The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-06
THIRTEEN LIVESLOST
TERRIBLY FATAL GAS EXPLOSION
IN CHICAGO.
ENTIRE FAMILY WIPED OUT.
ONLY ONE BODY RECOVERED
FROM RUINS.

The TrostIe Family, Including Hus-
band, Wife, Five Children and Do
mestfc, All KiIIed-Whether Sewer
or Illuminating Gas Caused ExpIo-
sion Is Undecided-Three Build
ings in Succession Crashed 10 the
Ground and Then Took Fire From
Blazing Gas Mains.
Chicago Feb, 5.-Thirteen lives were
lost, many people were slightly injured,
two buildings at 372 and 374 Twenty
second street were wrecked, and $780,
600 damage was done by an explosion
of gas tonight at the intersection of
Twenty second street and Archer ave-
nue.. Following are the dead:
Otto Trostel, SO years old, butcher.
Mrs. otto Trostel. 35 years Old.
Otto Trostel, Jr., years old.
Lena rrostel, years old
Annie Trostel. 9 years old.
Mamie Trostel, II years old.
Fred Trostel butcher, nephew of OF
To- Trostel, 23 years old.
Sophie Knight domestic in Trostel
family.
Mary Rosenthal. 80 years old, 2111
Purple street
Mrs. M. Kaufert, 374 Twenty-second.
Edward Kaufert, IA years old.
Mamie Kaufert, years old.
Andrew Kolb, roomer with Mrs. Kau-
fert.
Only one OF the bodies of the dead
that of little Lena Trostel-has been
recovered. All that is known of the
fate of the other twelve reporrei dead
is that they are thought to have been
the most of them are known to have
benin the demolished houses. and
since the explosion no trace Of them
has been found.
The cause Of the explosion Is un
known and II has not yet been deter
mined whether ii was sewer gas or
Illuminating gas Mains filled with the
latter were instantly ablaze after the
explosion and a succession of explo-
sions followed. the flames shooting up
through the manholes in the street. 1t
will be difficult to ascertain whether
| the Illuminating gas exploded or
| whether the mains were broken by the
| exposion of sewer gas.
Many people living In the vicinity
believe that the first explosion was in
| main at Twenty second street and
| Archer avenue.
Then the manhole half a block south
on Archer avenue was thrown into the
air by a loud explosion.
The TrostIe Building wrecked.
The flames from the first gas main
shot high into the air and reached,
with the aid of the wind, the Trostle
hut ch a
three-story frame structure, and it had
been weakened and nearly wrecked by
the shock. With a roar the building
collapsed and the occupants, with one
exception, were carried with IL to the
basement. The adjoining building, a
two-story structure hared up. the next
building was wrapped in flames and
then another structure caught fire.
on several street cars near the place
the windows were smashed and the
passengers severely shaken up. When
people in the cars saw the flames gush
from the ground, all hands rushed for
the doors. A number of persons were
bruised and knocked down in the cx-
cited exit. One car filled with passen-
gers was thrown from the tracks.
Among the dead are supposed to be
three children of the Trostle family,
whose bodies have not yet been re-
tONCICu. II 10 liOb BOSillNCAt
that they were in the house at the
time, but search of the neighborhood
has not shown any trace of them.
There were six children in the family.
and there is little doubt that all the
eight members of the family were
killed. The three other people, who
are said to be dead, are supposed to
be customers in the meat market at
the time of the explosion.
he of he
not known. but all indications show
that 1t was due to escaping gas In the
basement of the Trostle house.
The explosion came without an in
stant's warning. Adjoining the Tros-
tie building on the west, at 274 Twen-
ty-second street was a two-story
frame building in which John Mcleod
had saloon. 1t vanished I'm the same
second as the meat market. 1t was
reported that one or two people were
killed here. but the story could not be
substantiated.