Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-06
10 TO 20 DEAD.
Philadelphia Block Wrecked by
Terrific Explosion.
From 10 to 20 Believed to Be Dead
and Two Score Injured.
Cause a mystcry-Six Buildings Hcw hut a
Mass Of Ruins.

Philadelphia. aug. "a terrific cx-
p!osicn in a block of six buildings on
Locust street above loth tonight, com
pietcly wrecked five of the structures
ard caused the death of from 10 to 90
were more or less seriously injured.
Some of those taken to the hospitals
will die. 1t is estimated that at lcas i
% persons We're in the five buildings
whcn the explosion occurred and the
exact number Of dead will probably not
be known for II hours. The buildings
were occupied as follows:
Locust street. No. 1905 Houseman's
pool and billiard rooms.
No. 1910. Morris Rosenthal's second
hand clothing store. occupied by Ro-
scnthal. his wife and five children.
No. 1912. VIM. Jones. coiorcd. rcstau-
rant. occupied by Jones and about IL
boarlers.
No. 1914. George McClemmys gro
cry store. occupied by McCicmmy.
clerk and servant girls.
No. 1915. Patrick Quiglcy's grocery
store, occupied by Quigley, his wife,
three children and his uncle.
No. 1918. Albert Mountains grocery
ana meat store. occupied By Mountain,
mother. sister and clerk.
The explosion occurred about $50
o'clock. What exploded ana how il
happened is not known at this time.
hut it is believed to have been barre
of gasoline in one OF the three grocery
stores. With the exception of No. l0GS
the front walls of the building We're
blown outward into the street while
the roofs and floors We're blown upward
and fell straight to the ground. Every
budding on the opposite side of Locust
street was more or less wrecked.
y terrible cry went up from thc
ruins the moment the explosion oc-
CURED. Women, children and men. oc-
curants Of the wrecked houses. could
lie seen crawling from the debris. while
the agoniZing cries of others were
heard in the wrpckarc. From all the
surrounding buildings injured people
came running and fell into the stree,
unconscious
TO add To the horror fire broke out in
the debris the moment il settled to the
ground ana in less than five minute.
the great pile was burning fiercely
from md to end. \ general alarm was
turned in and meantime the work OF
rescue was voluntarily begun by those
in III" neIghborhood that were not in
jured. Here and there Il person was
dragged from the ruins before the fire
could reach the victim, several lives
being saved by this prompt work. The
fire was soon under control
Near the edge of the debris several
colored men were taken out and sent
to the hospitals. Cries We're heard
coming from the cellar OF Mountain'
grocery store. Fifty men with rope
and tackle were Immediately put &c
work 1T that point and pulled away
the roofing and flooring which had
fallen into a massei heap. From thu
bottom of the heap. doubled up. Were
taken a man and woman. The man
was able to speak but the woman was
apparently dead.
From the damaged houses on the
opposite side of the street almo-t a
%corc OF persons We're taken.
The jefferson and the Pennsylvania
hospitals, which are located nearest to
the scene 0: the explosion, We're soon
crowded with the injured. None OF
those taken to the hospital have died
M to midnight Two hundred mon are
now at work clearing away the wreck
age. The buildings containing the
pool rooms. clothing store and the res
taurant were thrce-stOry brick struc-
lures while the other three buildings
were two and Onc-half stories.