The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-05-06
A DEATH CRASH.
A Big Building iu Cincinnati Conspses.
Owing to pn Explosion OF Gasoine anu
SJanv P.onle Are Killed and Injured.


OWING TO nm Explosion of Gasoline and
MANY People Are Killed and Injured.
CINCINNATI, May 5,--What may prove
10 be the most disastrous calamity OF
the wear occurred in this city last
NIGHT when a fve-story brick structure
fLlled with people collapsed and fell,
conplomorate mass of brick and shat
tered timbers, burying the unfortunate
inmates beneath it's ruins 1t is impos-
sible yet to say how many persons
have been killed, some placing the
number as high as 40, others as low as
Is. No accurate statement can be CIV
en- on this point until the debris shall
have been cleared away The building
was situated ON the east side OF Wal
nut street, just south OF Fifth street
The lower floor was occupied by
Drach's saloon, the upper apartments
being rented out to dodgers, People
for several blocks around where the
disaster occurred were startled by a
terrific explosion about 7:45 o'clock. A
fire alarm was instantly turned in and
in a few minutes half the fire depart
ment of the city was on the scene and
several thousand spectators besides,
The work of rescue was instantly
begun. a force of men taking the front.
A second corps went to the rear OF the
building, which opened into an alley.
At the rear, cries and means OF te-
male were the only evidence OF life
beneath the wreck These cries came
from the cellar. 1t is utterly impossi-
Bile that any persons on the other floors
could have escaped horrible death.
In addition to the victims who are bur-
led beneath the building, it is esti-
mated that fully 100 people have been
more or less injured by the conclusion,
falling electric wires and fragments OF
shattered glass, stone and timbers.
About 20 of those injured on the streets
were taken into the Gibson house just
across the way and their wounds
dressed.
Among these was Chief of Police
Pugh, of Covington, KY, who reports
the most miraculous escape OF the
tragedy. He states that he was just
in the act of entering the saloon; II
fact one foot was upon the door sill
when he was startled by the flash from
a burning electric light wire overhead
He sprang backward when almos
simultaneously the explosion occurred
and he was blown into the middle o
the street and this circumstance savet
mis- life.
A Newport, KY, car which was als'
near the place was suddenly brough
to standstill by fearful shock an
an immense mass came crashing
through the roof This proved to b
an iron door from the cellar of tn
building, which by some strange freal
of the explosion had been blow
through the falling debris and up int
the air. No one ia the car was hur
A Brown street cay was smashed a
most into fragments. There were n
passengers on board and the conductc
and motorman escaped with slight il
juries.
The explosion was caused by the il
milton of a gasoline tank. Adolp
Drach, the proprietor of a saloon
the ground floor, had recently placed
gasoline engine in his cellar. The con
mutator of the engine had burned ou
setting fire to tank of gasoline. III
explosion came like a thunder ella
from clear sky. Eye-witnesses sa
that the building was seen to shake fl
an instant and then to slump in, an
almost second later only an indi
criminate mass of ruins remaine
The streets all around the block a
literally covered with pieces of glas
and the shock was felt for almost
mile around.
The dead SO far as known are asf'
lows. Dead:
r. A Davis, travelling man, Hamilton, o.
Adolph Drach, proprietor OF saloon
Four unidentified bodies.
1t is thought several of the injur
will die. 1t is known that several mo
victims are yet beneath the ruins.
A. Frick, of Norwood, was to have le
for Philadelphia last evening. He lt
his valise in Drach saloon early in
evening. AS he has not been seen sin
the explosion his friends fear that
body is buried beneath the ruins.
A large force of firemen and otht
are still hard at work by electric Zig
digging away the ruins. Groans a
cries from several more victims stin
late their work. Conversations 6
carried on between the workers a
those living under the pile of brick a
mortar, who state that there are de
bodies around them.