The San Francisco call., 1897-09-05
SIX KILLED AND
MANY INJURED
Frightful Natural Gas
Explosion at Broad
Ripple.
Block of Buildings in the
Indiana Town Reduced
to Ruins.
Thirty Citizens Burned, Scared
and Racked With Pain From
Broken Bones.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Sept. 4.-Broad
Ripple, suburb of Indianapolis, ten
miles from the city proper, was this morn
ing the scene of the most terrible disaster
that has ever visited this State. Six per-
sons were burned to death and thirty
people are lying in the homes Of neigh
bors, burned. scarred and racked with
pain from broken bones. Four buildings,
occupying a block of the town, are in
ruins.
OF the six dead nothing but charred and
blackened bones, with hanging strips OF
foul-smelling flesh, remain.
AT 10 clock foul odor was noticed in
the drugstore of J. M. Watts, and lamp
in a dark room used for amateur Pho
Biography went out. 1t was lighted and,
as the burning match was thrown TO the
floor, sireaks of flame of a blush tint ran
along the joint between the boards, show
ing the presence of escaping natural gas.
and then up the walls.
The next instant the explosion came.
The walls were hurled in every direction,
and the top of the building fell with a
crunching, grinding sound, covering
could be heard from those buried beneath
OF the seven persons i'll the store three
were burned alive. The rest are still alive
and may rec over.
A hundred persons were al work on the
ruins trying to save Greschek's grocery
adjoining. and pulling at the ruins to save
those buried beneath. While thus en-
gagged. and twenty minutes after the first
explosion, second came from beneath
the grocery. II was a mighty roar, and
hurled the building to atoms.
Forty people were knocked senseless.
sire Sn in all directions with broken bones
and burned bodies, while as many more
escaped with smaller bruises. The shock
made the whole town quiver. Beneath
these ruins Plus Greschek, the grocery
man, was caught and crushed to death.
His body was recovered before it was en-
tlrely burned. The ruins were added to
those of the building adjoining demoi-
ished by the first explosion. and the whole
mass, together with an adjoining frame
cottage and livery stable, was burned to
ashes. Only The bucket brigade was on
hand In time 10 do any good, and it prob
ably only prolonged the agony of the VIC
tins who were burned.
The disaster was caused by natural gas
leaking IN to the cellars of buildings from
a three-inch main that ran into the street
and from which the houses were supplied.
The list OF dead Is as follows:
Charles Yount, Indianapolis.
Jacob Darling, painter, Broad Ripple.
Plus Grsschek, groceryman, Broad Ripple.
Henry Ernst, laborer, Broad Ripple.
John Porter. farmer, near Broad Ripple.
Albert Hayworth, hucksier, Westheld.
The seriously injured are:
Edgar Watts, badly burned about the hands,
E1ward Morris, shoulder dislocated. COM
pound fracture of the right arm; seriously
burned.
Joseph VAN baugh, badly cut above the eye,
burned aud cut by glass in number OF
places.
Orville Heady, left kneecap fractured and
leg broken in two places below knee; serious,
but will recover.
Charles Jones, cut in face and all over the
body by flying glass; will recover.
J. B. Waits, extent OF injuries unknown.
Thomas Jones, bad cut on temple and
bruises on b dy.
samuel Kelso, shot a number of times by
exploding shotgun shells; condition serious.
Thomas E. Milcnell. left leg broken.
Jacob Cruz, 81 years old, caught under piece
of flying timber; supposed internally in
jured
Harvey Dugan. shoulder pierced by broken
fragm. nj of wood face cut; serious.
John Doaks, back injured; seriously.
All the aboye-named injured are resi-.
dents of Broad Ripple.
Clare Whitaker, Oakland, Ind, ankle
broken.
Frank D. Norville, Indianapolis, fingers torn
off and arm cut
Andrew P.ummer, cut over the eye, crushed
and injured internally.
Frank Manush, hands and legs burned, body
badly bruised; will probably die.
w. E. Privette, deep cut across the face.
Harry Bolton, Oakland. cut across knee
Frank Featherstone. arm cut
Charles Roberts, cut over the left eye.
James Mitchell, New Augusta, brickmason,
both legs broken.
c. Eckert, leg cut, injured about head and
face.
Richard Lohman, cut in face and arms by
flying glass.
Charles Culberson, cut by flying glass; leg
hurt
William Day, blown across street, hurt in.
ternally.
Amos Day, cut in face by flying glass;
Jesse Day, blown out of the second-story
window, badly shaken up, face scratched and
leg hurt
Tyson Mitchell cut about the he ad