The morning call., 1894-04-18
Bricks and Tinbers Scattered
Over Several Blocks.
THE EXPLOSION is A MYSTERY.
1t Is Supposed That Two Bodies
Are Buried in the
Ruins.

-
of cannon, blaze shot into the sky and
buildings 455, 457 and 459 South Spring
street were almost obliterated.
The explosion apparently occurred in
Ben Babarowskl's she'll and jewelry store.
No. 455, which, with Miss Kate Schlomer's
Peoples Restaurant. No. 457. and Frank
Miller's cigar-store, No. 459. occupied the
frame story and half house owned by
Mrs. Louise Mohn. This frame building
was demolished and w. l.. Kestner's
butcher-shop. No. 461, on the northwest
corner of Spring and Fifth streets, which
adjoins the wrecked buildings on the south
aud Golden Rule produce-store adjoining
on the north. were badly damaged.
The scene a few moments after the ex-
plosion presented a queer appearance.
For half block in each direction from
the wrecked building the streets and side
walks we're covered with broken glass.
bricks and debris. On the opposite side
of the street all The show-windows in the
stores were blown out.
G. A. Henscb. a tamale man, Spring
and Third streets, two blocks away from
the explosion, saw vivid fash. and the
noise which followed was like that of an
immense cannon. The ground shook and
trem bled blocks away, and slumberers
were awakened quarter OF mile away.
In the din haze of the smoke following the
explosion, Hensch saw tamale cart appa-
rently in the middle of the street in front
of the destroyed building. 1t was evidently
moving across the street when Hensch
arrived on the scene. The owner and the
cart were q not to be found.
Across the street was another tamale
stand, but the proprietor knew nothing
about the occurrence. Flying debris struck
his cart, bricks were thrown across the
street and glass was broken several hun
dred yards away.
The street was thronged with people in
a few minutes. Officers began a search
for any one who might have been caught
in the ill-fated house, but owing TO the
mystery surrounding the affair out little
could be learned. II will take large
force to remove the wreck.
An alarm of fire was rung in, and the
department was on the scene In five min
utes. but its services we're not needed.
A hurried Investigation showed that AS.
457 and 459 were completely destroyed,
doors and windows being torn by the ter
rife concusson.
The explosion evidently occurred near
the north side of the room of Babarowski's
near the safe in the center
of the building. Here the floor joists
were torn and twisted into splin ters as
though dynamite or giant powder had eX-
ploded.
Miss Schooner. proprietress Of the res
taurant, had a miraculous escape. She
was asleep in room which projects from
the rear of No. 457 into the yard. When
awakened by the explosion she found the
main building room gone and only herself
and bed left. She was not scratched
A large. heavy safe was turned on the
side and covered with debris. No one
knows how 1t happened. Some think it
might have been caused by can of gaso-
line. others by an engine used in the she'll
store. and others by gas. but the most
plausible theory is that either dynamite
or nitro-glycerine was used. The entire
loss will reach $4,000.
An immense crowd of people assembled
in front of the wrecked building this
morning. a Gordon of police surrounds
the buildings and large force of firemen
are getting out the debris and hunting
about for anybody that might be there.
1t will take at least two days 10 clear the
debris. 1t Is supposed that two bodies are
no W in the ruins.
Ben Bsbarowski, the jeweer. was seen
about ten minutes before the affair hap
pened in a neighboring saloon and ex-
pressed himself as tired and intended to
go to bed.
AT o'clock this morning an individual
b atless and dazed, was standing in front of
the wreck apparently at a loss TO under
stand what 1t meant. A policeman found the
man to be Isidore Babarowski, proprietor
of the jewelry and shell store. who stated
that just before the explosion he had been
painting fixtures In the store. but was sud-
denly taken sick and went out to the rear,
Whether he was asphyxiated or not he
could not tell. but while out there be fell
asleep and was only awakened for a few
moments before his meeting with the
policeman. He could not remember having
smelt gas in the store before being taken
sick, in fact, he did not seem capable of
carrying on rational conversation.
When questioned as 80 there having
been any explosives in the store he stated
he believed there was fve-gallon can of
roal oil in one of the rooms, but could re-
call nothing else of that nature.
He affected to be greatly surprised at
the scene upon which he gaZed and In
broken English expressed establishment
that the explosion should have occurred
within so short distance of him without