New-York tribune., 1901-08-06
EXPLOSION KILLS MANY.
FIVE BUILDINGS WRECKED
IN PHILADELPHIA.
rrx TO TWENTY PEOPLE DEAD AND
MORE THAN A SCORE INJURED
THE RUINS TAKE FIRE.

philadelphia, Aug. 5--A terrific explosion in
block Of six buildings in Locut-st., above
rsnth-st.. tonight wrecked five of the struc-
.,res and caused the death of from ten to
.usnty or more persons. over twenty others
acre more or less seriously injured. Some Of
,.ose taken to the hospitals will die 1t is esti-
mated that al least thirty-five persons were in
the FIVE buildings when the explosion occurred.
and the exact number Of dead will probably not
~ known for twenty-four hours.
The buildings were occupied as follows:
No. zoos Locust-st, Houseman's pool and
briard rooms
No. lGl0, Morris Rosenthal's second hand
cathing store. occupied by Rosenthal, his wife
o,s five children.
No lOl2 William Jones's restaurant occu-
,isd by Jones and about fifteen boarders.
PYo 10l4 George McClemmy's grocery store
occupied by McClemmy, a clerk and a servant
gt- ,o,e ,..-,.,. o,,,.,.,... ,,r,.o-,. s,,-. 80
cupied by Quigley, his wife, three children and
No lois. Albert Mountains grocery and meat
store. occupied by Mountain, his mother sister
and clerk
PROBABLY A GASOLINE EXPLOSION.
The explosion occurred about $50 O'Clock.
What exploded and how il happened is not
b4en a barrel Of gasolene in one of the three
grocery stores. With the exception of No. zoos.
tbe front walls OF the buildings were blown out
ward into the street. while the floors and the
roofs were blown upward. and fell straight 10
the ground Almost every building in a radius
NJ two blocks about the scene OF the explosion
had windows shattered and was otherwise dam
aged Every building on the opposite side Of
Iocust-st was damaged. hut none OF them fell.
A terrible cry went up from the ruins the mo-
-,ent the explosion occurred. Women children
and men, occupants of the wrecked houses
could be seen crawling out, while the agonizing
cries of others were heard in the wreckage.
From all the surrounding buildings injured peo-
ple came running and fell in the street uncon-
scious
FIRE BREAKS OUT.
To add 10 the horror fire broke out. and in
less than five minutes the great pile Of ruins
was burning hercely from end 10 end. gen
eral alarm was turned in for fire apparatus and
snbulanoes. and in the mean time the work of
rescue was voluntarily begun by those In the
neighborhood that were not injured. Here and
there nerson was dragged from the ruins be-
fore the FIRE could reach the victim, several lives
being saved by this prompt work.
when the fremen reached the scene the flames
had made great headway and were igniting the
buildings across the street. The fire, however
was soon under control. and, with the excep-
ton of a small blaze here and there, was ex-
ElIlxtrssh-d IN a fex-ulinutes-
DIGGING IN THE RUINS.
The work Of digging away the ruins was then
begun in earnest. Near the edge of the debris
several colored men were taken out and sent
to the hospitals. While the iremen and police
men digging and hauling away heavy
tmbers cries were heard coming from the cellar
Of Mountains grocery store. Fifty men, with
rope and tackle, We're Immediately put TO work
a. that point and pulled away the roofing and
flooring which had fallen into a heap. From the
bottom OF the pile, doubled up. man and a
but the woman apparently dead.
While the work OF rescue was going on hos
pital attendants and others reached all the dam
aged houses on the opposite side of the street,
and almost a score Of persons were taken ia
various hospitals from these places.
The Jefferson and the Pennsylvania hospitals.
which are nearest TO the scene Of the explo-
sion. were soon crowded with the injured. None
Of those taken 10 the hospitals had died up 20
midnight Two hundred men are now al work
clearing away the wreckage.
The buildings containing the poolrooms, cloth
ing store and the restaurant We're three story
brick structures, while the other three buildings
we're two and one-half stories.