Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-06-27
FIREWORKS EXPLODE
They Cause a Fire In a Tenement
Building at Paterson, N. J.
FOURTEEN PEOPLE Lose THEIR LIVES


New York, June 22.-Fourteen per.
sons are believed to have been killed
and q number injured yesterday as
the result Of fire following an ex-
plosion among a quantity Of fire.
works in the store OF Abram NJ. Rit-
tenberg at Paterson, N. j. The store
was on the ground floor Of tene-
ment building. The cause Of the ex-
plosion Is not known and the prop
erty. loss will not exceed $4,000.
The building in which the explosion
occurred was o frame tenement, four
stories high, with stores on the
ground floor. The middle store was
occupied by Rittenberger. Ten fam
'ilies occupied Hats in the building.
So great was the force Of the explo-
sion that boy playing in the street
half o block away was lifted from
his feet and hurled against an iron
fence. One Of his legs was broken.
A trolley car was directly in front of
the building when the explosion oc-
CURED. The burst of flame blown
out into the street scorched the sides
Of the car and singed the hair Of the
passengers. A number Of those who
were on the upper floors Of the build.
Ing when the explosion took place
were either stunned and then burned
TO death or found escape cut off and
were suffocated. After the first ex-
plosion there was q succession Of
smaller ones, and then came second
big explosion, which was mufIied and
deadened and probably occurred in
the cellar.
Every window seemed to be emit
Ting fame within . minute after the
Afst explosion. A woman, her cloth
lng on fire. leaped out Of one Of the
windows and fell to the yard below.
Her dead body was dragged out Of
reach Of the flames, but the flesh was
roasted and dropped from the bones.
ohe later proved TO be Mrs. Williams.
Nrh Williams husband is a cripple. |
Hi wife 10 supposed to have remained
longer than she could with safety in
"a effort To save him. He WINS found
burned to . crisp on his bed.
Some Of the occupants Of the rooms
dropped from the windows and were
bruised. Others hung from the win
dows until the firemen came, and 20
persons were taken down In this way
through the fire and smoke by the
Aremen, while others dropped into
NE nets.
While the rescues were going on the |
Aremen were fighting the flames.
Capt. Allen led with a hose line in an
effort to keep the fire from the upper
floors, where 1t was said many were
pinned In. The men had hardly taken
their positions and begun on the side
walk to throw water into the upper
floors when, without warning, the
whole upper part Of the building
above them sagged outward and fell.
The captain and two Of his men were
buried under the blazing debris. One
81 the men Is badly hurt. The build
Ing In which the explosion occurred
WINS destroyed. The bodies taken out
thus far are almost unrecognizable
and are burned and torn by the fire
and the collapse Of the timbcrs OF the
buildings.
= site for the Worlds Fair Selected.
81. Louis, June 25.--The world fuir's
executive committee yesterday Sc.
lected site for the great centennial
celebration Of the purchase of the
Louisiana territory. For reasons
deemed sufficient in view OF the i'm.
portnnce and magnitude Of the en-.
terprise II was decided not TO make
public announcement OF the Location
determined upon until report had
hrst been made to the entire board
Of directors which will meet to-day.
The committee felt that this WINS due
the board, not only as n matter Of
courtesy but for other reasons, The
announcement will possibly be made