The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-06-26
FOURTEEN PEOPLE KILLED.
By an Explosion Of Fire Works at
Patterson, II. J.

Fourteen people are believed to have
been kiile6 and . number injured Fr-
day as result Of tie FIRE following an
explosion among quantity Of fireworks
in the store Of Abraham NJ. Rittenburg,
at Patterson, N. j. The store was on
the ground floor ola tenement building.
The cause of the explosion is not known
and the property loss will not exceed
s35. 900.
The explosion occurred shortly after
noon and many of the occ1paots OF the
building were out at dioner. The
building 10 which the explosion occur
red was frame tent mens, four stories
high with stores on the grouId floor.
The middle store was occupied by Rit-
tenburg. Ten families occupied the
fats in the building.
So great was the forcs Of the exrlo-
sion tha: boy playing 10 the sire 1t
half block away was lifted from his
feet and hurled against an iron fenc'.
Ole OF his legs was broken. A trolley
car was directly in front Of the build
irg when the explosion occurred. The
burst Of fame blown out into the strcet
scorched the sides Of the car and siDged
the hair of the passengers.
A number of those who were on the
upper 6,ors Of the building Wnen the
explosion took place we're either stunn'
ed and burned to death or found escape
out off and were sufocsted. After the
first explosion there were q series Of
smaller ones and then cana second
big explosion Rhi,h was mufh I'd and
deadened and probably occurred in the
cellar.
Every window seemed 10 be emit
ting f,m, within minute after the
frst explosion. A woman, with her
clothing on fire lesped out Of one Of
the windows aad fell to the yard be.
low. Her dead body was dragged out
Of reach Of the flames, but the fash
vas roasted sDd dropping from the
bones. Sac later proved to be Mrs.
Williams.
Mrs. Williams husband was 8 Grip
ple. His wife is supposed to have re-
rnained longer thaa she could with
safety in an effort to save him. He was
found burned to crisp on his bed.
Sonae Of the occupants Of tbs rooms
dropred from the windows ano were
bruised; others hung from the windows
until the i.emen came, AID 70 persons
were rsken down ia this Wsy through
the fire and smoke by the 6remen, while
dropped into life nets.
DANIEL Dooley, who was in the yard
when the explosion took place, SAW the
two Rittenburg children in the rear room
and rushed irto the flames for them.
He got one Of them and carried It out
ana ,ried to go ha,k for The other bu;
lee room was then one maSs Of IRE aud
he was loo la,e. He was badly scorcheo
IL resculrg lhs frs child.
While the rescuas were g2lng ca tho
freuen were igltiug ;hs 2znes. Capt,
Allen ed with LIE hose line il az effort
to keep ire fire izem The upper f5ors,
whsry 1t vas sid many we're plnued II.
The r1en. aad hardly taken their posi-
items SPA hegu3 on the Sidewalk 10
throw water ,n!o the upper 9crs, when,
with out any warning, the whole upper
par. of the building above them sagsed
oulward and tell. The captain and Two
of his mtn we're buried uader tto blaz
Ing debris. C0e Of the men is badly
hurt. The buiIdIcg in which the ex-
plosioD occurred was entirely Destroy
ed
Rittenburg will probably be arrested
pending an Investigation.
IN the debris vas found the head Of
a man or woman. TIE hair is burned
f: and the features arc unrec coguizable.
The remainder of the body has not been
found.
The bodies taken cut thus far are al
most uoreccgnizable AMI are burned
and torr by the fire and he collapse OF
the tiu.bers Of the building.