The San Francisco call., 1896-05-05
Several Persons Killed Instantly
and Over One Hundred Re-
ceive Injuries.
SOME MIRACULOUS ESCAPES.
Without a Moments Warning a Big
Structure Is Reduced to
Ruins.

explosion of a gasoline tank in the cellar
of the hve-story brick building on the east
side of Walnut street, Just south of Fifth,
at 7:45 o'clock this evening the entire
structure collapsed, burying beneath its
debris the bodies of many human beings.
The dead and injured so far as known are
as follows:
Dead-R. A. Davis, travelling man, Ham
ilton, Ohio, leaves widow living in Tryon,
n. c.; Adolph Drach proprietor of saloon;
four unidentified bodies.
Injured-H. E. Hunwick, aged "a, book
keeper; Joseph Spriges, 21 years old, col
ored porter G. S. Wells, A years old,
clerk; Sidney w. Johnson, 80 years old,
barkeeper; w. D. Crosby, "a years old,
paper-hanger; Willard E. Cook 81 years
old, clerk, Avondale; ]. B. Ward, % years
old, racehorseman, Toledo. Ohio: Barbara
Huddfeldmann, 43 years old, domestic;
John Mccarthy of Cincinnati Wharf Com
pany, Pete Burns, Charles Spille.
None of the injured are in any imme-
date danger, but it is thought several will
die. 1t is known that several more vic
tins are beneath the ruins. R. A. Frick
of Norwood was to have left for PhiladeI-
phia tonight. He is known to have left
evening. He'has not been seen since the
explosion, and his friends fear that his
body is buried beneath the ruins in the
cellar.
The lower floor of the building was occu-
pied by Adolph Drach, who conducted a
saloon. The upper apartments were rented
out to dodgers. Drach had recently placed
q gasoline engine in his cellar for the pur-
- l.
The best authorities agree that the COM
mhtator of the engine had burned out, set
tiAg fire 10 tank of gasoline.
The explosion came like a thunderclap.
Eye witnesses say that the building was
seen to shake for an instant and then to
slump IL, and almost a second later only
an indiscriminate mass of ruins remained.
A fire alarm was instantly turned in, and
in a few moments half the fire department.
OF the city was upon the scene, as were
several thousand spectators.
The work of rescue was instantly begun,
a force of men taking the front, while
second corps went to the rear OF the build
ing, which opened into an alley In addi-
tion to the victims who are buried be-
meath the building it is estimated that
fully 100 people were more or less injured
2 by the concussion, falling electric wires
and fragments of shattered glass stone
and timbers. Some twenty odd 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
Pugh of Covington, KY, who reports the
most miraculous escape of the tragedy.
He states that he was just in the act of
entering the saloon when he was startled
by the fash from burning electric wire
overhead. He sprang backward when
almost simultaneously the explosion
occurred and he felt the ground leave his
feat. He was blown almost into the mid
die of the street and this alone saved his
life. Three persons, whose names cannot
be learned, we're injured slightly in pass
ing streetcar and several ladies in another
car following were prostrated from the
shock.
A Newport (Ky.) car which was also
near the place met with a remarkable ex-
perience. 1t was suddenly brought to a
standstill by fearful shock and an i'm
mepse mass came crashing through the
roof This proved upon examination to
be an iron door from the cellar of the
building which by some strange freak of
the explosion had been blown through the
falling debris and up into the air.
A man named John Neitzel of Cincin-
natl had just left the spot where IL fell
and walked back to the rear platform. No
one was hurt. A Brown-street car was
smashed almost into splinters. TIL ere
were fortunately no passengers on board
and the conductor and motorman escaped
with slight injuries.
pathetic incident in the work OF re-
covery occurred, when by digging through
an adjoining wall the firemen came upon
John Mccarthy, who was lying upon his
back helplessly pinioned. Mccarthy was
released after the hardest labor, he him
self assisting his rescuers by giving them
directions from time to time how to pro-
ceed.
Near where Mccarthy was found were
three other victims, among them a woman
and child, who have not yet been taken
from the ruins. The pitiful means of the
woman, the cries of the little one begging
her mother to come to her, stimulated the
big-hearted and brave fellows to working
with might and main to save them.
Two priests, Father Tiernan and Father
Kelly. were conspicuous for their efforts at
COiioOAi1S IuOSe DeHedlu> LHe ruins, uoflhS
about in perilous places. While leaning
forward to administer consolation to an
unfortunate who was crying for aid, Father
Tiernan was himself struck by falling
tile and badly though not seriously hurt.
The streets all around the block are liter
ally covered with pieces of glass. Moth
ing ike this catastrophe has ever hap
pened IN Cincinnati, and tonight the city
is in an uproar of excitement. 1t is almost
Impossible to push through the throng of
excited thousands gathered around the
place. Hundreds of anxious inquiries keep
the telephones busy, and the hospitals and
morgue are besieged with callers eager to
ascertain the identity of the DYING and the
dead.
GROANS, AND CRIES BE<sn