Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-05-07
An EXPLOSION.
A Building In Cincinnati Demol'
ished by Gasoline.
SIX PEOPLE MEET TIL IR lEA1H.
Many Others Buried Beneath the Ruins
and Fears Are Entertained that More
Have Been Killed. intense III.
element In the Vicinity.

CINCINNATI, May Sat eight o'clock
last niyht the fve-story building, 400
and 432 Walnut street, between Fourth
and Fifth streets. was blown to the
ground by an explosion OF gasoline.
The shock was so terrific that it was
felt all over the city, and not one brick
upon another is left in the front and
rear walls OF the building, while the
adjacent buildings were badly dam
aged The glass was broken out OF
street cars that were passing at the
time and one OF the cars was badly
wrecked, but none Of the passengers
was seriously hurt. All the horses
in the immediate neighborhood
broke from their fastenings and ran
away and there was not only intense
excitement, but the greatest confusion.
There are wild reports about the ex.
tent OF the loss OF life. Six bodies
were recovered up to $50 p. IN, and 1t
is known that there are many more.
The excitement was the more intense
because II could not he definitely
learned for some time what caused the
explosion. 1t was finally ascertained
that the saloons In the building had
put In their own electric plants TOR in
candescent lights and had just secured
gasoline engine with which to run
the dynamo. The plant got out Of fix
and there was fash which communi.
Gated to the dynamo and caused the
explosion. The sudden collapse Of the
large building smothered everything in
the cellar SO that there was no fire.
The fremen were soon assisted by
some expert engineers who made open
inus through the basement walls OF
adjacent buildings and were recover.
ing some OF the victims in that man.
ner.
As the night passed, the scenes about
the wrecked building became more
distressing than ever Women whose
husbands and sons had not reached
home came down to the Fountain
square aud filed up the space about
the government building where they
were weeping and cryinr about their
friends being In the wreckage. There
were quite IA number OF men among
these weeping ones AT 1890 the three
year-od 10Y Of Adolph Drachs was
taken from the ruins so badly hurt
that he Is not likely to live. The
fumily Of Adolph Drachs suffered most
severely. Drachs and his wife are
numbered among the dead, his.tve.
year-old daughter is dead and his three
year-old boy is believed to be dying.
holland Davit, travelling man for the
Columbus Carriage Co., Of Hamilton,
O.. and two others. unidentified, COM
plete the list Of those known to be
dead. There were about IS Others who
were more or less injured.
A most touching scene occurred when
Fireman John Mccarthy found his
brother pinioned under heavy beam
and begging the men above TO kill him.
Mccarthy said there were three other
men near him and they were alive.
The most heroic efforts to liberate
these sufferers were continued up to
midnight. 1t was thought early in the
evening that Mrs Drachs, as we'll as
her husband, was killed. The body OF
Mr.. Drachs was recovered and taken to
the morgue As Mrs Drachs was
known to be in her fiat at the time OF
the explosion she was counted among
the dead, but her body was reached
shortly before midnight and she was
found to be still alive She was suffer-
ing intense pain and all the efforts OF
the workmen failed to rescue her.
Jack Mccarthy, Peter Burns and
Charles Tiley were taken out OF the
ruins about midnight, but 1t is feared
that none of them will live. Workmen
reported at l2:45 that one of Mrs. Drachs
children was certainly still alive, as
they could plainly hear it calling
mamma" They said that the serv-
ant girl Of Mrs. Drachs, name un-
known, was dead and lying by Mrs.
Drachs' side.