Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-08-06
Many Lives Snuffed Out and
Buildings Destroyed in
Philadelphia
EXPLOSION IS THE CAUSE
Victims Are All Colored Peo-
ple-Bodies in the
Ruins.

Philadelphia, Aug. 6.-Six persons,
all colored, are known to be dead as a
result OF the terrible gasoline explo-
sion last night which tore to atoms
six buildings on Locust street, and
wrecked over a score of others. A
mber of victims yet remain in the
ruins. FOrty-eight persons were
taken to the hospitals, six of whom
are probably fatally injured. Twen-
ty-eight are suffering from frac-
tured limbs and arms. The block
where the explosion occurred is a
section populated largely by colored
people. 1t was O'Clock this morn
ing before the firemen had the ruins
sufficiently cooled to enable them to
begin the search fer the bodies sup
posed to be beneath the wrecked
buildings. There was a steady down
pour of rain, making the debris hard
to handle, and the search will be nee
essarily slow.
Only one of the dead has been iden-
titled, and is that Of Annie Harris, aged
4. The unidentified dead consist Of
the bodies of two women, two men
and a child. The property loss is
about SIS, 900.
Philadelphia. Aug. Ga terrific ex-
plOSiOn occurred tcause unknown in
grocery store on Locust street, west OF
Tenth street. shortly before 10 p. IN.
yesterday. In Il moment this store.
with two adjoining groceries, two
secondhand clothing stores and a res
taurant were levelled to the ground.
and the fire department shortly af
terward got TO work on the burning
debris. 1t is estimated at this writ
ing that at least twenty persons are
dead. From twenty to twenty-five
others have been taken to the hos
pitals. many Of them badly injured.
The fire was soon gotten under con-
troll and frcmen and policemen have
been searching the ruins cfOr bodies |
OF the dead victims.
Homes of Thirty-6ve Persons. |
The upper floors of the buildings
were all occupied as living quarters. |
No. 1910 Locust street was ROSen
thaTs secondhand clothing store. His
family consisted of himself, wife and
five children: No. 1912 was Jones res
taurant. patronized principally by col |
ored people. and in this building ii
is estimated that there were fifteen
persons: No. 1014. McClemmy's gro
Gerry. estimated. three persons; No:
1nI6. Quigley'S grocery, where were
living a husband, wife. three children
and an ubcle: No. 1O1S. MOunten's
grocery. estimated. four persons. |
How many members of the families
mentioned were in the house ut the
time cannot be told. Neither can it be |
said how many customers were in the
stores. The sidewalks ut the time
were crowded with pasSeTS-by and
lonngers. and few had an opportunity |
10 escape the falling walls or the shock |
OF the explosion.
Eject OF the Explosion.
What exploded and how it hap
pened is not known at this time. but |
It is believed to have been Il barrel |
Of gasoline i'm one of the three gro
Gerry stores With the explosion at
No. zoos the front walls Of the build |
SngS were blown outward into the |
stress. while the floors and the roofs |
were blown upward and fell straight |
10 the ground. Almost every building |
in radius of two blocks about the
scene OF the explosion had window
panes shattered and was otherwise
damaged. Every building on the op- |
poSite side Of Locust street was more !
or less wrecked. but none of them fell. |
Terrible Cry from the Ruins.
4 terrible cry went up from the |
ruins the moment the explosion Oc-
CURED. Women. children and men. |
occuDauts of the wrecked houses.
could he seen crawling from the de |
briS. while the agOniZiug cries Of |
others were heard in the wreckaGc.
From all the surrounding buildings in !
jured people came running and fell |
into the street unconscious. TO add |
TO the horror fire broke out in the |
debris the moment IL settled to the |
ground. and in less than five minutes |
the great pile was burning tiercely |
from end TO end