The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-22
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
Caused by Experimenting With the New
illuminating Gas KnoWn as ACctyIlne.
CRLy ONE MAN WAS FATALLY INJURED
The Walls of She Nuiiding Complete.
ofa Large Number of Employees
in Wrecked Buildimg-I Itnu:cs Eu-
rcloped the Ruins After Explosion

New Haven. Conn. Jan. 2l.-The five
story Building on Crown street oppo-
site Orange street was gut:Sd by iIra
just before nCln to-day. The fire had
It's origin In the quarters on the second
floor occupied by Frank PhleGar,
manufacturing machin!St. and this gen
tlcman acknowledged this afternoon
that he was experimenting with the
rev illuminant. Acotylinc. at the time.
Tie force OF the explosion was smc-
tili!is terrific, and persons on the side
walk felt its force.
l>hc first intimution that there was
fire i'll the building was the appearance
of Immense sheets OF tiams bursting
through the windows ana straight
there had been an explosi,ci, wh:ch
shook the centre c: the city and was
felt 10 4 lesser degree for Il distance
of two or three miie:. An alarm was
Immediately runS. but before the de-
rartmSnt arrived at the Suaac. the
flames fed by oils and other combusti-
h!c material had penetrated TO every
lo::l II OF the building and shooting
through all the windows IN Immense
volume ascended high above the struc-
turc.
In the Phlegar machine shop now
gas machines were being put in order.
While Joseph llauser Il tool maker. was
nj work on one IL exploded with Il ter
rifle report. The VIII lc front %. the
building seemed TO bulge on: and frar-
men,s OF heavy plate glass windows
were hurled across the street. Ilauscr
WAS killed by the explosion. His right
LEI" wa: torn off at The ankle ANA the
left leg twisted under him: Charles
t,oX. the cnEinceT. al:h lsn cut a.d
bleeding himself. cnrl led the dead man
ont Of the building, which was then ra-
ridly being envcluped in flames Hau-
Ecr was iirtN years of age and had a
wife and Two children
u! f"W moments an immense crowd
hai surrounded the building and the
iumnr spread that thirty or more per-
sons in the big building had been killed.
Ii WAS some time before the police ana
iirrmen could allay the prevailing ox-
c!tc:n%ni. caused by this rumor. and
as. urc the people that but one unir-
tunaie had lost his life in the disas-
ter.
There were employed in the building
in all fifty men and all of these inrluri-
Ing tie haplcss liauEcr have been ac-
counted Tor. The perintendcnt of the
building, "a MIR. DcnSlGW who person
ally knows every one in any way con-
ncrtrd with 1t, is authority for this
statement The first great explosion
was followed by minor ones bu, the de-
rlitmcnt had then got we'll to work
and all danger passed The loss is
100000
The insurance and losses are: Eng
lish y Mersick, carriage hardware. first
floor. loss. $4,000; Insurance, SIS. 900;
FRANK T. fhlesar j-hbing machinist
$s5,00c: Edwin T. roof, sewing ma
chine attachments. third floor loss $40
coo. insurance $3.0uO. The buiidin. wn,
valued ~ $1,000 ana is insured for
ma; sum. 1t is altogether within The
bounds OF possibility that all tf the
Insurance policies may be subject "a
contest and indeed may he invaiitatcd
II seems that the insurance companies
regard Ace'ylene gas and the materials
Which enter into its manufacture in the
sam" ii%ht as they do gasoline and do
hot permit the gas TO he made or used
in any insured building without spn
cial permit The Insurance agents VINO
placed the policies on the burned build
ing said Tonight that no such permits
had hecn issued by them
Later examination OF the ruins show
ed thni j. T. TGoi. aged 10, and Harrona
stevens aged u. Were burned to death
II is said that roof and Stevens hoth
employed hy T. j. Toof remained be-
mind - lock safe ard secure some.
valuable rancis. Soon after The tire
broke on; Stevens was seen at thu. win
dow aud was tUld To wait n moment
ana a ladder would be sent up. III. an,
swcred that he would get some mon
things from his desk, ana. throwing.
out some books. Went aw.iy from ihn
window He WAS not Secn again. unlv
Toof ne: his fate is not known. bur
he was found very near MIR. Strv. ,,s.'
body. II was not un1il 2:3O. tll:rc hours
aftcI the fire was under control. that
the bodies OF Toof and Stevens wer..
found by he !iremen. Both bodies were
burned hcNond recognition ANA were
identified only by means Of peculiari;ics,
If The clothing or by papers in tho
pockets.
Hauser and Toof were married and
leave families.
Frank r. Phlcgar. sr., was experi-
lnenting with acetylene gas Around
him were a corps of assistants, and il
is said that Air. phlcgar WAS worllina,
urun some sort Cf regulator TO con
tiol the delivery Of the gas from 81 q
cylinders In which IL is kept under. high
prcssu"p, sometimes as high as 200
Hounds 10 the square inch. Definite
lncwrigc as To the conditions Of tho
e%ue.i iment cannot be had since tho
phlcgars positively refuse to talk TO-
night beyond acknowledging the cy-
perrin NJ. II is known tha: wh~r mo
explosion occurred the Phlcgars. father
and son. and FIVE men were working
about Il cylinder of the gas