The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-06-19
A Mysterious Fire and Explosion.

The dwelling of Mr.. Harry Schildt,
| the butcher, on East Third street, was
the scene of a singular explosion and
fire on Saturday morning last at 1:30
o'clock. The house was completely
wrecked by the explosion, which very
much resembled the Zellers' explosion
of 1883. The cause of the explosion
remains mystery, but from the fact
that it wrecked the building, which is
a two-story brick, is evidence that it
was of a terrific nature. Mr.. Schildt
says: 81 was arranging to take my wife
and two children to the German Bap-
fist lovefeast at Rocky Ridge. 1t being
long drive, we had decided to make
an early start We arose about o'clock.
brought the horse and wagon to the
front part of the house and placed the
two children in the wagon and went
back to call my wife. In the mean
time she had arranged her toilet and
come down stairs with small lighted
coal oil lamp, which she placed on the
hall stand beside larger one. She at
tempted to extinguish the light by
blowing down the chimney, when a
SuCCO VI udtuC Guc uOuS0 anu
mediately a crash followed. She ran
for the street door, and had some diff
Guilty IN getting it open, but finally got
out safely. Immediately after the ex-
plOsion the fire broke out which burned
furiously and destroyed everything i'll
the shape of furniture and even the
clothing, except what they wore. Mr..
Schildt ran quickly to the front door
but found it was impossible to enter.
He at once sounded an alarm of fire,
which, together with the report of the
explosion, attracted large crowd to
the spot. The explosion frightened the
horse which attempted to get loose and
in the struggle broke the harness and
freed itself from the vehicle, leaving it
standing in the street with the children
safe from harm" The force of the ex-
plosion blew out the side walls of the
second story and bulged the rear and
east walls. Some of the bricks were
thrown distance of forty feet in an
adjoining yard. Houses in the imme-
diate neighbOrhOod were shaken 10 the
foundation, and people living on Sew
enth street heard the report plainly.
Mr.. E. E. Delashmutt, living adjoining,
says he thought the tail-end of the st.
Louis cyclone had struck the town, so
terrific was the report. Other persons
living in the neighborhOod say they
heard three distinct reports following
III quick succession, while others heard
but two. The fire department respOn-
ded promptly, and in a short time had
subdued the flames. The upper floors
were completely wrecked by the ex-
plosiOn, but the lower ones were only
slightly damaged. Even the two lamps
in the hall were found to be intact. A
large portion of the second story front
was blown into the street. The burn
ing out of the partitions let the roof fall
in, and with the debris crushed the
floors, making a total wreck Of the
building. There We're no gas mains
into the house and no way for gas to
escape in the building. The
Were down stairs were found in
complete order and were after the fire
carried into the yard and examined
The fact of finding all the possible eX-
plosives intact completely envelopes the
cause of the explosion in mystery.
Many rumOrs are atloat as to the origin
of the explosion. The State Fire Mar
shall will be asked to make an investi-
cation. Fireman Wallace, who was
among the first to arrive at the scene
fearing some of the family might have
been forgotten, inquired which room
Mr.. Schildt had slept in. Being told
in the rear room, he quickly scaled the
wall on a ladder and was surprised to
find that there was no bed in the room,
the contents consisting only of a cradle
and an old trunk. How all the family
escaped injury is miracle. Mr.. Schildt
purchased the house and lot short
time ago for $3.50. There was an in
surance of $500 on the house and
5000 on the furniture in company
represented by Mr.. F. G. Thomas, of
this city.