Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-09-28
ICHTMENCREMATED!
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Spontaneous Combustion I'm a
Grain Elevator in Toledo.
LIFE AND PROPERTY DESTROYED.
Eight Men Perish i'm the Flames and
Eight More are Fatally Burned
Property Loss Il Over
s5OO,OOO.OO.

Toledo, o.. September 21.-Eieh,
men crenate ted and eight more fatally
burned is the result of the most disas-
trous fire that ever occurred in To-
ledo. The spontaneous combustion oi
dust in the grain elevator owned by
Paddock. Hoge & Co., at 9 O'Clock
last night caused this terrible de
struction of life and none of those
who were taken out after the srs
started were far enough from dea this
door to tehl any of the details
The dead are: Samuel Alexander
Bert Wainwright, Fred Garret, Har-
old Parks, John Smith, Grace Parks
Frank Van Housen, John Carr.
The injured are: Dave D. Kenp
Barney Welch, Cha rles Keifer, Fred
Bardigfllis. Elliott, Charles Book
seeker, Everett Smith, Hamilton
Parks, Willia,m J. Parks, w. C. Jor-
dan, Peter Haas and Al Baldie. Four
others names unknown.
William j. Parks, the suDerinten-
dent, AFTER being blown Through the
window of the lower story, was con-
schous for a moment and said that
about $3.50 o'clock a terrible explosion
occurred on the south side of the ele-
vator. and that he knew There were
about 'twenty men at work on the sew
en- floors of the enormous ibrrilding.
None of of those who are now alive
win survive the burns and bruises
with which they are covered Besides
those regularly employed at the ele-
vator, the three children of Snperin-
tendent Parks were visiting him at
the time. One of these m1y recover
from his burns, but Grace. IA seven
teen-year-old girl. is burned almost
beyond recognition, and Harold, the
third child, has not yet been found,
being either blown to atoms or ere
mated.
At $3.50 last evening the people all
over Toledo were startled by ter
rifle explosion which caused "a panic
all over the neighborhood.
Houses were sha ken as if by an
earthquake, and windows were shat.
tered for blocks around. Those in the
vicinity of r,he Union elevator soon TO-
ticeh flames bursting from all sides
of the building.
1t was but few minutes until the
IRE depa rtment of the city. began the
work of rescue, which was rendered
difficult by the terrific heat of the
nre. The river cut off escape on one
side, and there the flames seemed ,so
be less fierce. The families of a men
who were known to be at work within
rushed to the scene and women call.
Ing for their imprisoned husiba nds
brothers and fathers made a scene in
descrfba!ble.
LIT was learned that The force at
twenty men expected to load $4,000
bushels of grain during the night. Not
one OF the. entire nunsber could be
seen in any part of the building and
1T 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 almlost entirely torn off. He
had been hurled from his place in the
main room through a window and his
agonining cries were most Titiful. An
other empfoye, John Carr. was hurled
from the fifth floor OF ,f;he Cbuiltfirc
and was found ibieeding and burned.
with many bones broken. He Gid not
long survive. Fireman David Kemp
and Charles Keifer, the engineer,
were found tat their places in the en-
gTne rooms. They were wounded by
falling timbers and their faces were
oharred to crisp by the flames.
The little daughter Of William
Parks wtas sitting ait the desk in the
office at the time of the explosion and
she was hurled out of the door. She
walked down the eleva ton on which
the building stands and dropped
down, to be carried away uncon-
sc1ous, suffering from wounds from
which she cannot recover.
John Smith wac fatally burned. He
was literally dismembered 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 ton
OF 1.-THE elevator their chances for es-
cape were but slight.
The heat became so intense tha.
twenty cars, standing on the sidings
near the burning building. were add
I'd to the loss. The fire depa tment
had hard struggle to save other el-
evators and property.
The bridge across the Maumee river
was on fire several times. but outside
the loss of the elevator the lfamag ge is
slight.
Mr. Paddock, a member of the firm
owning the plant. said there was iae-
tween 500, 900 and COG, 900 tons of grain
In storage at the time, the most of II
being winter wheat. The property
and the grain is an entire loss and
will reach $450.000. The insurance is
S135,000 on the building and the grain
Is covered with S25s.000 insurance
At 1920 o'clock the flames were un-
der control.
A late revision of the fire loss shows
that the buildings and. contents are
valued at $550.000. The damage to adj
Joining property is $4,000.
The Kansas City Labor World says
that Webb McNall's work is very
o2ular with the workingmen.
The Republicans say that the Pop
ulists and Democrats have more
votes in the state than they have.
but that the Populists will be un-
able to get the votes out.
The Agricultural college had ten
more enrolled &C the beginning OF the
present year than 1t ever had befor.
and more students arc coming in all
the time: