The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-21
Which Ignited Spontaneously in An
Elevator.
CAUSED A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION,
Two Children Burned to Death, and a
Third Fatally Injured. While
Number of Men Are Miss
ing and Are Supposed TO
Have Perisbed - De-
tails OF Tragedy.

TOLEDO. o., sept. 2o.-Eight men ere
mated and eight more fatally burned, is
the result Of the most disastrous FIRE that
ever occurred 10 Toledo. The spontan-
eous combustion Of dust. in the elevator
owned b. Paddock. Hodge 81 Co., at >
O'Clock. caused this terrible destruction
Of life.
The dead: Samuel Alexander, Bert
wainwright, Fred. Garrett, Harold Parks,
John Smith. Grace Parks, Frank van
Hausen, John Card.
The injured: David Kemp. Barney
Welch. Charles Keller. Fred Parsilhs,
- Elliott, Charles BrOcker, Everett
Smith, Hamilton Parks. william j.
Parks. W. c. Jordan. Peter Haas. Al.
Baldie Four others names unknown.
William J. Parks. the superintendent.
after being blown through the window Of
the lower story, vas conscious for a mo-
ment. and said That about $3.50 O'Clock
Z terrible eXplOsiCl occurred on the south
side OF the elevator and that no knew
there were twentI men at work on the
seven floors OF the enormous building
None of those pho are now alive will
survive the burns and bruises with which
they are covered.
TWO CHILDREN DEAD
Beside those regularly employed at the
elevator, the three children OF Superinten-
dent Parks were visiting him al the time.
one OF them may recover from his burns,
but Grace. q seyentoen-year-old girl, Is
burned almost beyond recognition, ana
Harold. the third child has not been
found. being either blown 70 atoms or Gre
mated.
AT $50 this evening the people Of East
Toledo were startled by a terrihc cNplo-
sion which caused panic all over me
ueighbOrhOOd Houses were shaken as ~
an earthquake and windows were snatter-
ed for blocks around. Those III the Naln-
ltv Of the Union Elevator soon noticed
flames bursting from all sides of the
buildinr. II was .It q few minutes TIL
the fire department Of the city began TIE
work OF rescue which was rendered dill
cult by ne terrific heat Of the fire. The
river cut Off escape on one side and there
the flames seemed 20 be less fierce. The
families Of a dozen men who were known
TO be at work within, rushed 10 the scene
and women calling for their imprisoned
husbands. brothers and fathers. made
scene indescribanle.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
II was learned that the force or
twenty men expected TO load S0O0 BUSH
NlN OF gram NAA 4iAn NAAN Ati-+tNr
of the entire number could be seen In
onv mart of the building and it was i'm
uossible % reach them. William Parks
was found first He was twenty feet
from the building. fIightfully burned and
sfs clothing almost entirely torn OF.
he had been hurled from his place In the
main room through a window and his
aronizine cries were most piutul. An
other euDl0ve. John Carr. was hurled
from the ffth floor Of the building ana
was found bleeding and burned with
NANNY homes broken. He did not long
survive. Fireman David Kemp and
Charles Kcyfer the engineer. We're round
al their places in the engine room. Ihey
were wounded by falling tlmbers and
their faces were charred TO crisp py
the flames.
GIRL FATALLY BURNED.
r-s. iittfe daughter Of William Parks
v.,s eiffire near the desk in the Office
~ The time of the explosion and sho
was hurled from the door. She walk
ga down the elevation on which the
briifin- stands and dropped down. 70 be
carried away unconscious suffering from
wounds from which she cannot recover.
John smith was fatally burned. The
MISSING men are doubtless an dead. No
fraro can Dee found OF any Of them and
as they were employed al the top or The
elevator their chances for escape were
but slight .-.....
TWENTY CARS BURNED.
Tho heat became so intense that twenty
oars ou sidings near the burning building
wore added to the loss. The FIRE depart
ment had % hard struggle 10 save other
elevators aud property.
The bridge across the Maumee river
was ON fire several times. but Outside OF
the loss of the elevator, the damage T.
slight.
Air. Paddock n member OF the firm
owning thl plant said that there was
betveen $4,000 and 10000 bushels Of
grain in storage at tho time. the most OF
it being winter wheat
The property and the grain is an entire
loss ana VIII reach $4,000.
Insurance IS Si85.000 on tho building
and the grain IS covered with S2ls oO in
surance. at 1920 o'clock the flames were
under control.