Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-10
KILLED BY EXPLOSION
Between 10 and 20 Reported
Dead in Philadelphia.
FIVE BUILDINGS WRECKED
Walls Thrown Out and Roofs Sent Into the
Street The Cause Of the Disaster Yet

Walls Thrown 0ut and Roofs Sent into TIL
Street The Cause Of the Disaster Yet
Unknown.
Philadelphia August GA terrific
explosion in the block of six building
on Locust Street. west of Tenth TO.
night, wrecked five of the structures
and caused, it is thought. the death
offrom 10 to 20 or even more persons.
Over two score of others were more
or less severely injured. Some OF
those taken to the hospital will die.
1t is estimated that at least 35 persons
were in the five buildings when the
explosion occurred, and the exact num.
Der of dead will probably not be
known for "a hours.
The buildings were occupied as fol.
lows:
s-Houseman s Pool and Billiard
rooms.
Morris Rosenthal's second hand
clothing store. occupied by Rosenthal,
his wife and five children.
William Jones, colored, res
taurant occupied by Jones and about
Is boarders.
1914 George McClenv's grocery
store. occupied by McCleny, clerk
and servant.
1ol6-Patrick Quigley's grocery
store, occupied by Quigley, his wife,
three children and his uncle.
1o1S--A Albert Mountain S grocery and
meat store, occupied by Mountain. his
mother sister and clerk.
CAUSE A MYSTERY.
The explosion occurred about $3.50
O'Clock. What exploded and how it
happened are not known at this time,
but it is believed to have been bar
rel of gasoline IN one of the the
grocery stores. With the exception of
1908 the front walls of the buildings
were blown out into the street, while
the floors and the roof shot upward
and then fell straight to the ground.
Almost every building in radius OF
two blocks about the scene had win
dow pa mes shattered and were other
wise damaged. Every building on the
opposite side of Locust street was
damaged, but none fell.
A terrible cry went up from the
ruins moment after the explosion.
Men, women and children, occu-
pants of the wrecked houses could he
seen crawling from the debris, while
the agonizing cries of others were
heard in the wreckage.
From surrounding buildings came
injured people, many OF whom fell in
the street unconscious. 70 add to
the horror the debris caught fire and
in less than five minutes the great pile
was burning fiereely from end to end.
A general alarm was turned III fol-
fire apparatus and ambulances, and
in the meantime the work of rescue
was begun by those in the neighbor-
hood who were not injured. Here
and there person was dragged
from the ruins before the fire could
reach him or her, several lives being
saved by this prompt work. Wher
the flremen arrived the flames had
made great Roadway and were fight.
ing buildings ACROSS the street. The
fire howe yer was soon under con.
troll.
TAKING OUT THE INJURED.
The work digging away the ruin
was then begun in earnest. Near tn
edge of the debris several colored men
were taken out and sent to the hospi-
tai While the firemen and police
men were hauling away heavy timbers
from several sections of the wreckage
cries were heard coming from the
cellar of Mountains grocery. Fifty
men with rope and tackle, were inn
mediately put to work at that point
and pulledaway the roofing and floor
ing which had fallen in massed
heap.
From the bottom of the pile, doubled
up, were taken man and woman,
but the woman was apparently dead.
While the work of rescue was going
on in the exploded block hospital at
tendants and others made search of
all the damaged houses on theopposite
side for the street and almost score
of persons were taken TO the several