Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-09-10
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
BROAD RIPPLE. AN INDIANAPOLIS
SUBURB, SUFFERS.
Six Citizens Dead, Thirty More Dam
gerOusly Injured by . Gas
Explosion.

-'''s~f'vAs"s N'VPts O.-blOtAu ANlPRlc, u
suburb OF Indianapolis, 10 miles from
the city proper, was Saturday morning
the scene Of the most terrible disaster
that ever visited the state. Six persons
were burned to death and 80 people are
lying in the homes OF neighbors, burned,
SCARED and ncked with pain. Four
buildings, occupying block Of the town,
are in ruins. Of the six dead, nothing
but charred and blackened bones, with
hanging strips of foulsmelling flesh re-
manned.
At 10 o'clock a foul odor was noticed
in the drug store of j. NJ. Watts, and
lamp in dark room used for amateur
photography went out. 1t was lighted
and as the burning match was thrown
to the floor streaks of flame of blush
tint ran along the joist between the
boards, showing the presence of escaping
natural gas, and then up went the walls.
The next instant the explosion came.
The walls were hurled in every direction
and the top of the building fell with q
crunching, grinding sound, covering ev-
erything. Fire broke out and shrieks
could be heard from those buried be-
meath. Of seven persons in the store
three were burned alive. The rest are
still alive and may recover.
A hundred persons were at work on
the ruins trying to save Gresch's gro
Gerry adjoining, pulling at the ruins to
save those buried beneath. While thus
| ON Ua Uad and 1n minutes of%a, tho fret
explosion, second came from beneath
the grocery. 1t was mighty roar and
hurled the building to atoms. Forty peo-
pie were knocked senseless, were strewn
in all directions with broken bones and
burned bodies. while as many more es-
ceped with small injuries. The shock
made the whole town culver. Beneath
these ruins Pious Gresch. the grocery
man, was caught and crushed to death
His body was recovered before it was
entirely burned. The ruins were added
to those of the building adjoining, de.
molished by the first explosion, and the
whole mass, together with an adjoining
, frame cottage and a livery stable, was
burned to ashes, only the bucket brigade
being OH hand in time to do any good
and probably only prolonged the agony
of the victims who were burned.
, The disaster was caused by natural
gas leaking into the cellars of the build
ing from three-inch main that ran into
the street and from which the houses
I were supplied. The list OF dead and in
}, jured is as follows:
Dead-Jacob Yount, indianapolis
. Jacob Darling, painter, Broad Ripple
+ Pious Gresch, groceryman, Broad Ripple
e Henry Ernst, laborer, Broad Ripple
: John Porter, farmer, near Broad Ripple
J. Albert Hayworth, truckster, Westfield.
i Seriously injured-Edward Watts, bad
c ly burned about the hands. face AM
body: Edward Morris, shoulder dislo
II Gated, compound fracture of the RICH
e arm, seriously burned; Joseph VAN
e baugh, badly cut above the eye, burne
u and cut by glass in a number of places
l. Orville Heady, left knee cap fracture
and leg broken in two places below tn
g knee; Charles Jones, cut in face and a
D. over the body by flying glass; j.
u Watts, extent of injuries unknown
he Thomas Jones. bad cut on temple an
N bruises on body; Samuel Kelso, shot
IS number of times by exploding shotgu
Of shells; Thomas MITCHELL left leg broken
he Jacob Cruz, caught under piece of fiyin
III timber, internally injured; Harvey d.
gan, shoulder pierced by broken fra
OF ment; John Doaks, back injured seriou
OF ly TALL the above named injured are res
III dents of Broad Ripple); Clare Whittake
s. Oakland, Ind, ankle broken; Frank
a. Norville, indianapolis, fingers torn
TX 80.