The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-04-06
KILLED BY EXPLOSION.
Building Wrecked Near New Or
leans French Market.
FIVE DEAD BODIES TAKEN OUT.

The Accident Took Place Early In the Morn
ing, and Three of One Family Were KILLED
as They sIept-,Report That 1t Was Mstia
Vengeance Discredited.
NEW ORLEANS, April 6.-About2 O'Clock
In tho morning an explosion from some
unknown cause occurred at the corner of
Decatur and Ursuline streets, in two
story brick building containing two stores
and rooms on the ground floor. One of
these was occupied by l.. a. Boulet as n
drinking saloon; the other by Charles
Salathe, who keeps grocery and ship
chandlery. The building was near the
lower end Of the French market and was
separated from it by narrow street.
The explosion was loud one, and when
the dust had cleared away tho fishermen
and women who had already put in their
appearance at the market saw before them
heap of wreckage where there had form
erly stood u barroom and grocery. Then
little tongues of flames began to shoot up
from the wreckage, and by this time the
onlookers set about 30 think of some means
of rescue for the unfortunates, whom they
knew were imprisoned In the mass of brick
and timber. An alarm of fire was sounded,
and soon the fire department was on the
scene. The flremen did quick and effective
work in saving the adjoining buildings.
The explosion was accompanied by a
terrific sound, apparently half smothered,
as If blown up from the bottom of the
building The edflce trembled and then
went up with tremendous convulson,
throwing parts of the building high in the
air, tearing the Ursuline street wall down,
part of the Decatur street wall, and leay-
ing the greater part of the wall standing
in the rear Of the building 1t went up
like mighty flash, and the explosion was
followed by II big blaze, that went high
up in the air and then subsidized some
what.
The walls and debris came down with
crash, and Immediately the air was filed
with smoke and dust that wero blown
everywhere from the grocery store.
The explosion is thought to have been
caused by gunpowder, twenty five or thirty
pounds Of which was always kept on hand
by Salathe for sale to hunters and fisher
men, who make their headquarters in the
neighborhood Of the French market.
The work of digging out the dead was
begun before the fire was fully suppressed,
and by o o'clock all the bodies were re-
covered.
1t was thought at first that the explo-
sion was due to the work of the Malta,
ahu bnuu ~ was ihpuhutu w Mil L.
A. Boulet, 1.-THE proprietor Of the saloon.
Boulet is n Erenchman, and two years ago
killed an Italian named Balestracl, who
had seduced his (Boulet's) wife. On the
trial it was shown that Boulet acted In
self Defense and he was promptly nc
quilted. Boulet, who miraculously
escaped the explosion, when questioned
on the matter today, said: "The Malta
would not adopt such means to kill their
victim. They have other and surer means
of doing this kind of work. l firmly be-
love that the explosion was the result Of
an accident"
Those who met death in the accident are
as follows: Charles Salathe, groceryman;
Mrs. Charles Salathe, 14months.old boy
of Mr.. and Mrs. Salathe; Felix Rigot,
barkeeper for Boulet; John Edwards, en-
ployed by Boulet.
The Salathe servants spent the night
elsewhere, and thus escaped. Two chill
dren Of the Salathe family were dragged
from the ruins, and although badly bruised
and shocked will live. Half a dozen peo-
pie in the vicinity were injured by falling
debris but all will recover.
The barroom was generally crowded at
the hour of the fatality, but from all &C
counts there seems to have been provi-
dental lull in trade when the explosion oc-
CURED