The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-10
Very Rev. Father T.. II. Park. vicar-
nent Catholic, Among the Dead.
TwENTY-THREE MINERS LOST
DETAILS OF THE EXPLOSION IN THE
Blue CANYON COLLIERY.
Several Engineers and Firemen Man.
gled in Railway Wrecks I'm Penn
sylvania and Elsewhere.

WHEELING, w. Va, April 9.-By the
collapse of wall here to-day six lives were
lost. The dead are:
VERY REV. FATHER II. II. PARK,
vicar-general of the diocese Of Wheeling.
BENJAMIN +. PRITCHARD. of Buchan-
\ ROBERT wINcHER. clerk.
EUGENE BIRCH, clerk.
p. j. HORAN, clerk.
HARRY COWL, messenger boy.
At twenty minutes past o'clock this
morning the south wall of the four-story
brick block of T. Il. Hutchinson & Co.. on
the corner of Main street and the slley
south of Twelfth, collapsed without warn
ing. Next north of it w. H. Chapman s.
Son were just finishing five story brick
block, to be used as a paint, glass and build
ers supply store and they already had
stored in it about $4,000 worth of stock. and
were doing business there. Hutchinson s.
Co. deal in hardware. saddlers' and wagon-
makers supplies, and the building was
packed full of goods. The wall on the alley
first fell out, pulling with 1t the party wall
between Hutchinsons and Chapman's. Peo-
pie who were near say that the cracking OF
the timbers was like the rattle of musketry,
and that in few seconds everything was
rendered invisible by a huge cloud OF dust
The crash Of the falling buildings was ter
rife, and soon drew thousands to the scene.
The horror of the accident was increased by
a fire which broke out Immediately. and as
there were large quantities Of oil, turpentine
and the like in Chapman & Sons. the sltua-
tion was delicate.
AS soon as the people about the place be-
came cool enough to think, 1t was found
that there were buried in the Hutchinson
building ruins four employees, as follows:
Robert Wincher, Eugene Birch, II. j. Horan
and NJ. ]. Ford. Charles Haller, the book
keeper, and Adam Blum. junior partner.
were up against the rear wall, and were re-
leased by prying the iron bars off the win
dows. They were unhurt Mr.. Hutchinson
was In the second story, and was badly in
jured, but was rescued alive. and hopes are
entertained that he may recover Ford was
rescued after hard work by large force of
men and found alive and conscious. lie was
taken out after an hours work and re-
moved to hospital. He may get well. The
other three employees are still ir tie ruins
and doubtless dead. When tho collapse
came Ford was selling a bill ss goods to
Benjamin +. Pritchard a wagon planufact-
urer of Buchanan, VIVA. Plit sh3rd's dead
body was found lying across sford's legs.
He was literally crushed to deash.
Shortly before the accident Very Rev.
Father f. III. Park, vicar-gencral of the
Catholic diocese of Wheeling was seen to
enter the dltyf anu nc was btuNftu W 10
killed, and the belief was confisDied at $50
D. m by the recovery of his bcds, ie was
seventy-two years old, distinguished
clergyman, chaplain of Mount pechantal
Academy and had been twice administrators
Of the diocese first when Bishop Wheelan
died. in 1874, and second in 1894, when
Bishop Kane was made an archbishop and
Telegraph messenger boy, Harry Cowl.
aged fourteen, is also known to have been
in the alley and his body has not been dis
covered. No others are known to be lost.
There an early report that cab Its
driver and four occupants, were buried by
the falling walls, but this proved TO DO
untrue.
The falling brick and tinbers knocked a
hole thirty feet long in the three-story
brick building across the. alley, occupied
by S. NJ. Rice g. Co., wholesale millners.
and the smoke and water ruined that firms
valuable stock. The smoke also permeated
to the adjoining house occupied by Speyer
will be heavy. Water caused serious dam
age to Greer & Laing's hardware store and
OFT Brothers & Co., also hardware dealers.
The cellars were flooded for block, ten
streams playing all day and averaging one
thousand gallons minute, and yet at
o'clock the fire was not extingushed.
Great Indignation is expressed because
at the time the old Melodeon Hall property
was remodeed and a story added In 1891
by Mr.. Hutchinson, the walls were con-
demned, but he persisted in using them,
and, owing to the lack of adequate laws,
could not be prevented.
The loss will probably aggregate s15O,00o,
but owing to the fact that the condition of
the stock in adjoining stores cannot yet be
ascertained the loss only be esti-
mated. Hutchinson g. Co.'s loss Will reach
$4,000.