The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-05
BURIED AND BURNING
Two Buildings in New Orleans
Blown Up.
Fifteen People Supposed to be
Buried in Ruins.
RUINS TAKE FIRE.
Firemen Called Out to Extin
guish the Flames.
Frantic Crowds Hurry to the
Place Cf Disaster.

New ORLEANS, April 5.-A terrible ex-
plosion took place at the corner of
Decatur and Ursuline street this morn
ing about o'clock. The ship chandler
store of Charles ]. Salathe and the ad.
change, conducted by Charles Salathe
were completely demolished. Fire
broke out Immediately following the ex-
plosion. It occurred in the chandler's store
in which quantity of powder and shot
have always been kept on hand. The
front and sidewalks 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.
At least half dozen VINO were sleep
ing in the buildings at the time are
buried beneath the debris and it is feared
that they have bsen either crushed to
death or will be burned to a char before
the fremen can rescue them.
At the hour of the explosion the street
in front was beginning to fill up with
market people. A number of wagons
were on Decatur street and on the side
walks and in the market small knots of
men were getting out their goods and
trading for their daily supplies. Their
trading as cut short by a muff1ed sound
that came from across the street and as
they iustinctively turned, expecting an
explosion, the walls lifted and came
down with a clash on all sides
The force of the explosion was terri
rible. Drivers were hurled from their
vehicles and the wares on the market
stands were blown to the four winds
Ehe explosion, as near as the market
people could judge, occurred about five
minutes after 2 o'clock. 1t was Salathe' s
grocery and barroom, two story build
ing two doors from the corner. Salathe
and his wife and one child are 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 en-
gines had been at work on the flames
about five minutes, to the great surprise
of everyone. Twelve people are known
to be buried under the ruins of the two
buildings
The explosion was caused by powder
stored in the grocery, which was blown
to pieces The French market was just
being opened, and the men who sell fish
and other food were unloading their
wagons. Some of them had gone into
the saloon to drink and the bar r-keeper,
were drinking there are under the debris.
Splinters, bricks, pieces of timber and
other N 3terial were scattered on the
market, damaging that and the windows
of Sarrazin's tobacco factory adjoining
More than six men who were in the
streets were slightly injured by flying
particles
Emil Boulet, owner of the bar-room
had stepped across the street for a mo-
IL
explosion occurred, thus saving his own
life.
Two of the children of the grocer were
miraculously saved. One a little grl
named Lille was found in the debris in
different section of the ruins from heI
brother Eddie Both children were
slightly scratched. They were not buried
under the ruins. although they were
! sleeping in different parts of the build
! ing. Eddie was in back room, while
/ his mother, father and the little one were
/ sleeping in the room in front. No sounds
/ could be heard of the wounded under the
debris and the supposition is that they
are dead.
The estimated number of dead is fif
teen. Charles Reiss, of Howard and La
| fayette streets, a colored man, was aeri-
ously wounded by flying timbers, anC
WAS carried to the hospital in an ambu
lance.
The frantic cries of excited womer
and children, and the breathless agony
of men who surrounded the frightfu
scene, beggars description. People rar
to and fro, SO much out of their wits tha
they could not give intelligent answ err
to questions.
At 4:15 the bodies of Salathe and hi
wife were recovered. The parish pris-
oners were sent to the scene to aid il
clearing away the debris.
While the police are inclined to be
lieve that the explosion was the resul
of an accident nun ber of people re
siding in the vicinity of the wrecked
buildings are of an entirely diferen
opinion. They state openly that the
explosion was an attempt to kill Boulet
who miraculously escaped.
Boulet is Frenchman. who two year
ago shot and killed one of the wealthies
Italians doing business in the vicinity o
the French market This man Aristide
Balestraci ran u bar room in the neigh
borhood as we'll as fish and game stan'
in the market Boulet and Balestrac
were at one time good friends. The,
were in the saloon business together
Boulets wife came between them an,
not only broke up the business arrange
ments but caused a deadly enmity be
tween the two men.
The woman contracted a liason wit
Balestraci, which, upon reaching tn
ears of Boulet, caused him to leave hi
wife.
Balestraci would consequently taun
Boulet with his dishonor, but wa
always surrounded by friends whe
doing So The Italian also threat
ened to kill the Frenchma