Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-02-14
BLAST KILLS MANY.
EXPLOSION IN CHICAGO MEAT
SHOP SPREADS RUIN.
Family of Seven Wiped out-Four
Other Persons Vanish - Manholes
Blow UP and Flames Leap from
Openings and Ignite Near Buildine..

Ten persons. including a family Of sew
en- members, persisted in a fire that was
accompanied by an extensive series of ex-
plosions on Twenty-second street, Chi
cage. at z O'Clock Wednesday evening.
There are four other supposed victims
OF the disaster. The flames. which de-
stroycd the building Mt SO2 T%wenty.sec-
ond street. had their origin in the butch
er shop owned by Otto Trostel and is
SAID to have been caused by an explosion
or gas. The entire neighborhood was
shaken by the blast and scores of per-
sons were injured by falling glass. Add
ing to the general HORROR the gas mains
In the district ignited and explosion af-
ter explosion followed the destruction Of
the Trcstel ,tome.
The first explosion occurred during the
busiest ho Ar Of the day in Trostel's
butcher sAop. No n appears able to
explain 'Ac cause. Many of those who
were in fhe shop at the time succeeded in
reaching the street, but Trostel and his
family persisted. Trostel lived above
the b ftcher shop and neighbors say his
wife ana children were about to retiSe
wheh the explosion occurred. Immedi-
ute ~ after the first explosion the build
in & occupied by Trostel collapsed and in
a. few seconds the adjoining structure fell
N q heap. The latter building was occu-
I pied by John w. Mcleod as a saloon
and the proprietor was standing in the
front door when the explosion occurred.
Ihe crashing Of glass for several blocks
on either side Of the burning buildings
created a panic and men. women and
children t1ocked into the streets in ter
ror.
Several firemen after their arrival On
the scene declared that they heard the
cries of children in the Trostel home, but
before they could enter the building it
had collapsed. FLAMES shot up from the
debris aud at the same time the gas
mains in the district began to burst. with
rumbling detonations.
The explosions followed so quickly that
1t was hard to distinguish them. The
first was in n main at Twenty-second
street and Archer avenu Then the
cover of the manho!e half a block south
in Archer avenue was thrown into the
mir with a loud report. Flames sprang
from the hole. The fire spread below the
street and the covers of smaller man.
holes were blown into the air. West in
Cwenty-second street a third main eX-
ploded.
The flames from the main in Twenty
second street shot high into the air and
reached with the aid of the wind the
butcher shop of Otto Trostel. The build
ing was a three-story frame structure.
The fire reached ont and caught the
weather-worn timbers. The dry wood
was a feeding place for the flames and
in u moment they had enveloped the
doomed structure. At this juncture the
bu hiding collapsed.
The adjoining two-story structure then
d:lred up and a moment later an ada.
gent building caught fire.
1t seemed that the whole block would
ne wiped out before the fremen could
bring the blaze under control. But Il Tire
wall Of a brick building at the corner OF
Archer avenue and Twenty-sccond stree,
checked the flames in that direction.
Disaster had followed the explosion
The district was wrecked. Window glass
had been broken and bottles and glass
ware in saloons had been thrown to the
door md shattered. Officials of the gas
company say that they can give no ex,
planatiOn of the explosions.