The Portland daily press., 1898-09-21

EIGHT PERSONS ARE Al
READY DEAD.
Eight Men We're Undoubtedly Fatally
Burned.

The superintendent of the Mill Blown
Through a Window on Lower Floor
One of His Children Burned Almost
Beyond Recognition--She Was Visiting
Building With Him When Explosion
Terrible Disaster.
Toledo, September 20.-Eight persons
were cremated and eight more fatal.
burned tonight in the most disastrous
! fire that ever occurred in Toledo. The
spontaneous combustion of dust in the
grain elevator owned by Paddock, Hodge
& Co., caused this destruction of life, and
none of those who were taken out after
the fire was far enough from deaths door
to tell any of the details The dead are:
Samuel Alexander. Bert Wainwright,
Fred Garrett, Harold Parks, John Smith,
Grace Parks, Frank Van Rousen, John
\ Carr.
The injured: David Kemp, Barney
Welch, Charles Keifer, Fred Pargillis.
- Eliot, Charles Brocker, Everett
Smith, Hamilton Parks, VIM. j. Parks,
W. G. Jordan, Peter Haas, Al Baldie, four
others unknown.
| VIM. j. Parks, the superintendent, was
blown through the window of the lower
story. He said that an explosion oc-
CURED on the south side. of the elevator
and that le knew there were about 20
men at work on the seven floors of the
enormous building. None of the injured
will survive. Besides those regularly
employed at the elevator, three children
of Superintendent Parks were visiting
him at the time. One of these may re-
cover from her burns, hut Grace, II years,
is burned almost beyond recognition, and
Harold, the third child, has not been
found.
At $50 this evening, the people-of East
| Toledo were startled by a terrific explo-
| sion which caused panic all over the
neighborhood. Houses were. shaken as by
an earthquake, and windows were shat
| tered for blocks around. Those in the vi
cinity of the Union elevator soon noticed
flames bursting from the building. 1t
was but few minutes before the fire de-
partment began the work of rescue which
was rendered difficult by the terrific
heat. The river cut off escape on one
side.
The families ofsa dozen men who were
known to be at work, rushed to the
scene. the women loudly calling for their
imprisoned husbands, brothers and faith
ers.
1t was learned that the force of 20 men
expected to load $4,000 bushels of grain
during the night. Not one of them could
be seen IN any part the building and
it was impossible to reach them in any
way. William Parks was found first.
He was 20 feet from the build ing,
frightfully burned and his clothing al
most entirely torn off. He had been
hurled from his place in the main
ing cries were most pjtiful. Another en-
ploye. John Carr, was hurled. from the
fifth floor of the building and was found
bleeding and burned with many bones
broken. He did not live long. Fireman
David Kemp and Charles Keifer, the en-
gineer, were found at their places in the
engine room, There were wounded by
falling timbers and their faces were
charred to crisp.
The little daughter of William Parks
was sitting near the desk in the office at
the time of the explosion and she was
hurled out of the door. She walked down
the elevation on which the building
stands and then fell unconscious. suffer-
ing from wounds from which she cannot
recover. John Smith was fatally burned.
The missing men are doubtless all dead.
No trace of them has been found and as
they were employed at the top of the ele-
yator their chances for escape were hut
slight.
The heat became so intense that 90 cars
on sidings near the burning building
were added to the loss. The fire depart
mont had a hard struggle to save other
elevators and property.
TIE bridge across the Miamee river was
on fire several times but outside of the
loss of the elevator the damage is slight
Mr.. Paddock. member of the firm
owning the plant, said that there was be-
tween 800, 900 to 100000 bushels of grain
in storage at the time. most of it being
inter wheat. The property and the
grain are an entire loss.
The loss will reach $3.50, 900; insurance
on building $685. 600; on grain $a5S, 900.
At midnight the flames were under con-
troll.