. The great build
ing, however, had been badly strained
and torn, and every pane of z ass in the
entire eight stories was lying in splinters
on the ground 1t will cost $4,000 to re-
pair the damage done.
A Panic Avoided.
There are usually about 500 people en-
ployed 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 were injured. Several who had re-
NAMED after being told to get out were
seized with passionate longing for fresh
air when the gas went off the second time
and the wild time they made in reaching
a place of safety was a source of amuse-
| ment to their more prudent co-laborers
who stood at safe distance watching de-
velopments. The injured men were
quickly removed to neighboring drug
stores, where temporary relisfwas applied.
and they were then removed to their
houses or to hospitals.
A Pathetic Seem.
Some pathetic scenes we're witnessed
in drug store close by the scene Of the