The record-union., 1896-05-05
Bodies Of Many Human Beings Buried
Beneath the Debris.
Seven People Known to Have Been
Killed, Eleven Others Seriously
and Fully Hundred More or Less
Badly Injured, While it is Thought
Several More Victims Are Still in
the Ruins--Many Miraculous Es-
capes.
capeS.

CINCINNATI, May 4.-By the ex-
plosion of a gasoline tank in the cellar
of the five-story building on the east
side of Walnut street, just south of
Fifth street, at 7:45 o'clock this even
ing, the entire structure collapsed,
burying beneath it's debris the bodies of
many human beings. The dead and
injured so far as known are as fol-
lows:
Dead-R. A. Davis, travelling man.,
Hamilton; A. H Swift of Tryone, N. c.;
Adolph Drach, proprietor of saloon;
four unidentified bodies.
The injured II z. Hunwick, "a,
bookkeeper; Joseph Spriggs, q. col
Ored, porter; G. S. Wells, Al, clerk;
Sydney Johnson, 33. barkeeper; w. D.
Crosby, a, paperhanger; Willard E.
Cook, 25, clerk; J. B. Ward, % race
horse man of Toledo; Babara Hudd-
felman, 43, domestic; John Mccarthy
of Cincinnati Wharf Company; Pete
Burns and Charles Spille.
1t is thought several more victims are
beneath the ruins.
r. A. Frick of Norwood was to have
left for Philadelphia tonight. He is
known to have left his valise in Drach's
saloon early this evening. He has not
been seen since the explosion, and his
friends think his body is in the cellar
beneath the ruins.
The lower floor was occupied by
Adolph Drach, who conducted a saloon.
The upper apartments were rented to
dodgers. Drach had recently placed a
gasoline engine in his cellar for the
purpose Of generating his own gasoline
fuel. Best authorities agree that the
commutator of the engine had burned
out, setting fire to a tank of gasoline.
The explosion came like a thunder
clap. Eye witnesses say that the build
ing was seen to shake for an instant,
and then to slump in, and a second later
only a discriminate mass of ruins re-
NAMED
A fire alarm was instantly turned in,
and in a few moments nalf the IRE de-
partment of the city was upon the
scene, as were several thousand spec
tators. The work of rescue was in
stantly begun, force of men taking the
front, while q second corps went to the
rear of the building, which opened into
an alley.
In addition to the victims who are
buried beneath the building, it is es-
AilildStd thdl Idiiy ItO pCoplC NciC iiiCt Z
or less injured by the concussion, fall
ing electric wires and fragments of
shattered glass, stone and timbers.
Some twenty odd of those injured were
on the streets, and were taken into the
Gibson House, just across the way, and
their wounds dressed
Among these was Chief of Police
Joseph Pugh of Covington, Kentucky,
who reports the most miraculous es-
cape of the tragedy. He states that he
was just in the act of entering the sa-
loon when he was startled by the flash
from a burning electric-light wire over
head. He sprang backward, when al
most simultaneously the explosion oc-
Cured and he felt the ground leave
his feet He was blown almost into
the middle of the street, and this alone
saved his life
Three persons whose names cannot be
learned were injured slightly while in
a passing car, and several ladies in an
other car following were prostrated
from the shock.
A Newport KY, car, which was also
near the place, met with a remarkable
experience. 1t was suddenly brought to
standstill by a fearful shock. and an
immense mass came crashing through
the roof. This proved upon examina-
tion 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 John Neilse Of Cincinnati had
Just left the spot where it fell and
walked back to the rear platform. Nc
one was hurt. A Brown-sreel car was
smashed almost into smithereens by
go re Thpya fortuna fplV
no passengers on board, and the con-
ductor and motorman escaped with
slight injuries.
A pathetic incident in the w ork f re-
covery occurred when by digging
through an adjoining wall he firemen
came upon John Mccarthy who was
lying upon his back helplessly PINNED
down. Mccarthy was released after
the hardest labor. he himself assisting
his rescUers by giving then. directions
from time to time how 10 proceed
Near Mccarthy were found three other
victims, among them a woman and
child, who have not yet been taken
from the ruins. The pitiful moans OF
the woman and 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 Tlernan and
Father Kelly, were conspicuous for
their efforts to console those benea
the ruins, moving about in perilous
places. While leaning forv ard 10 ad-
minister consolation to an unfortunate
1ehc was crying for aid, Father Tiernan
was himself struck by a falling tile and
badly, though not seriously. hurt.
The streets all around the block are
literally covered with pieces OF glass.
Nothing like this catastrophe has
ever happened in Cincinnati, and to-
night the city is in an uproar Of excite
men. IT is al" st impossible 10 push
through the throng of excited thou
sands gathered about the place. Hun
dreds of anxious inquiries keep the teie-
phones busy, and the hospitals and
mcrgue are besieged with callers eager
+, ascertain the identity of the dying
and the dead.
MORE VICTIMS IN THE RUINS
CINCINNATI, May 5.-Up to this