The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-03
The Fire Works That Blew Up
the ST. Louis Building.
Half a Dozen Other Buildings
Damaged More or Less.
THREE MEN KILLED.
Victims Roast While Firemen
Work to Liberate Them.
Total Property Loss Estimated
at About 100000.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Jan. 3.-Three per-
sons were killed, two fatally injured,
four more are missing, and thirty-one
received injuries more or less serious
as the result of an explosion that oc-
Cured yesterday afternoon at 3O9
Second street. A loss of at least
slOO, 600 resulted to the buildings and
their contents, which were destroyed
by the explosion, or damaged by fire
and water. This is fully covered by
insurance Everybody for blocks
around Second, Third, Locust and
Olive streets was startled shortly be-
fore l o'clock by a series of three ex-
plosions that demolished the building
at 305 Second street, in which 1T oc-
Cured. badly damaged adjoining
structures and shattered thousands of
panes of glass in the vicinity.
The dead are: Joseph Chemelir,
Excelsior iron and wire works.
Frank Nichaus, porter, Levison &
Blythe Manufacturing company
Paul Hauptner, laborer, Excelsior
IRON and wire works.
The missing are: Norman Near
thur, foreman, Excelsior iron and wire
works.
L. Lay, shipping clerk, Excelsior
iron and wire works.
Joseph Cavoreck.
Charlie Axon, teamster, Excelsior
works.
The fatally injured are: Alays
Schneids, aged fifteen; burned inter
nally; will die.
Charles E. Amos, letter carrier; in
ternally injured; will die.
Thirty-one others received less ser
ious injuries, caused mostly by falling
glass and bricks
The building, which is occupied by
the Anchor Peanut Company, and II.
b. Grubb. agent of Ditwiller & Street,
of Greenfield, N. J., was set on fire in
some manner. The flames, which
started on the first floor, communi-
Gated to a quantity of fireworks on
the second floor, owned by Grubb.
These exploded with terrific force,
throwing burning brands, bricks and
debris in every direction. The concus-
sion had rent the partition wall to the
south into the LevisOn & Blythe Much
lage and Ink Manufacturing Company
building, and into the Excelsior Wire
and Iron Manufacturing Company
building, adjoining on the north, and
the flames soon communicated to these
two buildings, in which considerable
number of men and boys were at work.
Emmett Kennedy, a boy, was taken
from a third story front window of
Levison 81 Blythe's establishment
Kennedy said there were two other
men near the middle of the second
floor. The iremen hurried to the
spot and could hear the cries of the
men, who were slowly burning to
death. By this time a stream of
water was turned onto the fire sur
rounding the burning men, who were
screaming plteously for help. As soon
as the flames were subdued dozen
firemen began to tear away the wreck
age around the imprisoned men, with
picks, axes and saws. Albert Stein
meyer was taken out and soon after
the crushed and dead body of Frank
Neihaus was secured.
The most horrifying incident of the
fire was the sufferings of Steinmeyer
while the firemen were removing the
debris which held him penned down
| in the wreck. Both of his legs were
| fastened by mbers and heavy iron
ring encircled his neck, while the fire
was eating into his flesh. He suffered
the most horrible agony the res
cuers pulled away at the splintered
| timbers and twisted iron work. DR..
| A. L. Boyce. who happened to be
passing, was called in, and he crawled
into the wreckage and administered
| hypodermic injection of morphine to
| the sufferer. When he was fairly res
| cued, Steinmeyer was bleeding from
hundred wounds, was burned in many
places and badly crushed.
| Manager Moore of Levison & Blythe
Company stated that Joe Kavarick
was missing, and that his body must
be in the wreck. The firemen again
returned to the wreckage and cleared
away a great portion of it without
/ finding the bodies. Flames soon
broke out afresh and it was decided
to abandon the search until the
wreckage was soaked with water.
The efforts were then transferred to
| the rear of the Excelsior Wire and
Iron works, where fifteen men were at
work. How many escaped could not
be learned, but the following were
reported missing: Albert Mellier,
Paul Happier, L. Lay, Charlie Axon
and Norman Macarthur the foreman.
| The fremen soon cleared away the
debris and with thirty minutes work
two bodies were brought to light.
| They were horribly mangled and
| burned and were hurried to the
morgue, where they were identified as
| Joseph Chemelir and Paul Hauptner
The fremen kept busy at their
work, clearing away the debris and
searching every foot of ground for the
| bodies of the other missing men. They
were unable to find any more, how
ever. The missing, it is thought, may
still be in the ruins, or may have es-
capped and neglected to report their
safety.