The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-09-28
EIGHT PERSONS KILLED.


Eight men cremated and eight more
fatally burned is the result Of the most
disastrous fire that ever occurred In
Toledo, o. The spontaneous combus-
tion OF dust In the Union grain eleva-
tor, owned by Paddock, Hodge & Co.,
tuesday caused this terrible destruc-
tion OF life. None of those who were
taken out after the fire started were
far enough from deaths door to tell
any OF the details.
The list of dead, so far, is as follows:
Grace Parks, aged 10; John Carr,
shoveler; Fred Garrett, shoveler;
Everett Smith, machinist; unknown
Polish shoveler, another shoveler, un-
known. The following are missing and
are believed to have been burned in
side the building: Frank Van Hoesen,
grain inspector; Samuel Alexander,
weigher: Harold Parks, aged 6. son OF
Supt. w. j. Parks; Charles Keefer, en-
gineer; Davenport and Brinkerhoff,
shovelers.
William j. Parks, the superintendent
after being blown through the window
OF the lower story. was conscious for
moment, and said that q terrible ex-
plosion occurred on the south side of
the elevator, and that he knew there
were about 20 men at work on the
seven fioors of the enormous building.
None of those who are now alive will
survive the burns and bruises with
which they are covered. Besides those
regularly employed at the elevator the
three children of Superintendent Parks
were visiting him at the time. One OF
these may recover from his burns, but
Grace, 17-year-old girl, Is burned al
most beyond recognition, and Harold,
the third child. has not been found,
being either blown to atoms or cremat-
ed.
The river cut off escape on one side
and the flames seemed to be less fierce
there. The families of a dozen men
who were known to be at work within
rushed to the scene and women calling
FOR their imprisoned husbands, broth
ers and fathers made a scene indes-
cribable. 1t was learned that the force
OF 20 men expected to load $4,000 BUSH
els of grain during the night.
william Parks was found first. He
was twenty feet from the building.
frightfully burned and his clothing al
most entirely torn off. He had been
hurled from his place in the main
room through window and his ago.
nizing cries were most pitiful
Another employe, John Carr, was
hurled from the fifth floor of the build
ing and was found bleeding and burn
ed with many bones broken. He did
not long survive. Fireman David Kemp
and Charles Keifer the engineer. were
round at their places In the engine
rooms. They were wounded by falling
timbers and their faces were charred
to a crisp by the flames
The little daughter of william Parks
was sitting at 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 build
ing stands and dropped down, to be
carried away unconscious.
The heat became so intense that
twenty cars standing on sidings near
the burning building were added to the
loss.
Mr.. Paddock. member of the firm
owning the plant, said that there was
between 100000 and 100000 bushels of
grain In storage at the time, the most
OF II being winter wheat. The property
ana the grain are an entire loss and
VIII reach $450,000 The insurance is
$135O0O on the building, and the grain
is covered with s2Ss.0OO insurance.