Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-03

most horrible agony as the rescuerl
pulled away at the splintered timberH
and twisted iron work. DIR A. L.
Boyce, who happened to be passing.
was called in. and he crawled into the
wreckage and administered hyper.
dermic injection OF morphine to the
sufferer. When he was finally rescued,
Steinmeyer was bleeding from hum
dred wounds, was burned In many
places aud was badly crushed.
Manager Moore OF the Levlson &:
Blythe company stated that Joe Kava.
rick was missing and that his body
must he In the wrecked building. The
ilremen again returned to an explora..
ton OF the wreckage and cleared
away great portion of II without find-
ing-t bodies. Flames soon broke out
afresh. and II was decided to abandon
the search until the wreckage was
soaked with water.
The hook and ladder company was
then transferred TO the rear OF Excel
sior Wire and Iron Works, where thir-
teen men were al work How many
escaped could not be learned The
bodies of Albert Meller and Paul
Iauptner were recovered, but the
search failed TO disclose any others
For three hours the city dlspensa-y'
physicians were kept busy, attending
to the injured victims, as they were
brought In by the ambulances.
Among those brought In by the
FIRST ambulance were Rlcharl .. WI.
ham and his nephew, r.. w. Cowl-
ham. employees OF the Frey stationery
company The former was the more
seriously wounded, his face heal unC
hands being chopped almost to bits by
broken glass.
John Corcoran and Ernest Gamer,
two boys employed In the same build
ing, were also badly cut about the face
and hunle An
after being patched up. W. A Brand.
weide, compostor in the same build
ing. was cut badly about the head
and bruised about the body.
C. w. Whitlock, foreman OF gang
OF men In Excelsior Wire and Iron
company building. was on the third
floor when he saw the smoke across
the alley, and realizing the danger he
called TO his men, and they all at
tempted to escape by the rear stair
way. Before they could accomplish
this, the explosion came. Whillock
was buried under the mass OF brick,
and did not regain consciousness until
dragged out by a fireman. He sus-
tained fractured rib. and was sent
to the city hospital. Albert Schnitz, a
fellow emplpye of Whitlock, presented
most sickening sight. Every Inch Of
his body was burned. blackened and
roasted almost to n crisp. His In
JuIles were seen 10 ne lalhi, una ne
was also sent TO the hospital.
Michael Slack, teamster employed
by the Lamort Furniture company,
was across the alley from the burn
ing building at the time OF the explo-
sion. and was knocked senseless. a
heavy timber fell across him. break
ing his right leg and injuring him In
ternally.
Inc building, Nc. 500 North Second
street, and In which the explosion &C.
Cured. Is complete wreck. The
rear half was blown to atoms. and the
whole front OF the four story building
was blown out. The rear of the Excel
slor Wire and Iron works and the
rear OF the Levison & Blythe Manu-
featuring company were both dam
aged. Fire contracted the work OF
destruction by licking up all the light
woodwork.
Across the alley the rear windows
were block out, and bricks mortar
and flying timbers were hurled Into
the building, creating havoc and
wounding many OF the employees.
A loss OF at least 100000 resulted
TO the buildings and contents, which
were destroyed by fire or damaged BY
the explosion or water The loss 10
fully covered by Insurance.