Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-03
TRIPLEEXPLOSION
Skaters and Sets on Fire Three
St. Louis Buildings.
MN MEET DEATH IN AWFUL FORM

Horrible Suferings, Of One of Those Res
cued Alive - Doctor Crawls Into the
Ruins to Relieve the Victim with Morphine
-Thirty-One Persons More Or Less Hurt
-Four Members Of "a Family and Two
Guests Sufocated by Natural Gas.
ST. LOUIS. Jan. 3.-Thrce persons were
killed, two were fatally injured, four moro
are missing and thirty-one received in
juries more or less serious as the result of
an explosion that occurred yesterday after
noon at 3o9 North Second street. Every
body for blocks around Second, Third,
Locust and Olive streets was startled
shortly before l o'clock by a series of three
explosions that demolished the building
at 30s Second, in which it occurred, badly
damaged adjoining structures. and shat
tered thousands of panes OF glass in the
vicinity. The building, which was occu.
pied 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
quantity of fireworks on the second floor
EApiOslOu Tres 1nreo ftuil 01ngS.
These exploded with terrific force,
throwing burning brands, bricks and de.
bris in every direction. The conclusion
rended the partition walls to the south of
the Levisoa d Blythe Mucilage and Ink
Manufacturing company and the Excel
sior Wire and Iron Manufacturing COM
pany adjoining on the north, and the
,if..t tod 70 fxx,r
buildings. in which n considerable num-
Der of men and boys were at work. Three
alarms were sent in. The whole down.
town fire department resp Onded, and the
work Of rescuing the injured was per-
formed in a courageous manner by the pc.
lice and firemcn. For some time six am
balances were kept busy taking out the
dead and wounded and conveying them
to the morgne and city dispensary.
Men Slowly Burning to Death.
Emmett kcnnedy, n boy, was taken
| from a third story front window of
| Levison < Biythe's establishment. Ken.
nedy said there two other We're men near
| the middle of the second floor. The fire
| men hurried to the spot and could hear
| the cries of the men, who We're slowly
burning to death. By this time a stream
| of water was turned on the fire surround
| ing the burning men, who We're screaming
| piteously for help. AS soon as the flames
| were subdued Il dozen frcmen began to
| tear away the wreckage around tho i'm.
| prisoned men with picks, axes and saws.
Albert Steinmeyer was taken out and soon
| after the crushed and dead body of Frank
| NeihauS was recovered.
Most Horrible Incident of the Fire.
The most horrible incident of the fire
| was the suffering, of Steinmeyer while
| the firemen were removing the debris
| which held him pinned down in the wreck
| Both of his legs were fastened by t;mbars
| and u heavy iron ring cuciVclcl his neck
while the fire was eating into his flesh
| He suffered the most horrible agony as
| the rescuers pulled away at the splintcred
| tinbers and twisted iron work. DR.. A. l.
| BOycc was called in and he crayled into
| the wreckagc and administered hypoder
mic injection OF morphine to the sufferer
! When he was finally rescued Steinmeyer
was bleeding from a hundred wounds
| was burned in many placed and badly
crushed.
| Two More Dead Men Found.
Manager Moore, of the Lewiston s. Blythe
company, stated that Joe Maverick wa:
missing and that his body must be in the
wrecked building. At the Excelsior Iron
| works fifteen men Were at work How
many escaped could not be learned. The
firemen soon cleared away the debris and
with thirty minutes work two bodies
were brought to light, lying side by side
| They were horribly mangled and burned
| and Were hurried to the morgue where
they Were identified as Joseph Chemelr aat
| Paul HaUytner.