The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-05-13
A HOUSE BLOWN UP.
Shocking Catastrophe in the City of Gin
cinnoti

| >~
prove to be the most disastrous calan
ity of the year occurred IN this eli
last night, when a fve-story brio
building, filed with people, complet
ly collapsed and fell, conglomerat
mass of brick and shattered timber
ourylng the unfortunate inmates b.
meath its ruins.
1t is impossible to say how man
persons have been killed, some plat
Ing the number as high as forty, otE
ers as low as fifteen. No accurat
statements can be given on this poir
until the debris shall have been cleare
away, which will certainly take a.
night.
The building was situated on tn
east side of Walnut street, Just sout
of 5th, the lower floor being occupie
by Drach's saloon. The upper apar
ments were rented out to lodgers. Pee
pie for several blocks around wher
the disaster occurred were startled b,
a most terrific explosion about IA;
o'clock. a fire alarm was instautl,
turned in. and in few moments bal
the fire department of the city wa
upon the scene. The work of rescu,
wasimmediately begun, force OF mer
taking the front while second corp
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 piteou:
cries and means of a female were the
only evidence of life beneath the
wreck. These cries came from the Gel
lar. It was utterly impossible thai
any persons on the other floors coulo
have escaped horrible death. Ia
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 Plgh, 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 wien he
WAS startled by the 6ssh OF a burning
electric wire overhead. He sprang
backward, when almost simultaneous
IL 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 10
another car were prostrated from the
shock. A New port, Ky, car, which
was near the scene, met with a remark
able experience. It was suddenly
9rought to standstill by a fearful
IIcaSal2g aa7 EHs,,,t ttaEaaabaa ibaanense mass came a.
which by some strange freak of the ex-
plosion had been blown through the
falling debris and I'D 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
no passengers on board and
the conductor and motorman escaped
with slight injuries
The explosion was caused by the
ignition of a gasoline tank. Adojph
Drach, proprietor of a 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. TIE walls OF
the buildings adjoining on either side
remained in tact. The streets all
around the block are literally covered
with pieces of glass. II 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 phones busy and the hospital
and morgue are besieged win callers.
eager to ascertain the identity of the
dead and dying.
The identified dead and the injured
50 far as known are as follows: Dead,
R. a. Davis. travelling man. Ham;l
ton, Onio, has wife living IN Tr?on,
N. c.; Adolph Drach, proprietor Of sa'
loon. Four bodies not yet identified
The injured are: H E Hunwick,
bookkeeper; Joseph S9riggs, colored
portor; C. S. Wells, clerk; Sidney "
Jodnson, oarkeeper; W. D. Crosby
paper hanseraWm. E Cook, clerk
Avondale; J. L. Ward. race horst
man, Toledo; Barbara Hudafelman
domestic; John Mccarthy, OF Cincin
matt Wharf Company; Pete Burns
Charles Spillo. OF tue injured it !!
believed several will die.
Several more victims are yet beneath
the ruins and every thing possible /
being done to recover the bodies.
R. a. Fricke. of Norwood, was tt
have left for Philadelphia tonight
He is known to have left his vaiise i
Drach's saloon early this morning A:
he has not been seen since the explo
sion his friends fear that his body l.
buried beneath the ruins ID the cellar
a pathetic incident in the work o
recovery occurred when by dlsgsns
through an adjoining a wall the tiremei
came upon Jonn Mccarthy, who wa
lying upon his back helplessly pin
ioned. Mccarthy was released ate
the hardest labor, he himself assisting
his rescuers by giving them direction
how TO proceed
Near where Mccarthy was foun'
we're three other victims, among then
woman and child. who have nc
vet been taken from the ruins.
TIE pitiful means of the mother an
cries OF the little one, begging her uc
| ,ba. 70 onr,a fp HOY S'iHlD lated tn