The evening times., 1899-06-21
nine PEOPLE HURT
IN An EXPLOSION
Store in Baltimore Wrecked
by Fireworks.
Co.cred Boy Suspected of Having
Fired the Stock.
Adjoining buildings Damaged and
Windows I'm the NeiEhbOrhOod
shattered by the shock.

Baltimore. June 21.-FirewoIks intend
ed for use on the Fourth of July explode
in store at CO. Sewell Street kept BY
George r. Bassett. about S:45 o'clock las
night. The entire front CT the buildirs
was blown into the street. the adjoining
structures were more or less Ganaged
window panes in The neighbo.hcoi were
shattered and nine persons were injured
two of them being in serious condition
The store in which the explosion took
place had been unused for some time and
the stock of fireworks had been p'acsd in
1t only recently. MIR. Bassett's buildings
were insured, but his stock was not. The
stock in the wrecked building was snuffed
out like a candle and that in the patent
medicine store in the rear was badly dam
aged. MIR. Bassett places his loss at about
$1,000.
At the time of the explosion there were
six persons IN the store. Mrs. Bassett.
who lives with her husband and family.
over toy store on the corner, was at
tending shop and had with her her two
children, Marion and Lucy. Mr.. McDer-
mott, who lives at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave-
nue.. and is employed by the United States
Fidelity and Guaranty Company. had gone
to the store with his two children TO make
purchases. What happened is best told by
Mr.. McDermott
Il was looking over the stock" he said,
which was piled on a large table, about
fifteen feet long. Samples of everything on
hand were on this table, including some
firecrackers about two feet in length.
Stored about the room and under the
table were varieties of fireworks in bulk
Suddenly there was a tiare-up in a box
of blue fire. The kissing noise and the
light attracted my attention to il. nd a
second later came the roar OF the explo-
sion. Everything seemed to so OFF at once
l was in the rear. with my two boys, and
We were all scorched. ! groped my way
to a door, which | thought led into the
drug store next Gcor, but found that 1t
was the door to q cupboard. / held the
children down on the floor, and then dis
covered that Mrs. Bassett's little girl was
with IRE. Mrs. Eassett and her boy had
escaped ont The front way.
- knew that there WAS a lath and plas-
ter partition between NE and the drug
store and | kicked 4 hole in it, il being
impossible to set 10 the front Of The build
ing on account OF the fire. had 10 push
over a shelf il tie drug store after | Ead
made the hole and | lifted the children
through il, and then craw.el though my
self The store vas full Of s.roEs aal the
door vas licked. ! broke the front windO"
to get cut
Meme CT the McDermott family is badly
burned. They were treated At tCeir toIe
by DR.. William J. hasten. and were II.
resting quietly today.
M.Jl lot fI.ra
two boys standing On TIE sid waIk near
the doorway just before the explosion.
Preston Calvin. oolorei. ag-d seventeen
years, was seen running away from the
place up Pennsylvania Avenue. He was
caught by Patrolman Daniel JaEizoI and
locked up at the Northwestern Eolice sta
ton. 1t is suspected thst he Or his COM
rade set fire to the iireH oThs, and h vii
be examined today.
An alarm was turred in aid tie fire
department responded promptly. The
front wall Of the building was then lying
in the middle of the street, and the int
rior was burning fiercely. In few min
utes the oflor fell in, injuring three fire.
men. None of them was badly hurt, and
all. after their wounds were dressed. went
10 their homes.
About three-quarters of an hour after
the explosion faint cries were heard under
the ruins on the sidewalk by Pipeman Will
liam i. Hall. of No Engine Company.
District Chief Lucas was also at hand. AMI
his men hurriedly tore away the debris
Buried under the bricks and lumber. but
partially protected by 4 large board. was
little Marion Bassett. He IVES hurried to
the hospital, where he was reported as pro
crossing well today. Little Lacy Bassett
is not seriously hurt.
Mrs. Bassett was suffering more from
nervous shock than from anything else
She does not remember now she got out
but says it was by the front way Neither
does she remember what became of the
little boy, nor how he was buried under
the wall. Mr.. Bassett was not at home at
the time.
The noise of the explosion was heard for
over mile. Windows Oh Pennsylvania !
Avenue, fifty yards away. We're smashed
and ornaments were knocked from mantel- |
pieces.
The fire was extinguished in about hall |
an hour, but there was nothing left of tn |
building, which was two stories hgl, but /
The side and rear walls and the roof. There /
is danger of the west wall falling and il !
may be torn down today.
Marion Bassett, aged four years. cut over |
The eye, flesh torn from his arm cut on
he head. and bruised on the body Taken
10 the Maryland General Hospital. Lucy !,
Bassett, aged nine years, left leg broken, |!
believed to have inhaled flames, bruised
and burned on the body. Taken 10 the |
Maryland General Hospital. James F. Nc |
Dsrmott. about thirty-five years old. burn /
I'd on the right hand face. and neck, leg
slightly lacerated. Fleming McDermott.
lged six years, burned slightly on the face
md hands. Archie McDermott aged three
Ind half years. burned slightly on the
light hand. Pipeman Greenberry Chap
nan. of No engine company, cut ON the /
head and back strained. Pipeman John
Of No. 2 chemical engine. head
ut and face and chest scratched. Pipeman
Howard Dixon, Of No. engine company,
ace and hands cut. Mrs. George r. Bas-
ett, bruised on the head and face.