The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-09-21
Terrible Results Of a Dust
Explosion.
TEN PERSONS WERE KILLED
Burned Fifteen Others Seriously
Iniured--Several Others We're
Blown Out of Windows by the
Shock of the Explosion.

TOLEDO, O., Sep. 20.-Ten cremated
and fifteen injured is the record of the
most disastroes fire that ever occurred
in Toledo. The spontaneous ombustion
of dust in the grain elevator owned by
Paddock, Hodge & Co., at O'Clock,
caused this terrible destruction of life,
and none of those taken out after the
fire started were far enough from deaths
door to give any information as to the
details.
William ]. Parks, the uperintendent,
after being blown through window OF
the lower story, was conscious for a mo-
ment, and said that about $3.50 terri
BILE explosion occurred on the south side
of the elevator, and that he though
there were about twenty men at work
on the seven floors of the great building
at the time.
Besides those regularly EN- ployed at
the elevator, the three children of Mr..
Parks were visiting him at the time.
One of these may recover from his burns
but Grace, 17-year-old girl, is burned
almost beyond recognition, and Harold.
the third child, has not been found, be-
ing either blown to atoms or cremated
alive.
All over Toledo houses were shaken
by the explosion, as by an earthquake,
and windows were shaken for blocks
around. Very soon afterward flames
burst from all sides of the elevator. 1t
was but few minutes until the fire de-
partment of the city began the work oi
rescue, which was rendered difficult by
the terrific heat of the fire. The river
cut off the escape on one side, and there
the flames seemed to be less fierce. The
families of dozen men who worked
within rushed to the scene, and women
calling for their imprisoned husbands
brothers and and fathers, made a scene
indescribable.
1t was learned that force of twenty
men had been in the building, their pur'
pose having been to load $4,000 bushels
of grain during the night. No one of the
entire number could be seen in any par
of the building, and 1t was impossible t.
reach them in any way.
VIM. Parks was found first. He wa
twenty feet from the building, fright
fully burned and his clothes almost en-
tirely torn off. He had been hurled iron
his place in the main room through
window, and his agonizing cries wer
most pitiful.
The little daughter of Mr.. Parks wa
sitting at the desk in the Office at tn
time of the explosion, and was hurle
out of the door. She walked down tn
elevation on which the building stand
and fell down, to be carried away IN
conscious suffering from injuries fror
which she cannot recover.
John Smith was fatally burned. II
was literally disembowled and was take
to the hospital to die.
The missing men are doubtless a
dead. No trace can be found of then
and as they were employed at the top
the elevator, their chances for escar
were slight.
Mr.. Paddock, a member of the fri
owning the plant, said there was betwee
five ane SIX hundred thousand bushe
OF grain on storage at the time, the mo
of it being winter wheat. The pIopert
and grain is an entire loss and will reaC
$550,000. The domage to adjoining pro-
erty is $1,000. The insurance is $135 ,0(