Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-03
SLOWLY ROASTED IO D-ATH
Terrible Accident Caused by an Ex-
plosion Of Fire Works.
Two Big Buildings Demolished and
Their Contents Destroyed-Three
Men Dead, Two Fatally Injured,
and Four Missing - Thirty'one
Others Severely Hurt.

st. Louis, Mo-, January 2.-Three
persons were killed, TWO fatally injured,
four more are missing and thirty-one re-
ceiyed injuries, more or less serious as
the result of an explosion that occurred
this afternoon at 300 North Second
street.
A loss OF at least 100000 resulted to
the buildings and their contents which
were destroyed by the explosion or
damaged by fire or water. This is fully
covered by insurance.
THE LEAD.
ALBERT CHEMLIR, 1aborer, Excel
sior Iron and Wire Works
FRANK NIEHAUS, porter for Levi
son and Blythe Company
PAUL HAUPTNER, laborer, Excel
sior Iron and Wire Works.
The MISSING.
NORMAN ARTHUR, foreman Excel
sior Iron and Wire Works.
L. A. LAY, shipping clerk Excelsior
Works.
CHARLES AXIOM, teamster, Excel
siOr Works.
JOSEPH COVERICK.
THE FATALLY INJURED.
ALAYS SCHNEID, aged Is, burned
internally.
CHARLES E. AMOS. letter carrier,
internally injured.
THIRTY-ONE OTHERS
received less serious injuries, caused
mostly by falling glass and bricks.
Everybody for blocks around was
startled by a series of three explosions
that demolished the building at 3O9
! Second street, badly damaged adjOin-
/ ing structures and shattered thou
sands of panes Of glass. The building,
/ which is occupied by the Anchor Pea
! nut Co., was set on fire. The flames
| communicated to fireworks on the sec
/ Ond floor. These exploded with terrific
| force, throwing burning brands, bricks
and debris in every direction. The
| coneussion had rent the partition walls
| into the Levlson & Blythe Musilage
/ & Ink Manufacturing Co.. and the EX-
/ celsiOr Wire and Iron Manufacturing
| Co., and the flames soon communicated
/ to those buildings, in which many men
and boys were at work.
The down town fire department
turned out and the work of rescuing
the injured was begun. Six ambu-
lances were kept busy taking out dead
/ and wounded and conveying them to
/ the mOrgue and city dispensary.
Emmel Kennedy, a boy, was taken
| from the third story of LevisOn &
Blythe's establishment. Kennedy said
/ there were two other men near the
middle of the second floor. The fire
men hurried TO the spot and could hear
the cries of the men who were
SLOWLY BURNING TO DEATH.
By this time a stream of water was
turned on the fire surrounding the
burning men. who were screaming pit
eously for help. AS soon as the flames
were suddued a dozen firemen began to
tear away the wreckage around the i'm
prisoned men. Albert Steinmeyer was
taken out and soon after the crushed
and dead body of Frank Neihouse was
secured.
Tne most hOrrify.ng incident of the
fire was the sufferings of Steinmeyer
while the firemen were removing the
debris which held him pinned down IN
The wreck. Both of his legs were fas-
tened by TENDERS and a heavy iron ring
enc.rcled his neck while the fire was
eating into his flesh. He suffered the
most horrible agony as the rescuers
pulled away at the Splntered umbers
and twisted iron work. DR.. A. l..
Bovce. who happened to be passing, was
called N and he crawled in the wreck
aga and administered a hypodermic in
lection of morphine to the sufferer.
When ne was finally rescued, Stein
never was bleeding from a hundred
wounds. was burned n many places and
badly crushed. Manager Moore, Of the
T.evison and Blythe Company, stated
that Joe Kaverick was missing and that
his body must be in the wrecked build
ing.
In the rear of the Excelsior Iron
Works fifteen men were at work. The
fremen soon cleared away the debris
and within thirty minutes work two
bodies were
BROUGHT TO LIGHT,
living side by side. They were horribly
mangled and burned and were hurried
to the morgue, where they were ident-
fed rs Albert Mellier and Paul HaupJ-
ner.
Albert Schn,etz presented most
sicken.ng sight Every inch Of his
body was burned. blackened and roast
ed almost to a crisp. His injuries were
seen to be fatal and ne was also sent TO
the hospital.
The building in which the explosion
occurred is a 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
sior Iron & Wire Works and the rear OF
-6e Levison e Blythe Manufacturing
Company were entirely demolished.
F.re completed the work Of destruction
by Eck,ng up al the light woodwork.
The heaviest losers were the Anchor
Peanut Co. in whose building the fire
works were stored. Their loss is
placed at $4,000; fully covered by in
surance. The building which IS total
loss. was vaned at $4,000; insured.
The Levison & Blythe Manufacturing
Co. manufacturers Of inks, mucilage,
etc. VIII lose $4,000; $500 insurance.
Th.s building was valued at $4,000.
It was a total loss and was insured.
The Excelsior Iron & Wire Works
lose $4,000: insured for $4,000. Build
ing damaged $4,000: in sured.
S. Louis, January 8, 245 a. ma