Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-05-09
AN AWFUL ACCIDENT.

~ cn Collapse OF Cincinnati Lodging
nae wtth IT'S Scores Of Living Inmates
Ho Wers Bokne Down to Almost Ger
t* Dent1-Many Dead Bodies Already
<pn Qst and the Worst Not Yet
icnsSATI, May 4.--What may prove
{o the most disastrous calamity of
tll< rear occurred in this city tonight,
WIZ q hve-story brick structure,
hlI|4 with people. collapsed and foil, a
cor Iomerate mass of brick and shat
teE1 tisnbers, burying the unfortu-
na( Inmates beneath its ruins.
IS impossible to say how many
PEI Qps have been killed, some placing
the pumber as high as 40, others as
loi< - is.
1ccurate statement can be given
on th|s point until the debris shall
haxk been cleared away, which will
cA{ iInI take all night.
building was situated on the
ear <side 0f Walnut street just soh th of
Fifth street. the lower floor being oc-
cupied by Drach's saloon. The upper
apartments were rented out tolodgers.
In addition to the victims who were
buried beneath the building, it is esti-
mated that fully 100 people have been
more or less injured by the concus-
sion, falling electric wires and frag-
ments 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-oi- Police Pugh, of Coving-
ton, KY, who reports the most piiracu-
lous escape Of the tragedy He 5tates
that he was just in the act of entering
the saloon, in fact one foot was upon
the door sill when he was startled by
the fash from burning electric wire
overhead. He sprang backwards
when almost simultaneously an cx-
plosion occurred 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 connot
be learned, were injured slightly in a
passing street car, and several ladies
in another car following were pros
''A' 'iio 'i.ooN'
A Newport (Ky.) car, which was
also near the place, met with a re-
la,haoie experience. IL was sud
uenly prongne 10 a standstili py a 1ear-
lui snock' ana an immense mass came
crashing through the roof This
proved, upon examination, to be an
IRON ooor from tne ceiiar Oh tne puiid.
inR, Whicn, oy some strange freak OF
.hc eApiosion' had peen Diown through
.ne - iaiiihg uepfis ana up into tne ar
q man named 1onn Neipei' Oh oinein-
s.,, aa,', nsu Jus. ieie .ne spoc wnere ~
-, anu "aiAcu oacH 70 ene rear Pias-
iotn. NO one was nurc'
A Brown-street car was smashed al
moss into smlthercens by fragments.
ihere We're fortunately no passengers
on BOARD, ana the conductor ana mo-
torman escaped with ghtinJuries.
Inc explosion was caused Dy the ig-
nleion OF . gasoiine tank. Aooipn
- as''t ,PloP,'oior " tiie sa,oon on 'ne
wv " nool' nau oonv,y p,aoou kas-
oiine '''. eng .no ~ nls ooiial lor ono pu'
PEI Pc, - sono'"o'nR mo own saeoiino
Deoy 1"snv' ~ .'es 49, snav wy .
-'..Ase' - .'.o Zig ny na1 .,, Da.,s1 o"'
M, s,es;,' J ~ .o aAA ~, ~ tL..sa
o ~. E.....'
sap nloi ~. 4 80. ,.,i,. say o".sno''es
sIy ona. 'A ous "as ~
.nan - az sU'lV nA
Z - . e 80 ~
The walls Of the two ad ioininc build-
;ngs ON either side stood stark and
nal,ad Irnon ono ~ tha.e about the
third story from the ground. was left
a fragment of plastering, upon which
three pictures remained hanging un-
harmed.
The streets all around the block are
literally covered with pieces of glass,
and the shock was felt for almost
mile around. Nothing like this dis
aster has ever happened in CINCINNATI
and tonight the city is IN an uproar
OF excitement
The alarm turned in was what is
known as an arbitrary call, which
summons instantly the entire fire de-
partment with the exception of the re-
serve corps, and nearly all the patrol
wagons and the hospital corps. Al
most Immediately following the call,
fire engines, patrol and hospital am
balances came from every direction,
and scarcely ten minutes elapsed from
the time of the explosion until the
rescue began.
The dead and injured, so far as
known, are as follows.