The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-21
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
Caused by Spontaneous Combustion
in O Toledo Elevator.
EIGHT DEAD, SIXTEEN INJURED.

Houses As in an Farthquake, and
Windows w ere Shattered For Blocks
Around-Many ofthe Injured VIII Die
Toledo, O., Sept 2l.-Eight men were
cremated. eight fatally burned and
eight more seriously burned last
night 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 terrible de-
struction 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.
The dead are: Samuel Alexander.
Bert Wainwright, Fred Garrett, Harold
Parks, John Smith. Grace Parks, Frank
Van Houstn and John Carr.
The injured: David Kemp, Barney
Welch, Charles Keifer. Fred Pargillis,
George Eliot Charles Brocker. Everett
Smith, Hamilton Parks, william j.
Parks, W. c. Jordan, Peter Haas, AL
Baldie and four others. names un-
known.
William J. Parks. the superintendent
WdS blD"b tIilouSh thN N'hh'N u s'N
lower story He said that about $3.50
a terrible explosion occurred on the
south side of the elevator. and that he
knew there were about 90 men at work
or the seven floors of the enormous
building None of the injured will sur
Vve their burns and bruises. Besides
those, regularly employed ct the ele-
vator the three children Of Sunerin-
tendent Parks were visiting him at the
time One of these may recover from
his burns, but Grace. l7-year-old girl.
Is burned almost beyond recognition.
and Harold, the third child, has not
been found.
At $50 o'clock the people of East
Toledo We're startled by terrific eX-
plOsion, which caused n 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 the
building 1t was but a fcw minutes
till the fire department Of the city be-
gan the work of rescue, which was
rendered difficult by the terrific heat.
The river cut off escape on one side,
ana lntIt lHt llGilltS sttlliSi W ~, i''''
fierce. The families of IL dozen men
who were known to be at work within
rushed to the scene, and women call
Ing for their imprisoned husbands,
brothers and fathers made scene in
describable.
II was learned that force of 20 men
expected to load 10000 bushels OF grain
during the night. Not one of the en-
tire number could be seen in any
part of the building, and it was impos-
Bibe to reach them in any way. Will
lam Perkins was found 20 feet from the
building frightfully burned and his
clothing almost entirely torn off. lie
had been hurled from his place in the
main room through a window. and his
agOni2ing cries were most pitiful. An
other 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 The bodies of Fireman David
kemp and Charles krifer, the engi-
ncer, were found at their places In the
-engine rooms. They We're wounded by
falling timbers and their faces were
cl,arred to a crisp.
| The little daughter of william Parks
was sitting near the desk in the Of
fire at the time of the explosion, and
she was hurled cut of the door. She
walked down the elevation on which
Che building stands and then fell un-
conscious. suffering from wounds from
which she cannot recover.
John Smith was fatally burned. 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 great that 20
cars on siding near the burning build
Ing were added to the loss. The fire
department had hard struggle to save
other elevators and property. The
bridge across the Maumee river was
on fire several times. but outside of the
loss of the elevator the damage is
slight.
A Mr.. Paddock. member Of the firm
owing the plant, said that there was
between 100000 and 100000 bushels of
grain in storage at the time, most of 1t
being winter wheat. The property and
grain Is an entire loss, and will reach
k4bO 900