Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-02
COLLAPSED.
Six Story Building in Chicago Gave
Way Under Pressure Of an Ex-
plosion-One Man Killed.

CHICAGO, November Lone man
is known to have persisted and three
others are reported missing as the re-
suit of the collapse of a six-story
building at 139 and 141 West Lake
street this evening. Considerable dam
age was done to adjoining property,
and during the excitement it was re-
ported that as many as forty lives had
been lost. About 100000 damage was
! done.
Dead:
Doctor, Joseph B., barn foreman for
the New England Milling Company,
caught in front part of building at
time of explosion, and body recovered
by firemen.
Hanson, Franklin S., proprietor New
England Milling Company, body re-
moved by firemen, badly burned.
| Hilton, Henry, bookkeeper for New
England Milling Company, body under
the wreckage near where that Of his
employer was recovered.
The missing:
Mullens, Charles, peddler, purchasing
feed in the sales room of mill and last
seen struggling to reach an exit after
the Leonard building had collapsed, and
buried in the ruins of the mill; thought
by some to have escaped.
Unidentified woman, said to have
been caught by the portion Of the
Leonard building wall that fell into
the street, and buried beneath the de-
bris.
Williams, c., address not known,
employe of the Leonard Seed Company,
not yet accounted for.
The injured:
Peyton, Patrick, blown into the
street by the concussion; cut and bruis-
ed about face and arms.
Adams, w. B., saloon keeper; head
badly cut.
Henning, Charles, run over by
frightened horse; badly bruised.
Kelly A. j., bruised by falling brick.
Taylor, ]. c., bruised by falling
bricks.
Several PERSONS had narrow escapes
from death and two were injured.
They were: Patrick Peyton, hurled
from the store Of the New England
Mills to the street; badly bruised. w.
B. Adams, proprietor of the saloon and
boarding house, 145 Lake street; struck
by falling boards.
The cause Of the collapse is I'M
known, some claiming that there was
an explosion in the store of S. F. Leon
ard, dealer in seeds, others saying the
wall fell without apparent cause.
The generally accepted theory is that
there was an explosion of dust in the
seed store.
The crash came with less than one
minutes warning and Mr.. Leonard,
who noticed the walls of the building
shift slightly, called to his employees to
run for their lives and they all rushed
for the street, the last of them getting
through the doorway just in time.
After reaching the street the women en-
ployes of Leonard rushed into the home
of Mrs. Agnes Whelan, 1876 Lake street
Mrs. Whelan, however, noticed that the
house was in danger and refused to allow
the women to remain. Less than half a
minute later the east wall fell and the
house, together with the adjoining one
was buried beneath the ruins. Adjoining
Mrs. Whelan's house and next to the seed
building, stood a two-story frame struc-
ture occupied by Kelso Bros, dealers in
paper. A number of young girls and two
men were at work at the time and a pantc
followed in their efforts TO escape. The
two men smashed the windows and in that
way rescued the girls.
The following are the losses sustained:
Simon F. Leonard. wholesale seeds; loss
500, 600; insurance, $50, 900.
G. T. BowaL owner of the building, $780,
600: fully insured.
Nicholas Beck, 5000.
New England Mills F. H. Hanson, pro-
prietor, SIS, 900.
Kelso Bros, paper stock, 5000
]. c. Meyer, pickles and vinegar, $4,000.
Agnes Whelan. owner of the building,
$500.
W. B. Adams, saloon and boarding
house. S1,oSo.
At 10 p. m. the firemen working in the
ruins found the body of man under
the debris of the office of the New England
Mills. 1t was too badly burned TO admit
of identification, but from the position in
which it was found, ii is supposed TO be
that of Mr.. Hanson, proprietor of the mills.