The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-05-05
FORTY Killed.
By a Gasoline Explosion in the
Metropolis of Ohio,
COLLAPSE OF A BIG BUILDING

night the five story building at Nos. 430
and 1872 Wal@ut street was blown to the
ground by an explosion of gasoline. The
shock was so terrific that 1t was felt all
over the city, and not one brick on another
is left in the front and rear walls of the
building, while the adjacent buildings are
badly damaged, and the glass in the win
hows in the Gibson House and the large
johnson building across the street, were
hll broken. 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 were seriously
hurt All the horses in the immediate
neighborhood broke from their fastenings
and ran away, and there was not only in
tense excitement, but also the greatest
confusion.
The ground story of No 432 Walnut
street was occupied by A. G. Drach as a
saloon. He owned that part of the build
ing and the other was owned by NJ. Gold
smith, and the first floor of this building
at No 430 Walnut street was also occu-
pied by saloon run by Louis Fey. The
upper floors of the five story building were
occupied as flats. 1t is not yet known how
many people were In the flats or how many
were in the saloons, but none escaped, as
the building Immediately collapsed.
The saloons in the building had put in
their own electric plants for incandescent
lights, and had just secured gasoline en-
glne with which to run the dynamo. The
plant got out of fix, and there was flash
which communicated to the engine and
caused the explosion. The sudden col
lapse of the large building smothered
everything in the cellar, so that there was
] 4 81, ,,A a11 fa1l int
one heap, and not scatter about the street,
SO that there was the greatest difficulty in
recovering dead bodies and rescuing the
injured.
No part of the city is crowded more at
that time of the evening, and there were
soon many thousands of people about
Fountain square and the space around the
government building while Walnut street
was completely blockaded. There were at
first reports about fireworks being stored
in the building and also about dynamite
and ammunition, so that there were sew.
! eral stampedes in the immense crowds on
| the reports about other explosions being
likely to follow. Several people We're
| slightly hurt in these stampedes.
The saloons were said to be quite full of
| people. One of the barkeepers who was
not on duty at the time, and escaped,
| lived in one of the upper flats, and was
! wild with grief because he knew that his
wife and four children were in the ruins.
! One of his children was recovered dead
| soon after the explosion. The family of
| Adolph Drach suffered most severely.
Drach and his wife are numbered among
the dead, his 5-year-old daughter is dead
and his 3-year-old boy, who was taken
from the wreck at 10;3O, is believed to be
dying, holland Davitt, travelling man
for the Columbia Carriage company, of
Hamilton, o., and two others unidentified
complete the list of those known to be
dead.
Part of one of the side walls is still
standing, and ON the fifth floor, plainly in
view by the electric light, hangs picture
that was dear to some family occupying
the fiat, while the occupants are no doubt
in the debris.
A most touching scene occurred when
Fireman John Mccarthy found his brother
pinioned under heavy beam, and beg
ging the men above him to kill him. Nc
Carthy said there were three other men
near him, and they were alive. The most
heroic efforts to liberate these sufferers are
being made.
Herman Nolte, Jr, was standing by a
barber shop pole in an adjoining building
when struck by some debris and suffered a
broken leg and other injuries There were
many that suffered slight injuries who
were taken to their homes and whose
names cannot be learned.
Mr.. John j. James, of the Salt Lake
City Herald, was just leaving the Gibson
House at the time of the explosion, and
with his heavy grip was blown into tine
doorway Of an adjoining store. He was
knocked senseless, but afterward recoverel
sufficiently to take the train for st. Louis
on his way west. holland Davitt, a tray
cling man for the Columbia Carriage COM
pany, was walking along the street at the
time of the explosion and blown under a
street car and killed
Some Of those who were in the saloons
were thrown out on the sidewalk and suf-
fered slight injuries. Among them was
Mr. Healy, of the Aims hotel. He was in
Fey's place, and reports about eighteen or
twenty in that resort when the building
went down. He believes that only three
or four of these escaped, As nearly as can
be estimated at this hour the loss of life
will reach forty
Among the missing who are believed to
be in the ruins are: K. A. Fricke, of Nor
Fey, wife and boy; also two servant girls
In the families Of Fey and Drach.
Among the injured whose names are
known arc the following: George John
son, barkeeper for Louis Fey, arm broken
Billy Cook, water works employe, arm
broken; Barbara Huttleson, leg broken
Harry Harwiok, water works employe cut
on the head Fred Healy, arm and shoul-
der mangled; Motorman Stoffel, Joseph
Sprague, Conductor Folliard, Joseph Mem
met, George Fisher, Frank Huron, Will
/ Iam Lauth, William Lauhide, >. 5. Wells,
| W. ID. Crosby, Willard e. Cook j. ID.
Ward, Jack Mccarthy, Peter Busns and
/ Charles Filley The three latter were
taken from the ruins in dying condition.
Mr., DrAch being among the victims, it
| is probable that it will never be known
! how the explosion came about. He had
been down in the basement experiment
| ing with the gasoline engine, and had
| poured "a barrel of gasoline into the tank
/ He had just secured a new engine from
Lafayette Ind, intending to start it last
night for motive power in furnishing in
] candescent linht