The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-06-28
FOURTEEN People BILLED.
BY an Explosion of Fire Works at
Patterson, N. J.

Fourteen people arc beloved to havo
boon killed and number injured Fr::-
day as q result Of the fieo following an
explosion among quantity Of fireworks
in the store Of Abraham Nj. Rittenburg
at Patterson, N. j. The storo was on
tho ground floor of a tenement building.
The o,uso Of the explosion is not known
and the property loss will not exceed
$35, 900.
Tho explosion occurred shortly after
noon and many Of the occupants Of tho
building wero out at duner. The
building in which the explosion OCCUR.
red was franc tenement, four stories
high with stores on the ground floor
Tho middle store vas occupied By Rit-
tenburg. Ten families occupied the
flats in tho building.
So great was tho foroe of tho oxplo-
sion that boy playing 10 tho strost
half block away WAS lifted from his
foet and hurled against an iron fcncs
Gao OF his legs was broken. A trolley
car was directly in front Of tho build
ing whom the explosion occurred. The
burst of flame blown out into tho street
soorohed the sides of the car and ainged
tho hair Of the passengers.
A number Of those who wero on the
upper ilJors Of the building whom tho
explosion took place were either stunn.
cd and burned to death or found escape
out off and were sutfoostcd. After the
first explosion thore wero series OF
smaller ones and thon camo a second
big explosion which was muifled and
deadencd and probably occurred in the
COLLAR.
Every window seemed TO be emit
ting fl,ms within minute aftor tho
irst explosion. A woman, with her
clothing on fire. loaped out of one Of
tho windows and foil to the yard be-
low. Her dead body was dragged out
Of roach Of tho hamcs, but the fl ssh
was roasted and dropping from the
bones. Sho later proved TO bo Mrs.
Williams.
Mrs. Williamo' husband was q Drip
plo. His wife is supposed to have re-
mained longer than sho could with
safety in an effort TO save him. He was
found burnod to crisp OH his bod.
Some Of tho occupants of tho rooms
dropped from tho windows and were
bruised others hung from the windows
until tho firemon came, az d 20 persons
Wcro taken down ia this way through
tho fire and smoke by tho firomen, while
dropped into lifo nets.
Daniel Dooloy, who was in tho yard
when tho explosion took placo, saw tho
two Rittenburg ohildron in tho roar room
and rushed into the flames for them.
Ho got ono Of thom and carried it out
and tried to 60 back for the other but
the room was then ono mass Of fire and
no was too late. Hc was badly soorohod
in roaouing the first child.
While tho resoues wcro going on the
| firomon were fighting the fsmos. Capt.
.Allon lod with the hose limo in an effort
to keep the fire from tho upper floors,
whera 1t was said many were pinned in.
Tho mon had hardly taken thoir posi-
tions and begun on tho sidewalk to
throw water into tho upper floors, whom,
without any warning, tho whole upper
part Of the building above them saggcd
outward and foil. Tho captain and ,wo
of his mon woro buried undor tho blaz
ing debris. Ono Of tho men is badly
hurt. Tho building in which tho OK
plosion occurred was entirely destroy.
Cd.
Rittenburg will probably bo arroste
ponding an investigation.
In tho debris was found the hoad Of
man or a woman. Tho hair is burned
fl and the features arc unreo ognizable.
Tho remainder Of tho body has not boon
found.
Tho bodies taken out thus far arc al
most unreoognizablo and arc burned
and torn by the fro and tho collapse of
tho timbors Of tho building.