The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-13
BLOWN INTO SPLINTERS
A WEST INDIANAPOLIS COTTAGE DE-
MoLIsHED BY NATURAL GAS.
L. G. Hester and Wife Were Away
from HOme-The Shock Felt
Throughout the suburb.

A terrific gas explosion occurred at No.
% Ashland street. West indianapolis. last
night, violently shaking up the entire sub
urb and greatly alarming the residents.
Fortunately no one was hurt, but it was
by the merest accident that the occupants
of the structure which was demolished al
most in the twinkling of an eye, were not
badly injured or killed The home of L. q.
Hester a young married man, was blown
Up by natural gas some time between y
and $50 o'clock. Mr.. and Mrs. Hester Were
not at home and no one was in the house
The residence was a one-story frame cot
tage, owned by Mr.. Holloway, of this
city The Hesters moved into tho house
but few days ago. Yesterday a plumber
was sent to the house TO tap the mains of
the indianapolis Gas Company and make
connections for a heating and cooking
stoves. The plumber did not quite COM
plete his work, but at 6 o'clock had made
a connection with the cooking stove. The
gas was turned on, but there was found to
be a scant supply, and Mrs. Hester was
competed to use coal in getting supper
ABOUT 1880 O clock the gas was turned OF,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Hester started out to
spend the evening with his brother-in-law
VINO lives on North Illinois street. While
they were absent the explosion occurred
When the house collapsed the noise was
terrific and was heard in all parts of the
suburb. An alarm OF fire was sent in from
the box at Birch and Oliver avenues, and
the West indianapolis department respond
ed. They found little fire, but the house
was a complete wreck People from differ
ent parts Of the suburb hurried out of their
houses and great crowd was soon col
lected about the demolished cottage. One
man, who keeps a store nearly a block
away from the Hester home, said that the
tobacco had been Jared from his shelves
by the explosion. r. M. Dolen who lives in
the cottage adjoining the Hesters on
been thrown from his bed by the
explosion. He and his wife retired about
Mr.. DOZEN awakened as he oiled on to the
floor ana felt the house Jared by the tim
bers that were thrown against it from the
Hester cottage. Samuel FL. Denny and wife
live on the north side of the demolished
house. Mr.. and Mrs. Denny were in their
dining room when the explosion occurred
During the day they had purchased a new
sldeboard and We're standing about the
piece, admiring it. They had begun to talk
about where 1t should be placed. Mrs
Denny thought it should occupy a position
IN one corner of the room, and her husband
was OF the opinion it would set better in
another corner. They were interrupted by
the sound of crashing timbers and break
lng glass. A part of the north wall of the
dlning-room window and threw a shower of
glass over his handsome new sideboard
In an instant he realized what had hap
age. A portion of the wrecked house lay
on his front veranda and the roof of Hes
ters front porch lay in the street. He
thinks the explosion was at 900, as his
clock stopped at that time.
THE OCCUPANTS RETURN HOME.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hester arrived while the
crowd was yet gathered about their demol-
ished home. They knew nothing of the ac-
cident until they stepped from the car and
We're attracted by the people in front of
their yard. They were sure they had
turned the gas off before starting from
nome. Mr.. Hester remembered that when
ne left the house he noticed that the pipe
which was to connect with his sitting-room
stove had no cap on it, but he did not no.
tice the odor of gas. The theory was adj
vanced that as the supply of gas was very
| weak 1t would not have been noticed Some
thought that perhaps the gas escaped
through this pipe and became ignited from
the burning Goals that were left in the
cookstove by Mrs. Hester Others were of
| the opinion that there must have been a
/ leak in some other quarter of the prem
| SeS.
| Immediately after the explosion a small
! flame shot up from the debris at a point
Eear where the kitchen stove stood The
| IRE was quickly eXtinguished and the gas
was shut off at the street main. The loss
Was estimated at 81 500 by the city fire de-
partment This included the furniture and
fha