The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-06
over Two Score More i'm the Hos
pitfalls Suffering from Wounds, Some
of Which May Prove Fatal.
FIRE FOLLOWED EXPLOSION
AND STAYED THE RESCUE OF THE
IMPRISONED PEOPLE.
Three Groceries, Restaurant, Bil-
lard Room and Clothing Store
n Mass of Ruins.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug 5.-A terrific ex-
plosion in a block of six buildings Lo-
Gust street, above Tenth tonight wrecked
five of the structures and caused the death
of from ten to twenty or more persons.
over two score of others were more or less
seriously injured. Some of these taken to
the hospital will die. 1t is estimated that
at least thirty-five were in the five build
ings when the explosion occurred. and the
exact number of dead probably will not be
known for twenty-four hours. The build
ings, all on Locust street, were occupied
as follows:
No. 1OOS Housemans pool and billiard
room.
No. 1O1O Morris Rosenthars secondhand
clothing store. Occupied by Rosenthal his
wife and five children.
No. 1912, William Joness colored res
taurant. Occupied by Jones and about
fifteen boarders.
No. 1O14, George McClemmy's grocery
store. Occupied by McClemmy, clerk and
servant girl.
No. 1916 Patrick Quigley's grocery store.
Occupied by Quigley, his wife, three chill
dren and his uncle.
No 101s, Albert Mountains grocery and
meat store. Occupied by Mountain, mother,
sister and clerk.
The explosion occurred about 9:30 o'clock.
What exploded and how it happened is not
known at this time. but it is believed to
have been a barrel of gasoline in one OF
the three grocery stores. With the ex-
plosion of No. 1908 the front walls of the
buildings were blown outward into the
street, while the floors and roofs were
blown upward and fell straight to the
ground. Almost every building in a radius
of two blocks about the of the
plosion had window panes shattered and
were otherwise damaged. Every building
of the opposite side of Locust street was
more or less wrecked, but none of them
fell.
FIRE ADDED TO THE HORROR.
A terrible cry went up from the ruins the
moment the explosion occurred. Women,
children and men, occupants of the wrecked
houses, could be seen crawling from the
debris, while the agonizing cries of others
were heard in the wreckage. From all the
surrounding buildings injured people came
running and fell into the street uncon-
scious. To add to the horror. fire broke out
in the debris the moment it settled 10 the
ground, and in less than five minutes the
great pile was burning fercely from end to
end.
y general alarm was turned in for fire
appara-uses and ambulances, and in the
meantime the work of rescue was volun-
tarily begun by those in the neighb, rhood,
who were not injured. Here and there a
person was dragged from the ruins before
the fire could reach the victim, several lives
being saved by this prompt work. When the
hremen reached the scene the flames had
gained great headway and were igniting
the buildings across the street. The fire.
however. was soon under control, and, with
the exception of a small blaze here and
there it was extingushed in few minutes.
The work of digging away the ruins was
then begun I'm earnest. Near the edge of
the debris several colored men were taken
out and sent 10 the hospitals. While the
firemen and policemen were digging in the
debris and hauling away heavy timbers in
several sections of the wreckage, cries were
heard coming from the cellar of Noun
tain's 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 bottom of the pile. doubled
up. were taken a man and a woman. The
man was able 10 speak, but the woman
was apparently dead.
While the work of rescue was going on in
the wrecked block. hospital attendants and
others made a search OF all the damaged
houses on the opposite side of the street
and almost a score Of persons were taken
TO various hospitals from these places. The
jefferson and the Pennsylvania Hospitals,
which are located nearest TO the scene of
the explosion, were crowded soon with the
injured.
The buildings containing the poolrooms
clothing store and the restaurants were
three-story brick structures, while the other
three buildings were two-and-one-half
stories.
DEATHS AT THE HOSPITALS.
At 1870 this Cruesday) morning the only
known deaths are those at the hospitals.
that of an unknown colored woman and a
two-year-old colored child. AT the Penn
sylvania Hospital five OF the patients will.
IL is thought. die before morning These
are two colored women, one colored man
and two colored children. These unfor-
tunates are so badly injured and under
going such severe suffering that their
names could not be obtained. Others at the
various hospitals will also die Among
these are Samuel Gale. aged forty (white).
and his daughter Florence Gale aged
twenty. Both badly burned. OF the
Rosenthal family Minnie. aged twelve
was taken from the ruins seriously in
jured and will die. The father is also badly
injured. but may recover The other men,
bers OF the family escaped uninjured
Up 10 1880 a. m. the police or fire officials
cannot add 10 the list OF the dead. but are
| positive that a number OF the bodies are