Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-06
THIRTEEN DEAD.
Explosion of Gas With Deadly
Effect at Chicago.
One Building Demolished and Inmates
Buried in Ruins.
Other Buildings Fired Many People
Injured. Heavy.

Chicago, Feb. 5.-Thirteen lives wer,
! lost. many people slightly injured, tive
buildings at 312 and 374 22d street wer'
wrecked and $4,000 damage was don,
by an explosion of gas, tonight, at tn,
Intersection of 22d street and Archer
avenue. Following are the dead:
Otto Trostel 80 years. butcher; Mrs
| Otto Trostel, 80 years old; Otto Trostel
Jr.. years old; Lena Trostel, years
old; Annie Trostel. 3 years old; Mamie
Trostel. IL years old; Fred Trostel
butcher. nephew of Otto. Trostel, 2;
years old; Sophie Knight. domestic in
Trostel family; Mary Rosenthal, 8:
years old; Mrs. NJ. Kaufert; Edward
Kaufert, IA years old; Mamie Kaufert
years old; Andrew Kolb. roomer with
Mrs. kaufert.
The intured--Lucy Merranosky. An.
drew Finstalki. Augustus Kosler, Sing
Wah, Nellie Merchand, Kate Seaver
Emma Kolz, J. w. Mcleod, Mrs. ]. w
Mcleod. Timothy Moynhan. fireman
P. z. Donohoe, fireman, Peter Danus.
and, J. p. Collins, street car conduc.
ter blown through car from end to end
A. Barnes. street car conductor, blown
from car into street.
The list Of injured might be extend
ed to IS or 100. as there were many peo-
pie in the neighborhood who sustained
slight injuries from flying glass or
slight bruises caused by rails, but
whose names have not been reported
Only one of the bodies of the dead
that of little Lena Trostel-has been
recovered. All that it known of the
fate of the other L. reported dead, is
that they are thought to have been
the most Of them are known to have
been in the demolished houses and
since the explosion no trace of them
has been found.
The cause of the explosion is nm
known and it has not yet been deter
mined whether ii was server gas or IL
Illuminating gas. Mains filled with the
latter We're instantly ablaze after the
explosion and succession of expo
sions followed. the flames shooting up
through the manholes in the streets
Then the manhole half block south
on Archer avenue. was thrown into the
air by a loud explosion. Flames leaped
and roared from the hole. The fire
spread below the street and small man
holes were blown into the air. The
flames from the first gas main shot
high into the air and reached. with the
aid of the wind, the Trostle butcher
shop. The building was a three-story
frame structure and it had been weak
ened and nearly wrecked by the shock.
1t Is supposed that the occupants of the
building were knocked unconscious or
were too panic stricken to rush from
the place.
The flames caught the weather Worn
timbers and in an instant the flames
had enveloped the structure. With n
roar the building collapsed and the oc-
cupants with one exception We're car
ried with it to the basement.
The adjoining building, a two-story
structure, flared up. The next building
was wrapped in flames and then an
other structure caught fire and II SEEM
ed that the whole block would be wiped
out before the firemen could bring the
blaze under control. A fire wall Of
brick building at the corner of Archer
avenue and ed street held the fire in
that direction.
On the west of the burning buildings
were two small one-story cottages.
They were few feet from the burning
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