The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-25
POOL ROC'1M IS BLC<TN UP Ezploe, of Gas or Y Gasoline. THIRTY PERSONS WOUNDED Sixteen of Them Receive Dangerous Injuries.
 Bank Roll Containing $55, ,ooo Blown
 Away by the ooncussion, But Most of It is Re- covered.
THIRTY PERSONS WOUNDED

Hot Springs, Ark, Dec. 3i.-By an ex- plosion of gas or gasoline in the cellar of the Turf Exchange. a club house and pool room operated by Chambers and Walker. the building was badly wrecked and thir- ty persons were wounded. sixteen of them da dangerously. The most seriously wound ed are:
 R. c. Chambers. one of the propristors. both legs and wrists broken. William Helwig. blind bath house manager, both legs broken. will die; J. s. Mseks, Hot Springs. legs brokon: Joseph Pace. hotel keeper. Hot Springs, legs broken; - Finnegan. plumber. Hot Springs, both legs broken; James Cowen, Hot Springa both legs broken; William Metxer, q boy, Hot Springs, both legs broken, skull trac- tnred. will die; James Coughlin. plumber Hot Springs, leg broken; C. c. Rafkor, Milwaukee. Mis-. both legs broken; Allen Hotchkiss, Hot Springs, knee fractured; T. o. Oxier. engineer, Hot Springs, both broken; F. CranfieId. Cincinnati. legs broken. ribs crushed; Walter Powers, St. Louis, Mo, arm broken: Eugene Dafy Hot Springs, both legs broken; Thomas Phelan. telegraph oporator, Hot Springs, badly cut c. R. Donneliy, ESQ State Street. Chicago leg broken. face badly cut. will die: J. O. Bureh, Chicago. leg broken. not expected to live; W. .. Mo. Ininerney. Louisville. ky. internal inju- ries. probably die: Henry Lindsey, New YerA injured about lower limbs; J. C. Crawford, Cincinnati. leg and wrist broken.
 Twelve others sustained bruises and slight injuries. .4.-.
 Walls Fell on Victims. About 4 o'clock this afternoon the poo room was crowded with more than 1Ot persons. Just as d race aT New Ofieshs was being called by the operator the heoI of the building seemed to rise and Tn an | instant report that shook the entire block rang out. The upper floor and back walls of the building fell on the mass of struggling men who were wildly excited in an endeavor to escape to the street The entire house looked as if tornado had plowed through its center. The front glass windows were broken and both sides of the structure were shattered by the concussion which resembled the re- port of a twelve-pounder.
 The news of the catastrophe spread ratp- idly and soon Central Avenue was jam uleu Wltn peOple. 1NepoIlS we're SuTIth' that several persons had been killed. The police and fremen took charge of the building and the work of rescue began Men were pulled from under the debris in a terribly shattered state. One of the most pitiable sights was when Billy Helwig, the blind manager of the Lamar bath house was taken from the ruins i Helwig is known to the thousands of wis itors who come to Hot Springs annually Well Known Sporting Man.
 R. c. Chambers, one of the proprietors oS the Turf Exchange, is also lessee of the Fort Erie, Ont, race track and is one of the best known sporting men In the country. His condition Is serious.
 The injured were taken in charge by the local physicians and everything possible Is being done to alleviate their suffer ings.
 The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been determined. It Is said by some that gas, which had escaped in the cellar of the building was ignitad in some manner, causing the terrible accident. Another report which is probably cor rect says a driver of a gasoline wagon vas filling a tank in the cellar whom the explosion occurred
 The police have made a full investga' tion and have held Ben Murray, who i1 alleged to be responsible for the disaster 1 in careless handling of the high comous' tible. The bank roll of the pool room consisted of S65, 900 and was blown away in the explosion, but the greater part oi 1 1t has been recovered.