The herald., 1896-01-03
THE FIREWORKS EXPLODED
Causing Loss of Life and Prop
erty Damage
A MAN ROASTED TO DEATH
Screaming Ia Agony, While Would.Be
Rescuers Work
A Frightfal List OF Injured, Many Of Whom
VIII Die-Six People Burned
at Columbus
A MAN ROASTED TO DEATH
Associated Press Special Wire.


ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Jan. 2.-Three persons
were killed, two fatally injured, four more
are missing, and thirty-one received inju-
ries more or less serious as the result of an
explosion that occurred this afternoon at
800 Second street.
Everybody for blocks around Second,
Third, Locust and Olive streets was startled
shortly before o'clock today by q series OF
three explosions, which demolished 800
Second street. badly damaged adjoining &
structures, and shattered thousands of
panes of glass in the vicinity.
A loss of at least 100000 resulted to
the buildings and their contents, which
were destroyed by the explosion or da-
maged by fire or water. This is fully COW
cred by insurance.
The list of casualties is as follows: Dead
Joseph Chemelier. laborer, Excelsior Iron
and Wire works: Frank Niehaus, porter,
Levison e. Blythe Manufacturing Co.; Paul
Hoptner, laborer, Excelsior Iron Works.
Missing: Norman Macarthur, fireman
Excelsior Iron works.
l.. Lay, shipping clerk Excelsior Iron
works.
Charlie Axon, teamster Excelsior Iron
works.
Joseph Cavorr.
Fatally Injured: A. Schneids, aged Is,
fatally burned.
Charles E. Amos, letter carrier, intern
ally injured.
Thirty-one others received less serious
injuries, caused mostly by falling bricks
and glass.
AS near as can be ascertaiued, those
most painfully hurt are as follows:
Albert Steinmeyer, boy, Leyison q
Blythe, leg confused and arm broken.
John Corcoran, employed by the Fey
Stationery company. was severely injured
about the head, besides sustaining severe
bruises about the body.
Edgar Vance, an employe of the George
Moritz Blank Book company, badly cut
about the head and otherwise badly in
jured.
r. w. Coulshaw, 10 years old, cut about
back and head; serious.
Hugh Allen, typesetter, employed at
Brown e. Clark Printing company, serious
ly cut about the head.
Joe Corcoran, severely cut and bruised.
Al Schneids, badly burned; will die.
W. L. Colshard, employe of Levison &
Blythe, badly cut in face by flying glass.
Richard Coulshaw. aged 40. h printer
employed by the Frey Stationery COM
blown in right eye, serious.
The building. which is occupied by the
Anchor Peanu. company and H. B. Grubb,
agent of Ditweiler and Street of Greenfield
N. j., was set on fire in some manner The
flames which started on the, first floor,
communicated to quantity of fire works
on the second floor, owned by Grubb. These
exploded with terrific force, throwing burn
ing brands, bricks and debris in every di-
rection.
The conclusion had rent the partition
wall to the south into the Levison and
company, and the Excelsior Wire and Iron
Manufacturing company adjoiniug on the
north, and the flames soon communicated
to these two buildings,in which consider
able number of men and boys we're at
work.
Three alarms were sent in. The whole
down town fire department soon responded
and the work of rescuing the injured was
performed in a courageous manner by the
police and firemen. For some time six
ambulances were keep busy conveying the
dead and the wounded to the morgue and
city dispensary.
Emmett Kennedy, boy. was taken
from third-story front window Of Levi
son g. Blythe's establishment. Kennedy
said there were two other men near the
middle of the second floor. The firemen
hurried to the spot and could hear the cries
Of the men, who were slowly burning to
death. By this time stream of water was
turned on the fire surrounding the men,
who were screaming piteously for help.
As soon as the frmes were subdued a
dozen firemen began to tear away the
Wreckage around them with pickaxes and
saws. Albert Streinmeyer was taken out
and soon after the crushed and dead body
of frank Neihaus was secured.
The most horrible incident of the fire
was the suffering OF Streinmeyer while the
firemen were removing the debris which
held him pinned down in the wreck. Both
of his legs were fastened by the timbers
and heavy iron ring encircied his neck,
while the fire was eating into his flesh. He
suffered the most terriEle agony as the res
cuers pulled away at the spliutered tim.
bers and twisted iron work. DR.. A. l..
Boyce, who happened to be passing, was
called on, and he crawled into the wreck
age and administered a hypodermic injec-
ton of morphine to the sufferer. When he
was finally rescued Streinmeyer was bleed
ing from hundred wounds, was burned in
many places and badly crushed.
Manager Moore, of Levison & Blythe
company, stated that Zoe Kavarick was
missing, and that his body must be in the
wreck. The dremen again returned to the
wreckage and cleared away a great portion
of it without finding the body. Flames
soon broke out afTesh, and it was decided
to abandon the search until the wreckage
was soaked with water. The hook and
ladder were then transferred to the rear of
the Excelsior Wire and Iron Works, where
fifteen men were at work. How many es-
caped cannot be learned.
L u. 4
Charlie Axon and Norman Macarthur, the
foreman, were reported missing.
The firemen soon cleared away the de-
bris, and after thirty minutes work two
bodies were brought to light. They were
horribly mangled and burned and we're
taken to the morgue, where they were
identified as Albert Meillier and Paul
Hauptner.
The firemen kept at their work clearing
away the debris and searching every foot
of the ground for the bodies of the other
missing men. They were unable to find
any more. The missing, it is thought, may
stiil be in the ruins, or may have escaped
and neglected 10 report their safety.
For three hours the city dispensary ply
scians were kept busy attending to the in
jured victims as they were brought in by
the ambulances. Six ambulances were or
dered to the scene upon the first alarm.
E. G. Whitlock, foreman of gang of
men in the Excelsior Wire company, was
on the third floor of the building at the
rear when he saw the smoke across the al
ley, and realizing the danger, called to his
men and they all attempted to escape by
the rear stairway. Before they could reach
it the explosion came. Whitlock was bur-