The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-09
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE PERSONS
WERE INJURED.
THE BUILDING A 100000 LOSS
Explosion Caused a Wild Panic Had
Not it Been After Closing Time
Loss Would Have Been
Very Heavy.
Very Heavy.

Chicago. ILL.,, June S.-A match care
lessly dropped by one of the workmen in
the fireworks factory of NJ. Shure, at the
corner of West Van Buren and Halstead
streets, caused a terrific explosion a few
minutes after o'clock tonight
1t was shortly after the closing time
Of the factory and many of the workmen
had gone home, otherwise the loss Of life
must have been very heavy. As it was, a
number Of the employees were badly hurt
and the flying rockets and candles struck
several people who were passing on
street cars and on the sidewalks. Follow
ing is the list of the injured:
Mrs. Maggie Kenny, struck by runaway
horse; bruised and cut.
Miss Minnie Theuey; bruised and cut.
NJ Shure, proprietor fireworks factory;
badly cut by glass.
George Grant cut by glass
Obin Temper, cut on head by falling
beam.
Fred A. Stiles, mOtorman on passing
cable car; severely bruised and cut by
being thrown from his car.
Andrew Lawson, conductor on the
same train; bruised by being thrown
from car.
C. n. Smith, cut by glass while walk
ing on the street.
Phillip Shepard, struck in back by sky
rocket while on the opposite side of
street; unconscious and badly hurt.
]. +. Harris. cut by glass.
Edward Hayes, passenger on cable
car; head cut.
Samuel Brasnik, tailor: jumped from a
balcony; leg broken.
John Bechwaret, back cut
William Blaha, injured by a runaway
horse.
Max Braselnick spine injured by fall.
Patrick Hussey, struck by a falling
beam and several ribs fractured
Unknown boy, run over by Fire Chief
Swenie's buggy.
Oscar Behlke, clerk for Yondorff Bros
struck by falling walls, not serious.
C. NJ. Gordon, hurled through a plate
glass window into a saloon; badly cut
The following were slightly injured by
flying glass, but all are expected to re-
cover: Nellie Burke, Petty Bullet, Frank
p. Fucker, Charles Cardiff
The force of the explosion was so great
that nearly all the windows in the block
were demolished and the Shure building
-four-story-wa demolished Immediate
ly following the explosion the building
was ablaze from cellar to roof and the
fire department had a desperate struggle
before it succeeded in eXtinguishing the
flames. The building was almost entirely
destroyed by the fire, however, and such
portions of the large stock OF fireworks
as had not been scattered throughout the
| neighborhood by the explosion were de-
stroyed, causing a heavy loss to Shure.
The explosion caused a wild panic in
that part of the city for a time. 1t hap
pened when the street was crowded with
people going to their homes and the street
cars, which passed the front of the
building every minute, were packed with
people. The flying missiles from the fac
| tory struck number of people on the
cars, and one man who was gazing into a
store window fully 400 feet distant had
his attention attracted to other matters
| by a rocket which hit him squarely in
| the back. He fell to the sidewalk uncon-
| scious and was carried to the hospital
| before he was able to give his name. The
| majority of those injured have received
| but trifiing hurts and all will be around
| within a day or two. The loss to the
building and contents is estimated at
| 100000.