The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
MRS. E. E. MURPHY KILLED
HOUSE ON MICHIGAN STREET
WRECKED BY AN EXPLOSION.
Gas Pipe Had Been Left Uncapped
by Plumber-Children's
Narrow Escape.

An explosion of natural gas in the home
of E. f. Murphy, ZOOS West Michigan
street. at Clio o'clock yesterday morning,
resulted in the almost complete destruc-
ton of the house and the burning of Mrs.
Murphy so severely that she died about
II o'clock.
Mrs. Murphy arose about $50 o'clock yes
terday morning and after dressing went
into the kitchen to light a fire I'm the
kitchen stove. in which gas was not used
Instantly upon striking a match a ter
rife explosion occurred. Mrs. Murphy was
thrown nearly to the ceiling and fell in
the doorway between the kitchen and the
sitting room. Her clothing caught fire
and she tried while PROSTATE on the floor
to beat out the flames, which she was un-
able to do. at the same time calling to her
children, who were in the bedroom.
The shock Of the explosion was felt for
several squares. The report was heard for
many more. A crowd soon gathered and
the arrival of the fire department and the
rumor that some one was buried in the
debris caused the greatest excitement to
prevail
Patrolman Repp, who was waiting for a
car, was the first one at the scene. He
was closely followed by Charles Zeigler,
a bartender. They rushed into the house
and found Mrs. Murphy with her cloth
ing aflame in the doorway upon the floor.
AS they were about to carry her out
they heard the cries of her three small
children in the bedroom. Repp carried two
of them out and Zeigler took the third.
carrying them to the home of Mrs. Kate
Bergman across the street.
w IN fur0 frnr
the Murphy home, and w. A. Garfield
reached the house while the children were
being carried out and they carried her out
and extinguished the flames with water
and a blanket, but not until she had been
terribly burned from her head to her
waist. She was taken to the home of
DR.. Tucker, who said at the time her death
was only question of few hours.
MRS. MURPHYS STORY.
Mrs. Murphy, though suffering great
agony, was conscious up to the time of
her death, and she was able TO tell some
thing of what she knew of the accident.
She said the odor of gas had been no
ticed in the house the evening before, but
it was thought to be gas from the dying
coal fire. She placed papers under the
doors TO keep the gas from entering her
sleeping rooms. The odor was yet notice.
able when she left the bedroom for the
kitchen.
The stove and nearly every article of fur
niture in the kitchen and sitting room were
broken. Pictures on the wall were torn off
and shattered. The walls were sprung and
some of them torn out and the plaster was
torn off. The east wall of the house was
blown out and fell in the yard; The wal.
of the bedroom, where the children were
at the time of the explosion, was forced
out and ii leaned against the house next
door. Furniture in this room showed it had
been hurled about, and yet the little ones
escaped without scratch. The only room
in the house where the walls not
forced was the front room, which was occu-
pied by Mrs. Anna BONN, who vas dressing
at the time. The summer kitchen was torn
loose from the main part of the house and
tilted backward.
Friday. when it was turned into the stove
In Mrs. Bohn's room, who is the only one
using gas. Yesterday morning the cap of
and 1t was from this pipe the gas escaped
and filled the house. The accident seems to
have been caused by neglect of the plumb
ers in not replacing the cap.
Mrs. Murphy is the wife of Elmer r. Muir
ply. conductor on the l., ID. & w. Rail-
way. He went out on his run yesterday
morning and was advised of the accident
by telegraph. returning to the city Oh the
first train.
plosion, in his opinion, after looking over
the scene and questioning a number Of
witnesses, was due to the neglect of the
inspector of the Gas Company in turn
ing on the gas without first ascertaining
that all outlets were closed The uncov-
cred pipe in the cellar was one with which
the pipe leading to the cook stove used
by Mrs. Murphy was connected. This pipe
when the change was made from gas
to coal was taken out after the gas had
been turned off.
The indianapolis Gas Company was
asked several times last night for in
formation relative to the matter, but those
answering the calls said they knew MOTH
ing.