Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-02-13
The Dead.

me DEAD.
Otto Trostle, aged 35.
Mrs. Otto Trostle, aged 35-
Otto Trostle, Jr., aged 2.
Lena Trostle, aged Z.
Annie Trostle, aged 8.
Marie Trostle, aged II.
Fred Trostle, butcher, nephew of
Otto Trostle, aged 23
Sophie Knight, domestic in the
Trostle family.
Mary Rosenthal, aged 80.
Mrs. M. Kaufert.
Edward Kaufert, aged IA
Mamie Kaufert, aged 4.
Andrew Kolb.
Lucy Merranosky, cut on head and
face by glass.
Andrew Finstalki, cut, and internal
injuries.
Augustus Roster, cut about the face
Sing Wah, blown through window,
cut and bruised.
Nellie Merchant, cut by glass.
Kate Seavor, cut on face and head.
Emma Folz, cut by glass.
j. W. Mcleod, cut by glass.
Mrs. J. w. Mcleod, cut and badly
bruised.
Timothy Moynihan, fireman, hands
badly burned.
P. E. Donohue, fireman, left arm
cut with axe.
Peter Danusand, cut by glass
J. P. Collins, street car conductor,
blown through car from end to end;
cut, and slight internal injuries.
A. Barnes, street car conductor,
blown from car into the street; badly
bruised.
The list Of injured might be extend
ed to rs or 100, as many in the
neighborhood sustained injuries from
flying glass or slight bruises caused
by falls, but whose names have not
been reported. Only one Of the bodies
of the dead-that of little Lena
Trostle-has been recovered. All
that is known of the fate of the other
Twelve reported dead is that they are
thought to have been-most of them
known to have benin the demolish-
ed houses and since the explosion no
trace Of them has been found
The cause of the explosion is I'M
known and it has not yet been de-
termined whether it was sewer or
illuminating gas. The mains filed
with the latter and were instantly
ablaze after the first explosion and a
succession of explosions followed, the
flames shooting up through man
holes in the street. It will be difficult
to explain whether the Illuminating
gas exploded or whether the mains
were broken by the explosion Of
sewer gas.
Two other explosions of gas fol-
lowed so quickly that it was hard to
distin guish them. The first to ex-
plode was the main at 22d street and
Archer avenue. The manhole half a
block south of Archer avenue was
thrown into the air. Flames leaped
and roared from the hole. The fire
spread below the street and smaller
manholes were blown into the air.
Flames from the first gas main shot
high into the air and with the aid of
the wind reached Trostle's butcher
shop. The building, a threestory
frame, had been weakened and nearly
by the shock. 1t is supposed
that the occupants were knocked un-
or were too panic-stricken
to rush from the place. The dry,
rotting wood was food for the fire and !
in an instant the flames had en-
veloped the structure. The building |
collapsed and the occupants, with one |
exception, were carried with it to the
basement.
An adjoining building, a two-story
structure, fared up next and the build
ng was wrapped in flames. And then
another caught 1t seemed that tie
whole block would be wiped out.
glass throughout the neigh
,orhood was broken and glassware
n dwellings and stores was thrown
Town and broken. Many persons In
he buildings nearby were knocked
Town. Scores Of men and women,
many carrying children, rushed to
he street. They were greeted by the
;lare of fire from the manholes.
Many women were screaming with
ear. Street car windows were
mashed and passengers severely
haken up. The sight of the flames
ushing from the ground caused
'anic in the cars and a number OF
'ersons were bruised and knocked ,