The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-06
EXPLOSION KILLS SEVEN
During a Fire in a Chicago Grain
Elevator.
KILLED, MANY HURT


and tho Walls Came Down with
Crnsh-Severn1 Small Fires Resulted
From Falling TImbers.
Chicago, Aug. 6.-Seven, and prob
ably eight, lives were lost in an ex-
plosion which took place last evening
during a fire in the Northwestern grain
elevator, at Cook and West Water
streets. Three Of the dead are fremen
(the body Of another fireman is thought
to be buried in the ruins of the ele-
vator) and three people were blown
into the Chicago river. From the force
with which the explosion swept the
spot on which they were standing it
is certain they must have been in
stantly killed. Either the bursting of
a boiler or the explosion of mill dust
caused the awful havoc.
The three fremen who were killed
by the falling walls of the elevator
were: Jacob ]. Schnur, John ]. Coogan,
Jacob S. Stramer.
The injured are: Charles II. Con-
way, fireman, burned about face and
hands and body crushed, may die
Chief Dennis Swenie, right foot crush
ed left arm wrenched and painfully
burned; Fire Marshal Campion, burned
about face; Lieutenant Smith, both legs
crushed; Lieutenant w. H. Bartlett,
leg crushed; Assistant Engineer Ben
jamin Blanchard, badly bruised. John
f. Smith, injured by debris William
Mcclure, Is years old, both feet crush
ed; Thomas Engle. pipeman, cut about
face and hands and internally injured;
Ignatius Bond, cut by falling glass;
Captain John j. Evans, struck by de-
bris and rendered unconscious, con-
dition serious: william Hanley. pipe
man, cut in head; william Thompson,
hit by falling glass; c. f. Walter,
knocked down by the explosion and in
iured about the spine; John Hentz,
struck by falling beam and skull frac-
tured; James Mcclure, leg fractured.
Besides these dozens of firemen and
passersby were more or less cut and
bruised by glass and flying debris. Jo-
seph Lacey, Frank c. Haley, Captain
Martin Lacey, Lieutenant John j. Mil
Ter, Captain William Rooney, John
Evans, Harry Kugleman, William
Schubert, John Hassey Lieutenant
Smith, Lieutenant Frank Donagan
Captain John Evans, Captain Falvey
and Lieutenant Frank Nigg, all fire
Ileilt were ilOIe OF less DdQly luJuIeQi
The origin of the blaze is believed
to have been in the vicinity Of the boiler
house Accumulated dust, as dry and
inhammable as gunpowder, that had
been piling UP for years formed a
ready means for the fire. 1t spread
with great rapidity. and then came
a terrific explosion, completing the
work of scattering the fire throughout
the entire structure.
Just as the hremen were getting into
position for advantageous work, and
nearly all the members of Engine &
were mounting ladders and bringing
| leads of hose to play on the interior
| from the upper windows, there came
a roar that could be heard for half a
mile, the roof was raised high in the
air and the walls came down with a
! crash
The force of the explosion was SC
great that the eastern wall was hurled
! into the river, the west wall was
tumbled down upon the heads of the
unfortunate men below and the root
was torn into mighty fragments and
distributed for blocks around. Every
window in the vicinity of the elevator
was shattered by the conclusion, doz.
ems of persons were struck by flying
debris and several small fires resulted
from falling timbers that were still IL
flames. At Jefferson street and Car.
roll avenue, many blocks distant. grea
burning masses of wreckage fell upoI
four wagons loaded with hay and Sc
them In flames.
The elevator was of composite con
struction, the lower portion being O
brick and the upper part of frame GOV
cred with corrugated iron. The ex
plosion caused a perfect bombardmen
of flying bricks and sheets of iron a
almost white heat, leaving little of tn,
building save a frame work of wooC
and iron surrounding a great pile o
blazing wheat.
The explosion stunned, for a moment
the police and the fremen, but the!
quickly rallied to help those who haC
been hurt. Dozens of men lay injured
in the withering wheat, some seri
ously harmed and others in the throe
Of death. 1t was dangerous work t,
get them out, but it was gallantly ant
quickly done, and all of the slight!
injured were removed. The dead were
for the time, left where they lay. N
man could reach their bodies and live
The fire was most difficult to control
as the elevator was surrounded by
number of small buildings, which wer
continually catching fire. The tota
loss is estimated at 100000, which /
fully covered by insurance.
81 always recommend DIR. Fowler's Ext G
Wild Strawberry in cases Of summer CON
plants and have never known it to fail. Yo
may use my name" G. A. West, Druggist
Rainsborough, o.