Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-09-22
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE.
Ten Men Cremated and Eight Fatally
Burned in Most Disastrous
Fire in Toledo, o.
Houses Were Shaken as In an Earthquake
and Windows Were Shattered for
Blocks sAround-The Aggregate
Loss About S4bO,O0O.


mated and eight more fatally burned
is the result of the most disastrous fire
that ever occurred in Toledo The
spon taneous com bu stion of dust in the
grain elevator owned by Paddock
Hodge & Co., at Q o'clock Tuesday
tion 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 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 or
cremated
At $50 Tuesday evening the people
of east Toledo were startl-d d by a ter
rife explosion which caused 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 few minutes
till the fire department ofO 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
dozen men who were known to be at
work within rushed to the scene, and
women calling for their imprisoned
! husbands, brothers and fathers, made
scene indescribable.
1t was learned that the force of 20
men expected to load so, 600 bushels of
graiu during the night Not one Of
the entire number could be seen in
any part of the building and it was
impossible to reach them in any way.
VIM. Parks was found first He was
90 feet from the building, frightfully
burned and his clothing almost en- tirely
torn off. He had been hurled from
his place in the main room through a
window and his agonizing cries were
most pitifuL Another employe, John
Carr. was hurled from the fifth floor
of the building and was found bleed
ing and burned, with many bones bro
ken. He did not long survive. Fireman
David Kemp and Charles Keifer, the
engineer, were found at their places in
the engine room. 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
building stands and dropped down. to
be carried away uncon nscious, suffering
from wounds from which she can not
recover.
The heat became so interse that 90
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.
Mr.. Paddock member of the firm
owning the plant, said that there was
between 500, 900 and 600, 900 bushels O.
grain in storage at the time, the mos
of it being winter wheat The prop
erty and the grain is an entire los
and will reach $3.50, 900. The insur
ance is Sl35, 900 on the building ant
the grain is covered with S25s, 900 in
surance.
Superintendent William Parks an
one of the unknown injured men die
early Wednesday morning Of their in
juries, making the total number o
casualties ten.