The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-21
DEATH BY
CREMATION
FOR EIGHT.
Great Loss Of Life in
a Burning Grain
LlUvulUII
Spontaneous Combustion Of
Dust Causes Destruction
Of the Building,
W0Ikmen Perish MIseTab|y Or Gain
the Open Ar Horribly Burned
Or Crushed BY the FALL
Ing Walls,
Special Correspondence OF The Call.

TOLEDO, O., Sept. 20.-Eight persons
cremated and eight seriously injured is
the result of the most disastrous fire
that ever occurred in Toledo. The dead
are:
SAMUEL ALEXANDER.
BERT WAINWRIGHT.
FRED GARRETT.
HAROLD PARKS.
JOHN SMITH.
GRACE PARKS.
FRANK VAN HOUSEN.
JOHN CARR.
The injured are:
Dave D. Kemp.
Barney WEIGH
Charles Keifer.
Fred Pardigillis.
Charles Brookseeker.
Ed Elliott.
Everett Smith.
Hamilton Parks.
William j. Parks.
w. c.. Jordan.
Peter Haas.
AL Baldie.
Four others, names unknown
The spontaneous combustion of dust
in the grain elevator owned by Pad
dock, Hodge & Co. at o'clock caused
this destruction of life, and none of
those who were taken out after the
fire started were far enough away from
deaths door to tell any of the details
William j. Parks, the superintendent,
after having been blown through the
window Of the lower story, was con-
Sc1ouS for moment and said that at
about $3.50 terrible explosion occurred
on the south side of the elevator. He
knew there were about twenty men at
work on the seven floors of the build
ing.
Besides those regularly employed at
the elevator, the three children of Su-
perintendent Parks were visiting him
at the time. One of these may re-
cover, but Grace, q 17-year-old girl, is
burned almost beyond recognition, and
Harold, the third child, has not been
found, having been either blown to
atoms or cremated.
All over Toledo houses were shaken
by the explosion as by an earthquake
and windows were shattered for blocks
around. Very soon afterward flames
burst from all sides of the elevator
1t was but a few minutes before the
Fire Department began the work of
rescue, which was rendered difficult by
the terrific heat. The river cut off es-
cape on one side and there the flames
of dozen men who were known to
have been at work within rushed to
the scene and women calling for their
imprisoned husbands, brothers and
fathers made scene indescribable.
1t was learned that a force of twenty
men had been In the building, their
purpose having been to load $4,000
bushels of grain during the night No
one Of the entire number could be seen
In any part of the building, and it was
impossible to reach them in any way.
William Parks was found first. He
was twenty feet from the building,
frightfully burned and his clothes al
most entirely torn off. He had been
hurled from his place in the main room
most pitiful. Another employe, John
Carr, was hurled from the fifth floor Of
the building and was found bleeding
and burned, with many bones broken.
He did not long survive. Fireman Da-
vid Kemp and Charles Keifer, the en-
gineer, were found at their places In
the engine room. They were injured by
falling timbers Iand their faces were
charred to a cI1sp by the flames.
The little daughter of William Parks
was sitting at the desk in the office at
the time of the explosion, and was
hurled out Of the door. She walked
down the elevation on which the build
ing stands and fell, to be carried away
unconscious, suffering from injuries
from which she cannot recover.
John Smith was fatally burned. He
was literally disemboweled and was Ia
ken to the hospital to die.
The missing men are doubtless all
dead. No trace can be found of any Of
them and as they were employed at the
top of the elevator their chances for
escape were but slight.
The heat became so intense that
twenty cars standing on the siding near
the building were added to the loss.
The fire department had a hard strug-
gle to save other elevators and prop
erty.
The bridge across the Maumee River
was on fire several times, but outside
of the loss of the elevator the damage
Is slight.
Mr.. Paddock, a member Of the firm
owning the plant, said there was be-
tween 100000 and 100000 bushels Of
grain in storage at the time, most Of
1t being winter wheat. The property
and the grain is an entire loss and will
reach $3.50, 900. The insurance is $135, 900
on the building and the grain is covered
with $3.50 insurance.
At 1920 o'clock the flames were under
control.
A later revision of the fire loss shows
the buildings and contents are valued
at $685. The damage to adjoining
property is $4,000
Superintendent Parks and one of the