The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-09-23
ELEVATOR FIRE.
Ten Men Cremated and Eight Fatally
Burned in Toledo, o.
Houses Were shaken as in an Earthquake
and Windows Were Shattered for
Blocks Around-The Aggregate
Loss About S45O,OOO.

TOLEDO, O., Sept. 2L-Te1 men ere.
mated and eight more fatally burned
is the result of the most disastrous fire
that ever occurred in Toledo. The
spontaneous com bustion of dust in the
grain elevator owned by Paddock,
Hodge & Co., at 9 o'clock Tuesday
evening caused this terrible destruc'
ton of life and none of those who were
taken out after the fire started were
far enough from deaths door to tell
any of the details.
William j. Parks, the superintend.
ent, after being blown through the
window of the lower story was con-
sciouS for a moment and said that
about $50 a terrible explosion oc.
Cured on the south side of the eleva.
tor, and that he knew there were about
twenty men at work on the seven
floors of the enormous building. None
of those who are alive will survive the
burns and bruises with which they
are covered. Besides those regularly
employed at the elevator the three
children of Superin tendent Parks
were visiting him at the time. One OF
these may recover from his burns, but
Grace, the 17-year-old girl, is burned
almost beyond recognition, and Har
old, the third child, has not been
found, being either blown to atoms OF
cremated.
At $50 Tuesday evening the people
of east Toledo were startled by a ter.
rife explosion which caused a panic
all over the neighborhood. Houses
were shaken as in an earthquake and
windows were shattered for blocks
around. Those in the vicinity of the
Union elevator soon noticed flames
bursting from all sides of the building.
1t was but a few minutes
till the fire department Off the
city began the work of rescue, which
was rendered difficult by the terrific
heat of the fire. The river cut off es
cape on one side, and there the flames
were less fierce. The families of a
dozen men who were known to be al
work within rushed to the scene, and
women calling for their imprisoned
husbands, brothers and fathers, made
a scene indescribable.
1t was learned that the force of &C
men expected to load so, 600 bushels OF
grain during the night. Not one OF
the entire number could be seen in
any part of the building and it was
impOssi BILE to reach them in any way
VIM. Parks was found first. He was
20 feet from the building, frightfully
burned and his clothing almost entirely
torn off. He had been hurled from
his place in the main room through a
window and his agoniztng cries were
most pitiful. Another employee, John
Carr. was hurled from the fifth floor
of the building and was found bleed
ing and burned, with maay bones bro
ken. He did not long survive. Fireman
David Kemp and Charles Keller, the
engineer, were found at their places in
the engine room. They were wounded
by falling timbers, and their face.
were charred to 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
building stands and dropped down, tc
be carried away unconscious, suffering
from wounds from which she can not
recover
John Smith was fatally burned. He
was literally disem bowled and was
taken 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 es.
cape were but slight.
The heat became so intense that %
cars standing on sidings near the burn
ing 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
the loss of the elevator the damage is
slight.
Mr.. Paddock, a member of the firm
owning the plant, said that there was
between 500, 900 and coo, 600 bushels of
grain in storage at the time, the most
Of 1t being winter wheat The prop.
erty and the grain is an entire loss
and will reach $3.50, 900. The insur
ance is $135,OOO on the building and
the grain is covered with S25S. 600 in.
surance.
At12:3O o'clock the flames were fully
under control
Superintendent William Parks and
one OF the unknown injured men died
early Wednesday morning of their in.
3uries, making the t0tal number of |
casualties ten.