Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-28
NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION
BLEW OUT THE FRONT OF A SOUTH
SIDE DWELLING THIS
MORNING.
TWO WERE FATALLY INJURED.
escaping Gas iGnited With Fearf=l
hesuffs-A Fcurteen-Year-ofd Girl
Fatally Burncd-Mrs. Helen Flad-
ing VIII Probably Die "a "a Result
of Her inJurics--The Details.

A natural gas explosion. attended
with fearful consequences, occurred
shortly before three O'clock this morn
ing. The scene OF the casualty was the
two story frame dwelling at No zoos
Eon street, opposite the City Hospital.
The house is occupied on the first floor
by Mrs. Helen Fladng, a widow. who
cond1cts a boarding house. Her daugh-
ter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. John
Hill, occupy the second floor
The manner in which the gas escaped
could not be ascertained at the hour Of
going to press, although a search was
being made for the leak in the pine.
he explosion occurred with terrific
fierce, and made such a noise shat per-
sons living two blocks distant were
awakened by the report. 4 FIRE alarm
was turned il from the box located at
Eof and twentieth streets. and the de-
partment responded promptly, but its
services were not required. Forum
ately only the bed clothes in one room
had become ignited. and fire had not
added to the hC-rors Of the situation.
The wood work had also become ignit-
ed but the flames were exinga.Shed
with q Babcock.
Two boarders of Mrs. Flading slept
in the room fronting on the street..
Mrs. Fading slept in the adjoining
room with a girl, known as Tony"
who assisted her in the homework,
Her full name could not be learned
this morning. There was a natural
gas stove in the second room, and it is
the belief CT the firemcn that the in
creased pressure of the gas after mid
night forced the pipe off, and that the
room filed with gas and became ig-
nited from lamp, the explosion fol-
lowing.
The room in which the explosion
occurred is mass of debris. The front
of the building was blown out, and the
rear partition of the second room de
q Dyed. The second story front is
g. bullying out, and unsafe.
Persons VINO were attracted to the
soene by the noise OF the explosion. i'm
mediately made a search Of the debris
with view to aseertaining if the occu-
pants of the house had been injured
The bcar6ers in the front room escaped
very fortunately, but were stunned by
the explosion and badly frightened
MS lAuLAs anu llt lOul teSu-y tdF-Olu
gil were found lying in the bed.
Mrs. Flading was so seriously burned
that II Was deemed unw!se to remove
ssr from the house. She was made as
comfortable as possible in a room uo
stairs. and was receiving the attention
OF physician. The exact nature of her
injuries was no. learned, bit she is in
critical condition and will probably
die.
The little girl was Immediately taken
. the City Hospital DR.. F. ]. Le-
Noyne Eupp was called AID after max
Ing an examination of her injuries,
stated to a Register reporter that she
rannot possibly live. The explosion
fgnited the bed clothing in which the
aged lady and young girl slept, and but
for the prompt arrival OF neighbors
and the Ere department, both would
have burned to death. AS it was as
sistance did not come in time to save
either life. The flames also ignited de-
bris and the wood work on the building
but they were extinguished. as stated
aooye, by Pabcocks.
4 representative of the Natural Gas
Company of West Virginia made an
examination after three o'clock, and
stated that the explosion was not due
to leak in the pipe, but was caused
by defective burner in the stove