Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-22
A FATAL EXPLOSION.
Five Story Building In New HaVsu Gated
by Fire
EXPERIMENTS w,rm AcEryLESE.
Being Put In Order
One of Them Makes
Killed outrisht-rwo Men burned
10 Death.
10 Death.

NEW HA\E EN-, tONN., January a.
The fve-story building on Crown street
opposite Orange. was gutted by fire jnse
before noon to-day. The fire originated
In the quarters on the second floor oc-
cupled by Frank Phlegar. manufacturing
machnist. and this gentleman acknow-
legged this afternoon that he was expert.
menting with the new illuminant. acety'
lene, at the time.
The first intimatlon that there was Of
the fire In the building was the appear
ance of immense sheets OF fame bursting
through the windows and straight acrosx
tho street An instant previous there had
been an explosion which shook the centre
OF the city and was felt TO a lesser degree
for distance Of two or three miles. An
alarm was Immediately rung. but before
the department arrived at the scene tbs
flames. fed by oils and other combustibls
material. had penetrated to every por-
tion OF the building. and shooting through
all the windows in immense volume. as-
cended high above the structure.
In the Phlegar machine shop new gar
machines were being put in order. While
Joseph Hauser. a tool-maker. was &C
work on one, IT exploded with terrific
report. The whole front Of the building
seemed TO bulge out, and fragments OF
heavy plate-gass windows were hurled
across the street against the Chamber
lain building and into Orange street
Hauser was killed by the explosion.
His right leg was torn or at the ankle,
and the left leg twisted under him
Charles Fox. the engineer. although cut
and bleeding himself carried the dead
man out OF the building. which was then
rapidly being enveloped in flames.
Hauser was 40 years OF age and hac
a wife and two children.
In few moments an immense crowd
! had surrounded the building. and the
rumor spread that thirty or more persons
in the big building had been killed ii was
some time before the police and nremen
could aliay the prevailing excitement
| caused by this rumor, and assure the
| people that but one unfortunate had
lost his life in the disaster.
There were employed In the building
In all fifty men, and all OF these. includ-
| ing the hapiess Hauser. have been ac-
counted for. The superintendent OF the
bulding-a Mr.. Denslow-who personally
knows every one in any way connected
with IL. is authority for this statement.
The first great explosion was followed
by minor ones, but the department had
then got we'll to work, and by li:So the
fire was under control and all DANCES
passed The loss is 100000.
BURNED TO DEATH.
later examination OF the ruins show
ed that j. T. Toof, aged 40. and Harron
Stevens, aged q. were burned to death.
II is said that Toof and Stevens. both
employed by Il. j. Toof. remained behind
TO lock safe and secure some valuable
papers. Soon after the fire broke our
Stevens was seen at a window. and was
told TO wait a moment and ladder would
be sent up. He answered that he would
get some more things from his desk.
and, throwing out some books. went away
from the window. He was not seen again.
How Toof met his fate is now known. but
he was found very near Mr. Stevens.
Three hours after the fire was under
control the bodies OF Toof and stevens
were found by the fremen. Both bodies
were burned beyond recognition. and were
Identified only by means of peculiarities OF
clothing, or by papers In the pockets.
The losses and insurance are as fol-
lows: English & Merslck. carriage hard
ware, first floor. loss. $4,000; insurance.
$4,000. Frank +. Phlegar. jobbing ma
cnlnlSt, second moor, loss, >O,pb, m
surance. $4,000. Edwin f. Toof. sewing
machine attachments. third floor. loss,
$4,000; insurance, 10000.
The building was valued at $1,000, and
Is insured for that sum.
II Is altogether within the bounds of
possibility that "a of the insurance poll
cies may be subject to contest and.
indeed, be invalidated. II seems that
the insurance companies regard acety-
lene<gas, and the materials which enter
into RS manufacture, in the same light
as they do gasoline, and do not permit
the gas to be made or used In any in
sured building without a special permit
The insurance agents who placed the
policies on the burned building said to-
night that no such permits had been Is
sued by them.
Hauser and Toof were married and
leave families
Frank p. Phlegar, ST., was experiment.
ing with acetylenc-gas. Around him were
corps OF assistants. and II is said that
Mr.. Phlegar was working upon some sort
of regulator to control the delivery or
the gas from steel cylinders IN which Il Is
kept under high pressure. sometimes az
high as 1000 pounds TO the square inch
Definite knowledge as TO the conditions
OF the experiment cannot be had, since
the Phlegars positively reruse TO talk to-
night. beyond acknowledging the experi-
ment Ii is known that when the ex-
plosion occurred the Phlegars father aud
son. and five men were working about
- fb.