The age-herald., 1898-09-21
FIGHT PEOPLE
 WERE ECRENATE And Eight More Were Fatally
 Burned at Toledo, Ohio. GRAIN ELEVATOR DESTROYED Spontaneous Combustion was the
 Cause of the Holocaust SOME WERE BLOWN TO ATOMS Terrific Explosion Caused a Panic
 Throughout East Toledo.
Terrific Explosion Caused a Panic
 Throughout East Toledo.
THE LOSS WILL REACH $45o,ooo
Heart Bending Scenes Enacted as the BigBuilding gBurned-Force ofMen Were Loading Grain When
 Explosion Occurred.

Toledo, O., September 2O.-Eight people cremated and eight more fatally burned IS the result of the most disastrous fire that ever occurred in Toiedo. The spontaneous combustion of dust in the grain elevator owned by Paddock, Hoge x Co.,, at J o'clock caused the terrible destruction or 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 superintendent, a1ter being blown through the window of the lower story, was conscious for a moment and said that about 8:30 terrible explos- ion occurred on the south side of the ele- vator, and that he knew there were about twenty men at work on the seven floors of the enormous building. Besides those regularly employed at the elevator, the three children of Superintendent Parks were visiting him at the time. One or these may recover from his burns, but Grace, a 17-year-old girl, is burned almost beyond recognition, and Haroldl the third child. has not been found. being either blown to atoms or cremated.
 u of the Dead
 The dead:
 SAM ALEXANDER.
 BERT WAINWRIGHT.
 BERT GARRETT.
 HAROLD PARKS.
 JOHN SMITH.
 GRACE PARKS.
 FRANK VAN HOUSEN.
 JOHN CARR.
 The injured:
 David Kemp, Barney Welsj, James Keller, Fred Hargolds, = Elliott, Charles Brookseeker, Everett Smith, Hamilton Parks, William J. Parks, William C. Jor- dan Peter Haas, Al Bardee.
 Four others, names unknown.
 Terrific Explosion
 At S:3O this evening the people of East Toledo were startled by terrific exoio- sion, which caused panic in all the nelSh- borhood. Houses were shaken as if by 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. It was but few minutes till the fire depart ment of the city began the work of rescue, which was rendered difficult by the terrific heat. The river cut off escape on one side. The families of a dozen men who were Anown to be at work within rushed to the scene, and women calling for their im- prisoned husbands, brothers and fathers, made a scene indescribable. It was learned that the force of twenty men expected to load 80,000 bushels of grain during the night Not one of the entire number could be seen in any part of the building and it was im- possible to reach them in any way. Will liam Parks was found first. He was 20 feet from the building, frightfully burned and his clothing almost entirely tsxn off. He had been hurled from his place in the main room through a window and his agon- izing cries were most pitiful. Another em- poye, John Carr, was hurled to the fifth floor of the building and was found bleed- ing and burned. He did notlong survive. Firman David Komp and Charles Keller, the engineer, were found at their places in the engine room. They were wounded by falling timbers, and their faces 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 ex- plosion 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 unconscious, suffering from wounds from which she cannot recover
 The Missing Men
 John Smith was fatally burned. He was literally disembowed, 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 escape were but slight.
 The heat became so intense that twenty cars standing on the sidings near the burn ing building were added to the loss. The fire department had hard struggle to asve other elevators and property.
 The bridge across the Maumee river was on fire several times, but outside the loss of the elvator the damage is slight.
 MT. Paddock, a member of the firm own ing the plant said there was between 500, 900 and GO0,0O0 bushels grain in storage at the time. The property and the grain is an entire loss and will reach $450,0O0. The in- surance is $135, 900 on the building, and the grain is coverd with $25S,000.
 Toledo, September 21.-(2:20 a. m.)-Su- perintendent Parks and one of the un- known Injured men died early this morn ing of their injuries, making the number If fatalities ten.