The herald., 1894-04-17
A BUILDING BLOWN UP
Terrific Explosion on Spring
Street Near Fifth.
Three Stores Destroyed and
Two Badly Damaged.
Miss Kate SchlOmers's Miraculous
Escape From Death.
Two Persons Unaocounted For The
Cause OF the Explosion Undiscov-
ered-DetaiIs of the Myste-
rious Affair.

An explosion occurred at five minutes
after midnight last night. which at the
hour OF writing remains a mystery.
There was report like the firing Of q
20-inch cannon. blaze shot up in the
sky, and the buildings 455, 457 and 459
South Spring street were in an instant
almost obliterated.
The explosion apparently occurred in
Ben Babsrowski's shell and jswelry
store, No. 455, which with Miss Kate
Schlomer's Peoples restaurant. No. 457,
and Frank Millsr's cigar store, No. 459,
occupied frame story and a. hall house
owned by Mrs. Louise Mohn, whose son,
DIR. Mohn, lives at No. 45315 Spring ct.
This frame building was demolished,
and W. L. Kestner's butcher shop, No.
46l, on the northwes corner OF Spring
and Fifth street, which adjoins ths
razed building on the south and the
Golden Rule produce store, No. ASS. sd-
joining it on the north, were badly
damaged.
On reaching the scene, q few moments
after the explosion, the street presented
an eerie appearances. For half block
in each direction from the wrecked
building the streets and sidewalks were
covered with broken glass, bricks and
debris. On the opposite side OF the
street all the show windows in the
stores we're blown out.
The nearest person to the explosion
was man who had wagon-kitchen on
The northeast corner of Spring and
Fifth. All he knew about it was that
he was blown over and just saved hss
kitchen from upsetting. It was evident
that no one was in front OF, or very cloee
to, the building at the time it was
wrecked. or some fragments of their per-
some would have been found.
Miss Schooner, the proprietress Of the
restaurant, had miraculous escape.
She was asleep in her room, which pro-
jects from the resr of No. 457 into the
/ yard. When she was awakened By the
explosion. she found the main building
and her room gone, and only herself and
her bed left. She was not even scratched,
but wae nelvously prostrated.
At the hour OF going to press it could
not be ascertained whether any one vas
killed or not. Ben BabarowakI the
cigar dealer. was eeen about 10 minutes
before the affair happened at q neigh
boring saloon and expressed himself Ss
tired and intending 70 90 to bed. A boy
stated to q HERALD reporter that
Babarowski and his wife lived in the
shop. II such was the case there can
be no question about their fate.
No definite cause could be learned for
the explosion; some thOughtit wss gaso-
line; others that it was acids used in
dressing shells by BabarowBk some
people suggested snarchists aud dyna-
mite, but no evidence could be found to
support any OF the sheories.
HOW 1T HAPPENRD.
The explosion took place at 1905
O'Clock. An alarm OF fire Was rung in,
and the department was on the scene
within five minutes, but it's services
were not needed.
A buried investigation showed thst
Nos. 455 457 snd 459 we're comnletely
destroyed, while Noe. 453 and 46I wers
badly injured. doors and windows being
torn out by the terrific coucussion. The
explosion evidently occurred near the
north side OF the room OF BabaroWeki's
jewery store, near the safs, in the CEN
ter Of the building. Here it was that
the floor joiste were torn and twisted
into spiinters, as though dynamite or
giant powder had exploded. The large,
heavy sale was turned on its side, and
covered with debris. AS no one bad
been able to reach it there is no telling
whether it is blown open or not. The
whole interior is simply a mass of
ruins. with the heayy tin roof covering
the whole.
1T Is A MYSTERY.
No one knows how it happened. Some
think it might have been caused by a
can of gasoline, others by an engine
used in the shell store, others by gas,
but the most plausible theory IS chat
either dynamite or nitro-glycerine was
used. 1t is not unreasonable to suppose
that it could have been done by safe
crackers, but in that event it looks az
though they would certainly have beoa
killed il tha charge had gone off prema.
tnrely.
A boy employed in livery stable
near by says that Babarowski won't into
the saloon on the opposite corner Of
the street 10 minutes before the explo-
sion and took drink. He remark ed
to the bartender that he had been in
his store painting, and WAS going to
bed. He had not left the saloon 10
minutes before tine explosion took
place. No one could ind him at the
scene, and il was feared that he was
buried beneRSH the ruins.
AN EYE WITNESS.
G. A. Mensch. tamale man atSpring
and Third streets, two blocks away, saw
the explosion. He saw q vivid fash, As
il is were lightning. He heard tbs
building fall with a dsAfening crash.
while the preceding noise was like that
OF an immense cannon, capable Of being
heard for miles around. The ground
shook and trembled blocks away, aud