New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-05
BRAVE FIREMEN INJURED.
NATURAL GAS EXPLODES IN THE BASEMENT
OF A BIG FACTORY.
FIVE urrNDREp PEOPLE IN DEADLY PERIL-FIRE
MEN BLOWN DOWN AND BURNED BY
SUCCESSIVE EXPLOSIONS.

MEN BLOWN DOWN AND BURNED Bf
SUCCESSIVE EXPLOSIONS.
Chicago, JAN 4-Shortly before o'clock this
afternoon a terrific explosion of natural gas
wrecked the lower part of the great printing
establishment OF Donohue & IIenneberry on
| Dearborn-st Over o score of fremen, including
Chief Swcnie, Of the fire department. and several
laborers wcro seriously injured. Two men are
diving, and others are so seriously burned that
they may not recover.
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 en-
poyes of the natural gas company had been az
work in this vault, making connections that were
to be used in supplying the boiler plant with
| fuel AS precaution the doors oil the Vault
were closed Shortly before o'clock Robert
Granger, foreman of the press-room, which adj
joins the vault, noticed flames in the vicinity OF
the brick wall, which extended between the press
room and the vault These flames had the ap-
pearance of ignited gas that had escaped through
the partition wall. Without waiting TO open
the vault doors the foreman gave an alarm OF
fire With others, lie then returned to the base
ment when some one threw open the vault door
| Instantly there was an explosion and nearly all
Of the employees who were in the vicinity, about
ten in number, were thrown to the floor, all sus-
tanning more or less serious injuries
Within a few moments members OF the hre
insurance patrol and hose engine companies were
on the spot, headed by Chief Swenie The squad
of fremcn rushed TO the basement, and had no
sooner reached the vault door when 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
| ignited their clothing, roasted their hands ana
faces. Other flremen were close behind them,
however. and for few minutes the fire was left
TO take care of iteelf 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 hc ples5 comrades,
came a third explosion. more terrific than either
Of its predecessors, and the would-be rescuers
were laid beside the men they had come to assist.
| This time the already loosened irOnw0rk covering
the vault was torn from its fastcnngs and came
laundering down. Fresh food for the gas was
already at hand, and n score OF gallant nrcmeh
,prang into the vault to rescne the men VINO
had been injured, undeterred BY the danger oil
another explosion Ch,ered on by Swenle the
Grencn worked as men can work when tEeir own
lives and the lives Of others were trembling III
the balance. One by one the purheu
and battered were dragged from
,bo basement and ms the last one was taken ont
Swcnic called Now out for your lives Eel'
and there was rush for the upper floor, which
was made Just in the nick of time, for iour'h
explosion came. which made bricks, mortar ana
ronwor,S ny ike feathers, and gave he Chiet a
.corcb - he beat a retreat that he will remember
for many a long day. Hurrying to the door,
Swcnic callsd 10 the driver of patrol wagon
standing near, and ordered it to drive at once 10
tho Office of the Natural Gas Company ana tel
them to shut oil the flow of gas
IF it is not donc,T he said Il won't answer
for tbc safety Of the building. - ...
! Tuo.n fatally hurncd are James KuS'ei lrenah,
burned about the head and internal lnlufies Inuils
gallagher. fireman, Internal injuries ana iace 'o''
Inc following were seriously but not fatally burned
Dennis swene Chief OF the Fire department iH,rek r
OMnliy tro asaa Ghardi, Yo 10 Frederck
J. KaedeT eapai1, ,.,,rSs N. u1r,bv Ir ienianant ~
John Donn, fireman Matthew hoc'l nrenan Thras m,,,
lam Padion fireman Nicl Noian nr''i'i" Kelly,
Ncvins. fireman. John Devin. hreiinn ;o ., Nn.1
! fireman; Charles Fleming. fireman tiWarI tn. M"r
mc,oepcr for Donohue a llenn@berry i0an sasT CIeye
and aborer: John Faragh, laborcr; Beny e, ehrTru,r
Iborcr: NJ Mullane, laborer; unknown man e"p'o''u
'' Tie he potrol wagor took only few minutes to
fulfill its mission, the gas was smut oh' anu .lly
frcmcn. led on by the Chief, who had inprovTu
the opportunity 10 have his M face G ANA anrs mors
dressed and bandaged, went at the hre once IoIc
AMI made short work of it, The great bulldihg,
however had bccn badly strained ana torn torn, ra. m1a
every pane of glass in the entire eish, stores s mss
living in splinlcrs on the ground. IL VIII cosI
.:oo ooo 10 rcrair the us.age done. There are
usuollv about 500 people employed IL the D"i1sn-,
buzz there was no panic among them some .,
rathc;ic scenes were witnessed IN drlS s'orV
c.insa bv thr scene of the accident. The toor
was covered with the bodies OF men wo't G sco,gny nv
thcv T.rr suffering. Near the door lay stalWar'
fellow hearing the badge of Truck =. re- ,,,%d wa
sbrckincly burned but he made no sign or s39nu; ;
How is it, OLE man 2" said Assistant Ohici
NusLam as he hent over him. ,
All right, / guess. IIows the ire:
"Out now. ~ g., ,.ou to
d in.t stand bv me- will YOU" And the chici
stood by until strong h'nas Ilited tht h,iSSnr Snr
cntYrrrr into an ambulance. ana lhouiaS "a'l 's"f
of Trucll o was carried away 10 DE. rL
IIow thc as became i-nit"i j. mystery. Ih'
no" VIC iE,cInnd Ia place the blame on the
yy"I yw"rImcn. but it is doubtful whether the cause
will ever lo discovered