Evening star., 1901-08-06
SEVEN BODIES FOUND
Result of Search in Ruins Of Phila-
delphia Explosion.
ONLY ONE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
Forty-Eight Persons Injured, Six
Probably Fatally.
SEARCHING FOR REMAINS


PHILADELPHIA. August 6.-six persons,
all colored, are known to be dead as a
result of terrible gasoline explosion last
night, which tore to atoms six buildings
on Locust street between 10th and 11th
streets and wrecked over q score Of others.
AS to the number that yet remain in the
ruins of the wrecked buildings all is mere
speculation.
Only one of the six that perished has
been identified. This is Annie Harris. a
child four years old, who lived at 1913
Locust street, on the opposite side Of the
street from the building in which the ex-
plosion occurred The unidentified dead
are:
A child about two years of age; two wo-
men and q man at the Pennsylvania Hos
pital and man at the Jefferson Hospital.
1t was o'clock this morning before the
firemen, after working hard all night, had
the smoldering ruins sufficiently cooled OH
to enable them to begin search for the
bodies which are supposed to be beneath
the wrecked buildings.
Their attention was first directed to 1O1S
Locust street, the building occupied by
Albert D. Mountain, grocer. In this build
ing at the time Of the explosion there were
Robert and Dalton Mountain and Lizzie
Mountain, children of the proprietor Of
the store. None Of them has been account
ed for.
Some of Quigley Family Missing.
No. 1915 Locust street was occupied by
Partick Quig1ey as grocery. Quigley, his
wife, three children and an uncle were In
the building when the explosion occurred.
The only members Of this family thus far
accounted for Is Quigley and his uncle.
At 1914 Locust street George McClenny
also conducted a small grocery. 1t Is here
that the explosion Is thought to have oc-
Cured The building was occupied by Nc
Clenny his wife. a clerk and a servant.
At the time Of the disaster Mrs. McClenny
was visiting in West Philadelphia and the
others are thought to have been in the
building.
Where the greatest number probably
perished Is at 1912 Locust street. Here
William Jones' colored, conducted a board
ing house. He had a score of boarders,
but the number in the building at the time
cannot be learned positively. The police
officials say, however, that it is probable
half dozen bodies will be taken from
the debris of this building alone. At 1910
Locust street M Rosenthal, wife and five
children lived. They escaped with broken
limbs and contusions, but the building was
completely wrecked. In the Rosenthal
home was boarder named Frank Schmidt.
He was seated at third-story window
reading when the explosion occurred.
Schmidt was blown through the window
and landed upon the top Of a stable forty
feet from the wrecked building. He es-
capped with few bruises.
Forty-Eight Persons Injured.
Forty-eight persons all told were taken
to the two hospitals close at hand. or
this number six are probably fatally in
jured, twenty-eight are suffering from
fractured limbs and burns, while the in
juries Of the others consist Of slight cuts
and flying debris. The block where the
explosion occurred is In section popllat-
ed largely by colored persons. The build
ing where the explosion Is supposed to
have occurred Is in the center Of the group
of houses situated between Alder and War
mock streets. small thoroughfares running
parellel with 10th street. In this space on
the south side of Locust the demolition Is
complete, while on the opposite side OF
the street not pane OF glass nor door
remained intact.
The force Of the explosion was terrific.
Huge plate glass windows in the building
occupied by the Western Saving Fund,
which Is located more than block from
into thousands Of pieces, while scarcely a
house or store within radius OF block
escaped broken windows or shattered
DOORS
Inc scene at the WRECK anu dI Tic HoSpl-
tails this morning Is terrible. Persons who
had relatives and friends living In the
wrecked structures are standing about.
weeping and almost distracted. hoping
that their loved ones may have escaped a
terrible DEATH but fearful OF the worst.
The work of seaching in the ruins Is
necessarily slow. There is a steady down.
pour Of rain. which makes the debris hard
to handle.
The property loss will amount to about
SIS, 600, on which there is small insurance.
One body, that of a colored man, about
forty years of age, had been recovered
from the debris at noon. The body was
found in front Of 1912 Locust street, a
colored boarding house, where it Is believed
several other bodies will be found.
All Of the Mountain family have been
accounted for with the exception of the
sister. whose body is undoubtedly in the
debris.