The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-06

beautiful home. Dozens of neighbOrs
stood around the building talking over
the affair which had occurred, all at
tempting to explain just how 1t might
have happened. Entrance to the build
ing was gained from a reardo r rthrough
the kindness Of Mr.. William Neher who
conducted the reporter through the
various rooms of the building. The
kitchen presented terrible appearance.
Some of the dishes from the supper table
which had not yet been placed in the
cupboard were broken into small pieces.
The plastering was knocked from both
walls and ceiling. A clock, which had
stood on the northern wall of the build
ing had its back containing the move
ment, blown out and was thrown to the
floor in front of the sink. A sewing
machine, which stood in a line with
the cellar door, had its top or machine
part blown away to the side of the house
into the yard, allowing the stand to re-
main undamaged. Chairs which stood
in the kitchen were blown to pieces,
making excellent f1rewood. Probably
everything of any value, such as
furniture end picture frames, which
were within the kitchen, were totally
destroyed. A sad incident in connection
Will lllc tADlOSlOIy "llutSSeu ny lllt
reporter, were two small wire cages
containing canary birds. Both the lit
tie songsters lay dead in their cages,
their tinv feathers charred by the sud-
den fire, and :he bottom of the cages
indented by the terrible force which
existed at the time.
The dining or sitting room was next
visited. Only a stove which had been
Gapitro1y focfnnnd NUithGtnnI fri
of the explosion, everything else in
the room was destroyed. A large mirror
which had been preserved in the room
for many decades, lay upon the hard
floor in dozens of pieces. Pictures were
blown out of their frames. A chair
which stood just back of the door, which
had been torn off its hinges and it's
large glass panes shattered, had one leg
blown off, and it stood there on it's
three remaining legs without being
injured a particle otherwise The balance
of the furniture in the room was COM
pletely demolished beyond recognition.
The walls were stripped of their plaster
ing and the ceilings stood bare in the
laths to which the plastering had
formerly been attached.
Probably the front room down stairs,
and Immediately above the cellar por-
ton where the explosion is said to have
done it's worst, was the most badly
demolished. The floor was O pile of
broken furniture and plastering and
splinters Of wood. Words cannot ut
terly or fully describe the scene as it
presented itself at the time when visit
d by the reporter. A large and eX-
tremely heavy folding bed, which had
been standing on the east side Of the
+. ON, was blown across the room to the
west wall and irreparably broken.
Large and heavy pieces of furniture
which originally would have stood
any test of strength, probably, were
either blown to pieces or thrown upon
a pile in the center of the room. The
walls and ceiling were almost entirely
bare of plastering and only the laths
showed where the walls were. The
strong wooden flooring was torn up in
many places. The windows and sashes
and glass were not to be seen, some of
the glass having been blown out into the
street. The doors leading to the front
room were altogether wrecked and torn
off their hinges. The upstairs rooms
were visited. There was only one room
in the house which did not give any
evidence of the terrible explosion, and
that was a room in the rear occupied
as a sleeping chamber. Nothing was
disturbed there. But the front upstairs
room presented a very much damaged
appearance. A large cannon fancy
stove which had been placed in posi-
tion a short time ago was blown across
the room. Chairs and other furniture
was blown 20 pieces. The walls were
also stripped of plastering and this was
thrown over everything. The flooring
was partly torn up, and huge hole was
blown through the south wall. Not
a single window in this room was brok-
en-, although it was Immediately over
the place where the accident is believed
to have happened. In one instance 9
handsome picture which adorned the
wall in heavy gilt frame was knocked
clear across the room without either
the stretcher or the frame being damag.
ed in the least.
A visit was made to the cellar where
there was still a strong smell of gas
The canned fruit in some instances
which had been retained in a cupboard
was thrown out and spilled upon the
floor. Sheets of paper covered over
the tops of some of the jars were char.
red, but excepting the edge, some papers
which the jars had stood upon We're not
burned in the least. The contents OF
the cellar was promiscuously strewr
about upon the floor. The brick wal
surrounding the cellar was damaged
all around. some of the brick being
blown into neighboring yards. Large
holes through the foundation were
visible at various places. The front
portion If The cellar where the gas haG
probably leaked along the water pipes
and escaped in the building was next
examined. There was an earthen floor
to this portion and a hole several feet
In diameter and number of feet deer
was seen which was probably caused
by the explosion the dirt evidently hav.
ing been blown into small mounds sur
rounding the indentation. The front
walls of the cellar were altogether
blown outward into the yard giving the
building or that portion Of it very little
resting place.
From the front street the scene was
a most destructive one. The wood work
I.lN u.