The Saint Paul globe., 1899-12-22
LOADED With GAS |
WALLS OF A DECATUR STREET
STORE Exploded BY ILLUMI-
MATING GAS
INMATES MARROW ESCAPE
Three Men Who Were In the Build
Ing Were Saved From Serious In
jury as by a Miracle, While Ad-
Joining Property Was Considera-
bly, Damaged by the Force of the
Explosion


Exploding gas demolished the building
at $40 Decatur street, occupied as a butch
er shop by Edward Erickson, shortly
after 8 o'clock yesterday morning, rend-
ing the structure with the force of an
earthquake and otoppling the roof and
walls about three men within, who mar
rowly escaped with their lives. The force
of the explosion was felt half mile from
the scene and broke out the windows In
several adjacent stores. The explosion oc-
Cured while a plumber was endeavoring
to locate leak in the gas pipe with
lighted candle. Gas had accumulated
within the walls for several days In great
volume, and when ignfted by the flame
exploded with a terrific roar The roof
OF the building rose several feet In the
air, while the walls caved in, and In an
instant the entire structure was wreck
The noise and shock of the explosion
created great excitement in the vicinity
and people who had felt the shock blocks
away flocked to the scene. Erickson, the
proprietor, Axel Berlin, an employe, and
Herman Peterson, a plumber, were in the
store at the time and were caught in the
across the room, close beside the scales,
which kept him from being pinioned by
the heavy timbers, while Peterson was
knocked down and thrown under the
counter, and Berlin was knocked across
the store under a chopping block that
served as q protector for him. The three
men were more or less bruised and
shaken up, but escaped without serious
injury. The building caught fire after the
explosion, but the department held the
blaze in check until the gas could be
shut OF. The loss on the building, owned
by E. W. Peet & Son, is S1,500, while
Erickson sustained a loss of $1,000. He
had no insurance
The leakage Of gas was discovered early
yesterday morning by Officer Hagen, Of
the Margaret station, who detected a
strong odOr in passing the butcher shop.
He informed the proprietor, and Mr.
Erickson asked Holt &c Dahlby, plumbers
across from his store, to send a man to
locate the leak. Peterson was sent to do
the work, and following the usual Gus
tom in such cases, lighted a match close
to the crevices of the wall where the
odor was the strongest. A tiny blue flame
shot about the wall like lightning, dart
Ing in all directions, and, before the oc-
cupants Of the building realized their
danger, there was a terrific roar, accom-
panied by the cracking of timbers, and
the building collapsed upon them.
Across the street in Holt & Dahlbys
plumbing shop the windows were blown
out by the explosion, while mirrors in
John Norman's saloon, next coor to the
butcher shop. and also the windows
were shattered by the conclusion. The
windows were likewise broken out of q
vacant house half a block away. on the
opposite side Of the street. Mr.. Norman
who lives over his saloon, was thrown out
of bed by the force Of the explosion. He
was considerably bruised, but was not
seriously hurt. Ills place of business was
damaged to the extent of $t0O.