San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-05
FIFTEEN LIVES LOST.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION OF POWDER
INA NEW ORLEANS OHAND-
LER'S STORE.
Building Blown to Atoms and the
Lodgers Buried Under the Debris
and Burned to Death-Num-
Der of Victims Fifteen.

NEW ORLEANS, April "a ter
rible explosion occurred at the cor
ner OF Decatur,and Ursuline streets
this morning about 2 o'clock. This,
a chambers store, owned by j.
Salathe and the adjoining saloon,
the Fishermen's Exchange, con-
Quoted by Charles Salathe, were
completely demolished. Fire broke
out Immediately following the ex-
plosion. 1t occurred in the ship
chambers store, in which a guam
tity Of powder and shot have al
ways been kept on hand. The
front and side walls of the two
buildings were entirely blown
down, but the rear partitions
were left standing showing that
the explosion had occurred in the
front part OF the building. The
number Of the dead is not known.
At least half a dozen were sleeping
in the two buildings at the time
and are buried beneath the debris,
and it is expected that they have
either been crushed to death or
Will be burned to a crisp before the
tiremen rescue them. At the hour
Of the explosion the street in front
OF the building was beginning to
fill up with market people. A num-
Der Of wagons were on Deca-
tur street and on the side
walks and in the markets, small
knots Of men were getting their
goods out and trading for their
supplies. Their trade was cut short
by mutfled sound that came from
across the street, and as they in
stinctively turned, expecting an
explosion, the walls lifted and
came down with a crash on all
sides. The force of the explosion
was terrible. Drivers were hurled
from their vehicles, and the wares
on the market stands were blown
to the four winds. The explosion,
as near as the market people could
judge, occurred about 2:O5 o'clock.
1t was in Salathe's grocery and bar
room, a two-story building, two
doors from the corner. Salathe has
a wife and one child, supposed to
have been killed. His bed room
was directly over the powder, and
he has not been seen since. One of
his children emerged from the
ruins in his night clothes, after
the engines had been at work on
the flames about five minutes, to
the surprise Of everybody.
3:45 a. m.-Twelve people are
known to be buried under the
ruins Of the two buildings that COL
lapsed. The explosion was caused
by powder stored in the grocery
which was blown to pieces. The
French market was just being
opened, and the marketmen were
unloading their wagons. Some had
gone into the saloon to drink and
the barkeeper and five or six people
who were drinking there are under
the debris. SpliDters, bricks, pieces
Of timber and other material were
scattered on the market, damaging
that and the windows of the Xarra-
Zins tobacco factory, adjoining,
were shattered. More than six
men who were in the street were
slightly injured by flying particles.
Emil Boulet, the owner of the bar
room had stepped across the street
for moment, thus saving his own
life. There were sleeping apart
ments over the barrOOm in which
number of people were supposed to
be resting for the night, as it was a
sort of lodging house. The cause of
the explosion is unknown. The
owner OF the grocery store where it
occurred is Charles p. Salathe. He
kept large quantity Of powder,
which he sold to fishermen and
hunters.
Charles Salathe, the groceryman,
is lost in the ruins together with
his wife, a ten-months old baby
boy, three servants, a clerk and an
orphan boy.
Two of the children of the gro
Ceryman were miraculously saved.
One, little girl named Lille, was
found in the debris in a different
section Of the ruins from her broth
er, Eddie. Both the children were
slightly scratched. They were not
buried under the ruins, although
they were sleeping in different
parts Of the building. Eddie was
in back room, his mother, father
and the little one were sleeping in
the room in front. No noise could
be heard Of the wounded under the
debris and the suppOsition is they
are dead.
At 4 o'clock the estimated num-
Der Of the dead is fifteen. Charles
Reiss, Of Howard and Lafayette