The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
AHOUSE BLOWN UP.
Shocking Catastrophe in the City of Gin
cinnati.

| CINCINNATI, May 5.-What may
prove to be the most disastrous calam
ity of the year occurred in this cit!
last night, when five-story bricl
building, filled with people, complete
ly collapsed and fell, a conglomerate
mass of brick and shattered timbers
burying the unfortunate inmates be
meath its ruins.
It is impossible to say how many
persons have been killed, some plac
ing the number las high as forty, 9th
ers as low as fifteen. No accurate
statements can be given on this poin'
until the debris shall have been cleared
away, which will certainly take all
night.
The building was situated on the
east side of Walnut street, just south
of 5th, the lower floor being occupied
by Drach's saloon. The upper apart
ments were rented out to dodgers. Peo
pie for several blocks around where
the disaster occurred were startled by
most terrific explosion about 7:45
o'clock. A fire alarm was instantly
turned in. and in a few moments bali
the fire department of the city was
upon the scene. The work of rescue
was Immediately begun, force of men
taking the front while second corps
went to the rear of the building, which
opened into an alley. The first per-
sons who appeared upon the scene en-.
tered the alley and came up to the
rear of the building, where the piteous
cries and means of a female were the
only evidence of life beneath the
wreck. These cries came from the Gel
lar. 1t was utterly impossible that
any persons on the other floors could
have escaped a horrible death. In
addition to the victims who are buried
beneath the building it is estimated
that fully one hundred people have
been more or less injured by the con-
cussion, falling electric wires and
fragments of shattered glass, stone
and timbers.
Twenty 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 Joseph Pugh, of Gov
ington, KY, who reports most mirac.
ulous escape. He was just in the act
of entering the saloon, in fact, one
foot was upon the door sill when he
WAS startled by the flash of burning
electric wire overhead. He sprang
backward, when almost simultaneous
ly the explosion occurred and he felt
the ground leave his feet. He was
blown almost into the middle of the
street.
Three persons whose names cannot
be learned were injured slightly in a
passing street car, and several ladies in
another car were prostrated from the
shock. A New port, KY, car, which
was near the scene, met with remark
able experience. It was suddenly
brought to a standstill by a fearful
shock and an immense mass came
crashing through the roof. This
proved upon examination TO be an ircn
door from the cellar of the building.
which by some strange freak of the ex-
plosion had been blown through the
falling debris and up into the air. A
man named John Neibel, of this city,
had just left the spot where it fell and
walked back to the rear platform. No
one was hurt.
A Brown street car was smashed al
most into fragments. There were for
tunately no passengers on board and
the conductor and motorman escaped
with slight injuries.
The explosion was caused by the
ignition of gasoline tank. Adolph
Drach, proprietor of saloon on the
lower floor, had recently placed a
gasoline engine in his cellar for the
purpose of generating his own gaso-
line fuel. Best authorities agree that
the commutator of the engine had
burned out. setting fire to tank of
gasoline. The building was seen to
shake for an instant and then cave in.
An instant later only an indiscriminate
mass of ruins remained. The walls of
the buildings adjoining on either side
remained in tact. The streets all
around the block are literally covered
with pieces of glass. It is almost i'm
possible to push ones way through the
throng of excited thousands gathered
about the place as late as midnight.
Hundreds of anxious inquiries keep
the tele ph ones busy and the hospitals
and morgue are besieged with callers,
eager to ascertain the identity of the
dead and dying.
The identified dead and the injured
so far as known are as follows: Dead,
R. A. Davis. travelling man, Hamil-
ton, Ohio, has wife living in Tryon,
N. @. Adolph Drach, proprietor of sa-
loon. Four bodies not yet identified.
The injured are: H. E. Hunwick,
bookkeeper; Joseph Spriggs, colored
portor; G. S. Wells, clerk; Sidney w.
Johnson, barkeeper; w. D. Crosby,
paper hanger ;IWm. E. Cook, clerk,
Avondale; ]. L. Ward, race horse
man, Toledo; Barbara Huddfelman,
domestic; John Mccarthy, of Cincin-
natl Wharf Company; Pete Burns,
Charles SpiIlo. OF the injured it is
believed several will die.
Several more victims are yet beneath
the ruins and everything possible is
being done to recover the bodies.
R. A. Fricke. of Norwood, was to
have left for Philadelphia tonight.
He is known to have left his valise in
Drach's saloon early this morning. AS
he has not been seen since the explo-
sion his friends fear that his body is
buried beneath the ruins in the cellar.
A pathetic incident in the work Of
recovery occurred when by digging
through an adjoining wall the tiremen
name 11non John McCIarthv who WAS