Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-08-09
DOZEN PEI & DEAD

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FIVE su,LpIhcs WRECKED ~
4 TERRlF'c ExPLosioh a.
/ pHILADELPHllA.
Ruins Catch on Fire and Add % s,l
sE hosrsr-Flamss Are Quickly Extin.
suished and the Work Of Rescue
sesun-over Two Score in the Hos.
I pitfalls and Halt . Many. Probably
Killed. = - s = -. - -:
+ Philadelphia. Aug. GA terrific, ea.
pfosion in q block Of six buildings ON
Locust street above Tenth complete
" wrecked Ave ct the structures anG
caused the death Of from 10 to 20 or
more persons. Over two score Of 9th
ers were more or less seriously in
5ured. Some Of those taken to the
hospital will die. 1t is estimated that
at least IS persons were in the five
buildings when the explosion occurred
and the exact number of dead will
probably not be known for "a hours.
The upper floors Of the buildings
were all occupied as living quarters.
No. 1910 Locust street was Rosen-
that's second hand clothing store. His
family consisted Of himself, wife and
|
restaurant, patronized principally by
colored people. In this building it is
estimated there were Is persons. No.
1914, McClemmy's grocery store, esti-
mated three persons. No. 1916, Quig-
ley's grocery. The family consisted
of husband, wife, three children and
an uncle. No. 1913, Mounten'sF gro
Gerry. estimated four persons. How
many members of the families men
| toned were in the houses at the time
| cannot be told. Neither can it be
said how many customers were in the
stores. The sidewalks at the time
| were crowded with passersby and
loungers and few had opportunity to
escape falling walls or the shock Of
| the explosion.
Believed to Have Been Gasoline.
What exploded and how it happened
Is not known at this time, but it is be-
lieved to have been a barrel of gaso-
line in one of the three grocery
stores. With the explosion the front
walls Of the buildings were blown out
ward into the street, while the floors
and the roofs were blown upward and
fell straight to the ground. Every
building on the opposite side of Lo.
Gust street was more or less wrecked,
but none of them fell.
A terrible cry went up from the
ruins the moment the explosion &C.
CURED. Women, children and men,
occupants of the wrecked houses,
could be seen crawling from the de-
bris, while the agonizing cries of 9th.
ers were heard in the wreckage. From
all the surrounding buildings the in.
jured people came running and fell
into the street Unconscious. To add
to the horror fire broke out in the de.
bris the moment it settled to the
ground and in less than five minutes
the great pile was burning f1ercely
from end to. end. A general alarm
was turned in for IRE apparatus and
ambulances and in the meantime the
work Of rescue was voluntarily be.
gun by those in the sneighborhood who
were not injured. .,.:..-..-. 81.
Here and there q person was
dragged from the ruins before the fire
could reach the victim, several lives
being saved by This prompt work
When the firemen reached the scene
the flames ..
Had Reached Great Headway
and were igniting the buildings across
the street. The fire, however. was
soon under control and with the ex.
ception Of small blaze here and
there it was extinguished in q few
minutes.
p. The work of digging away the ruins
was then begun in earnest. While
the firemen and policemen were dig.
gfng in the debris and hauling away
heavy timbers in several sections CT
the wreckage cries were heard com.
ing from the cellar Of Mountains
grocery store. Fifty men, with rope
and tackle, were Immediately put to
work at that point and pulled away
the roofing and flooring which had
fallen into massed heap. From the
Destem OF the pile, doubled up. were
taken man and & woman. The man
was able to speak, but the woman was
apparently dead. go: -
While the work Of rescue was 60
ing on In the exploded block hospital
attendants and others made . search
OF all the damaged houses on the op,
posite side Of the street and almost q
score Of persons we're taken to vari.
ous hospitals from these places. i,
The only known deaths are q col:
oeed woman and q eolofed child at
the hospitals and . a6lored man whose
body Was taken f1O0 the ruins. z z5
EMPRsss FREDERICK DEAD.
- ~ Ea{o>-.f@s. e Z .ffzss-s %:
Nlness Of Enpsrse vviulnu1s mother
* Terminates Fatally. II;