The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-23
Wild Stampede Made by the ConEre-
CATION, in Which Many Were
TrampIed Under Foot.
ONE MAN TERRIBLY BURNED
SEVEN OTHERS MORE OR LESS SERI-
OUSLY HURT IN THE PANIC.
Trouble Caused by Striking a Match
in the Pastors study, Where Gas
Was Escaping.

"A natural gas explosion last nlgnL at Al
len Chapel, colored Methodist Church. on
Broadway, just south of Christian avenue,
wrecked the pastors study and caused the
injury of several persons. One man may
die from the injuries received The injured
are:
BEN MITCHELL. Whitewater, rear No.
Sc College avenue, burned about the head,
face and arms; probably inhaled the
flames; injuries serious and probably fatal.
ROBERT ALEXANDER, curb setter, No.
166 Yandes street, trampled upon, face cut
and teeth knocked out.
LILLE WAKEFIELD. organist Martin
dale avenue, trampled upon, bruised about
the abdomen; probably injured internally;
condition serious.
WILLIAM BROWN, No. 10 Columbia
avenue, trampled upon and injured in right
leg.
Mrs. FLORENCE SMITH, No. 22O7
Broadway, hurt by the stampede.
Mrs FANNIE FISHER, No. 1877 (old)
Broadway, bruised in the stampede.
Mrs. MARGARET BOULDER, rear
North Meridian street. leg sprained and
bruised.
Mrs. MARY STEWART. No. 1924 Yandes
street, trampled upon and injured in stom-
ach; probably internally injured.
All the persons injured are colored There
were several others who were slightly
bruised, but who walked away before their
names could be secured The most serious
ly injured are Ben Mitchell and Lille War
field. DR.. Leathers attended them. He is
uncertain about their condition. The for
mer is badly burned, but it will require time
to determine whether he breathed the
flames to an extent that will cause his
death. He complained of a great pain in
the chest, and this is taken as a bad omen.
Miss Warfield suffered severe pain in the
region of the stomach. She fell in the fore
most of the rush for the door after the ex-
plosion and several people stepped on her
In the scramble for safety. 1t is feared she
has been injured internally. and a closer
examination will be made to-day.
The explosion of itself was insignificant
outside the injury resulting to Ben Mitch
ELL 1t occurred in the study, on the Sec
ond floor of the church, in the rear. There
was a business meeting of the church con-
gregation in the Sunday school room, on
the first floor, and it was necessary that a
paper be secured from the preachers
study. Ben Mitchell, one of the trustees of
the church, went to fetch it. He went up
stairs by the rear stairway, and had scarce
ly reached the head of the stairs when
those gathered below heard the sound of
terrific explosion. About a hundred people
were in the lower room at the time, and
panic ensued They rushed for the main
entrance in the direst confusion. Men and
women fell over each other. Everyone
seemed to have lost his head, and it is sur
prising that more serious injuries did not
result from the stampede.
When the crowd reached the street peo-
pie became cooler and the cause of the ex-
plosion was sought. Ben Mitchell had
struck match on opening the door of the
ofv,fe rk.rIx I'D fhn 1rtO fOI
lowed. When some of the cooler heads
started back into the church they met Nit
chell at the foot of the rear stairway. He
was ready to fall, unconscious, and was
hastily carried to the office of DR.. Leath-
ers and later to his home.
The explosion seems traceable to the
negligence of the agent Of the Consumers
Gas Trust Company The natural gas had
mer until yesterday. A represen-
tative of the gas company went
there yesterday shortly before noon
and turned it on. He failed to make an
inspection of the building and did not notice
that the half-inch pipe in the minister's
study, which had formerly connected with a
stove, had no cap on it. From the time the
gas was turned into the building until Ben
Mitchell opened the door gas was rushing
through this opening at a rapid rate. 1t
filled the room and only needed the match
to complete the work of destruction.
A representative of the Indianapolis Gas
Company was on the ground shortly after
the explosion and turned the Illuminating
gas off. 1t was at first claimed that there
was leak in the artificial gas pipes. but
this was demonstrated an error by the
agent, who showed that the meter was not
working. Then he lighted the gas through
out the church and the cause of the ex-
plosion became apparent.
The room where the explosion occurred
was badly wrecked, but the damage seems
to be confined to this room alone 1t is the
second story of a small addition to the
main church and has a small, fiat roof in
dependent of the great truss roof which
covers the main building The roof was
lifted off and dropped back again. The
plastering was scattered about and the
carpet and furniture were ruined. There
was very little fire, but the flash of the
explosion was enough to ruin the upholstery
of the furniture. A piano standing within
a few inches of the gas pipe was scorched
on one end, but not ruined. A portrait of
General Harrison, which hung over the
piano. was not damaged, though plastering
above it fell to the floor. There was no
injury to the main part Of the church.
A lady passing the church, hearing the
explosion. turned in fire alarm and sew
eral companies responded but their serv-
ices were not needed as the fire went out
with the explosion. People living in the
adjoining houses took the injured in and
cared for them until they could be re-
moved to their homes. Aside from Ben
Mitchell and Lille Warfield the other in
jured persons were able to go to their
homes without assistance
The CrOwding of the Schools.