New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-14
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY.
STATEN ISLANDS EXPLOSION AND FIRE
UNEXPLAINED.
PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMEs-HoUsEs
sHAKEN-TIE GASOLINE THEORY SET ASIDE
NOTIIING INFLAMMARLE IL TIE HOUSE.

PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMEs-HousEs
sHAKEN-THE GASOLINE THEORY SET ASIDE
NOTHING IXFLAMMAnLE IN THE HOUSE.
The explosion which resulted in the death or
Hugo Schmidt Saturday night at Erastina.
Staten Island has resolved itself into something
OF a mystery. 1t was set down at first TO an ex-
posion OF gasoline. resulting from Schmidt faVihs
attempted to ill gasoline stove while II was
lighted. There one e.se In the house "heh
the accden; occurred. and the neiShbors agreed
that explanation. Mr. Strome the mans em-
poyer. this theory at rest by saying that tne
use Of the gasoline stove ceased some weeks Ggo
when cold weather came and II was necessary 10
have fire in the kitchen all the time i"e'e
was no gasoline in the house at the tine OF 'hc
explosion says Mr Siromc. He adds mat "heh
the summer was over the use oil the gasoline stove
intermittent ana that when the contents OF
the barrel hard was exhausted few weeks
ago 10 more was purchased. and that so far as
he knows there no,hlng OF an inhaminabie
nature in the house which would have caused the
explosion
Hundreds OF persons heard ard felt thc explosion
Mrs smoote who lived next door and whose nome
was destroyed by the explosion and flames which
fol owed it. says she was sitting in the front room
the first floor she had her baby in her arms
Two other children were playing on the moor
beside her suddenly there was a roar. and start
ing up and looking toward the rear portion ot
her house she the walls crush In and the
ceiling drop. She waited for more. but, grasp
ing the smaller OF the two children on the moor,
and bidding the other follow her. she :dn OUT
and across .he street to "A hotel. She says shc
remembers secinS and women rushing from
the other houses. Inquiry in all directions about
the scene OF the fire shows this to be true. and
other residents in the neghborhood say their
houses shook and rocked. Many thought n loco
motive In the yards had exploded.
The appearance OF the ruins shows the force
OF the explosion. The cellar walls wcre toin nlth
great holes ana the brick pillars were thrown from
their places. Those who were hrst on the scene
say the Strornc house wreck VIXEN Trey
reached II. and that fire had not yet reached some
OF the wrecked portions. although three minutes
spot where Schmidt pinned down by the
broken and torn timbers. They say the wreckage
about Schmidt had not been touched by the hre'
but fha, the stOOp. the doorway and the wood
work about il had been ripped and splntered
People far away as West New BriShton,
three niles. heard the explosion. but set II down as
an unusually heavy and late blast set OF al the
quarries 4 Elm Park. midway between west
New- brighton and Erastina
Many persons and heard the minor ex-
plosions witch occurred while the FIRE was IN
progress These wcr. set down to fireworks. but
il does not appear that there fireworks In
the house schmidt had been ,mpoyci 10y Mr.
Stromc for fourteen years. T. was thought that
the inquest would be "A iormality which could b."
concluded this evening, but u ~ now thought thai
the Inquest viii De adjourned to give the police
further time Investigate
Mr. Siromc says b" will lose about S,cyl on
furniture. The house occupied hy Siromc and tho
one OCCUPIED by tho Snoote fa.gily were onncd by
Edward T. Doyle. OF the state Fish Commission.
The third house destroyed WAS the property OF
William Decker. who occupied II.