The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-05-07
A BUILDING WRECKED.
FEARFUL CATASTROPHE ON A
BUSY CINCINNATI STREET.
Some Fastened in the Ruins of the Big
Collapsed Structure-An Explosion
of Gasoline in the Cellar the
Cause-Rescue Work.

CINCINNATI, May 5--The ive.story
building, 430 and 482 Walnut street, be
tween Fourth and Fifth streets, has
been blown to the ground by an explosion
of gasoline. The shock was so terrific
that it was felt all over the ity. and
not one brick upon another is left in the
front and rear walls of the building.
while the adjacent buildings are badly
damaged and the glass in the windows
Of the Gibson House and large Johnson
building across the street were all
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 intense excitement.
but also the greatest confusion.
The explosion took place four doors
from the intersection from Fifth and
Walnut streets, where the postoffice is
located on one side and Fountain
square on the other. No part Of the
city is more crowded and there were
soon many thousands of people about
Fountain square and the space around
the government buildng, while Walnut
street was completely blocked. There
were first reports about fireworks being
stored in the building and also about
dynamite and ammunition, so that
there were several stampedes in the i'm.
mense crowds on the reports about
other explosions likely to follow Sew
eral people were slightly hurt in thess
stampedes.
The ground floor of d32 Walnut street
was occupied by Adolph 9. Drach as a
saloon. He owned that part of the
building and the other part was owned
by M. Goldsmith, and the first floor of
this building, at 43O Walnut street, was
also occupied by n saloon run by Louis
Fey. The upper floors of the five.story
building were occupied as fats
| 1t is not known definitely how many
are killed and injured. At least 6 are
dead and Is hurt
1t is not known how many PEOPLE
were in the flats or how many were in
the saloons, but none escaped, as the
building Immediately collapsed There
was no fire to consume the debris and
make certain the death of all in the
building, but the dust and dirt contin
ued flying for long time so densely
that the work Of rescuing the victims
proceeded with great difficulty although
the police and fire departments rallied
heroically to the work The salOons
were said to be quite full of people
| Adolph Drach and 5. year. old daughter
are dead, his 3-year old boy dying and
his wife, though alive is pinioned in tho
ruins. Noland Davitt. n travelling man
for the Columbia Carriage company of
l n al 4
fed complete the list of those known to
be dead. Davitt was blown under q
street car and killed. The child OF n
barkeeper has also been taken ont dead
Among the injured arc Sid John.
son, barkeeper for Louis Fey, arm
broken; Billy Cook, waterworks en-.
ploye, arm broken; Barbara Huttleson.
leg broken; Joseph Memmel. not seri
ous Harry Harwick. waterworks em.
ploye, cut on the head Fred Healy,
arm and shoulder: Motorman Stoffnl.
Joseph Sprague, porter; Conductor Fol.
lard, - Fisher, - Huron. VIM Lanth
William Lohcide, II + Hunwick. book.
keeper; S. S Wells. clerk w. ID Cros
dey, paperhanger; Willard T. Cook
clerk j d Ward. race horse man of
Toledo
Among the missing who are believed
to be in the rnins are: II A Fricko of
Norwood Joseph Worthner. barkncper
Louis Fey, wife and baby. also two
servant girls i'm the families Of Fey and
Drach.
Jack Mccarthy. Peter Bnrns and
Charles Filly were taken ont alivo hui
will probably die
Herman Nolte. .Jr. was standing by
barbershop pole in adjoining bnilding
when struck by some debris and suffered
q broken leg and other injuries.
Several are still alive in tho ruins
One of the harkeepers. who was not on
duty at the time and escaped. lived in
one of the upper fats.and was wild with
grief because he knew that his wife and
four children were in the rnins One ot
his children was recovered dead soon
after the explosion.
Mr.. John j. James Of tho Salt Lake
City Herald was just leaving the Gibson
House at the time of the explosion, and
with his heavy grip was blown into the
doorway of an adjoining store He was
knocked sensclcss. bnt afterward rccov
cred sufficiently to take the train foi st
Louis on his way west
There were many that suffered slight
injuries who were taken to their homes
and whose names cannot he learned
Some of those who were in the saloons
were thrown ont on the sidewalk and
suffered slight injuries. Among them
Mr.. Healy of tho Aims hotel. He was
in Fey's place and reports about l8 or 20
in that resort when tho building went
down.
Mr.. Drach being among tho victims
II is probable that IT will never be
known how the explosion came about
He had Just been down in the base.
ment experimenting with tho gasoline
mgine and had poured o barrel of
gasoline into the tank, which had
caused the explosion. He had just So
cured new engine from Lafayette
Ind, intending to start it for motive
power in furnishing incandescent light
Thread Companies Consolidate.
| NEWARK, N. j., May 5.-Director w.
Campbell Clark of the Clark Thread
company, has confirmed the report of
the amalgamation of the Clark Thread