The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-08-07
MANY. DEAD in Ruins.
Terrible Results of Gasoline Explo-
sion In Philadelphia.
CoRPSEs BURIED IN DEBRIS.
SIX Buildings on Locust Street Were
Blown to Pieces, and Over
Score of Other Edinces
Were Wrecked.

Philadelphia, Aug. 6.-Seven persons
all colOred, are known to be dead as a
result of a terrible gasoline explosion
which tore to atoms six buildings on
Locust street between Tenth and Elev.
enth streets and wrecked over a 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 seven has been iden-
tilted. This is Annie Harris, a child 4
years old, who lived at 1913 Locust
street, on the opposite side of the street
from the building in which the explo-
sion occurred.
1t was Z o'clock in the morning before
the firemen, after working hard all
night, had the smoldering ruins suffi-
GENTLY cooled off to enable them to be-
gin search for the bodies which are
supposed to be beneath the wrecked
buildings.
Their attention was first directed to
101S Locust street, the building occu-
pied by Albert ID. Mountain, n grocer.
In this building at the time of the ex-
plosion there were Robert and Dalton
Mountain and Lizzie Mountain, chill
dren of the proprietor Of the store. All
of them have been accounted for with
the exception of the sister whose body
Is undoubtedly in the debris.
The building 1916 Locust street was
occupied by Patrick Quigley as gro
Gerry. Quigley, his wife, three children
and an uncle We're in the building when
the explosion occurred. The only ones
in this family thus far accounted for
are Quigley and his uncle. At 1914
Locust street George McClenny also
conducted n small grocery. 1t is here
shat the explosion is thought to have
occurred. The building was occupied
by McClenny, 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 Most Lives Are Lost.
Where the greatest number probably
persisted is at 1912 Locust street. Here
William Jones, colored, conducted
boarding house. He had Il score of
boarders, but the number in the build
Ing at the time cannot be learned posi-
lively. The police officials say, how
ever. that it Is probable that half a
dozen bodies will be taken from the de-
bris of this building alone.
At 1910 Locust street VI. RoScnthal,
wife ana five children lived. They
escaped with broken limbs and con
tnSions, but the building was com
pletely wrecked. In the Rosenthal
home was boarder named Frank
Schmidt. He was seated mt third
story window reading when the ex-
ploSion occurred. Schmidt was blown |
through the window and landed upon !
the top of Il stable 40 feet from the |
buildings. He escaped with |
A few bruises
Forty-eight persons all told were |
taken to the two hospitals close Mt
hand. OF this number six are probably
fatally injured, 2S are suffering from
fractured limbs and burns. while the
injuries of the others consist of slight
cuts from flying debris.
The destroyed block is in section
populated largely by colorcd persons.
The building where the explosion is
supposed to have occurred was in the
center of the group of houses situated
between Alder and Warnock streets.
small thoroughfareS running parallel
with Tenth street. In this space on
the south side of Locust street the
demolition is complete, while on the
opposite side Of the street not a pane
of glass or door remains intact
The force of the explosion was ter.
rifle. Huge plate glass windows in
the building occupied by the Western
Saving tind, which is located more
than a block from where the disaster
occurred, We're broken into thousands
Of pieces, while scarcely a house or
store within n radius of block IS.
capped broken windows or shattered
doors.
HE scene ut the wreck AMI at the
hospitals is sickening. Persons who
had rclntives and friends living in the
wrecked structures arg standing about
weeping and almost distracted. hopjnr
that their loved ones may have as.
capped terrible death, but fearful OF
the worst.
Professor Sherwood ne,d