The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-25
Explosion in Hot Springs Pool Room While t Was
 Crowded,
THE WALLS FELL ON A
 HUNDRED STRUGaLING MEN
The House Looked as If a Tornado Had Ploughed Through the Center. Wild Efforts Made to Escape
 In ~treet-The Injured.

Hot Springs, Ark, December A.-By an explosion 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 thirty people were injured, sixteen of whom are in serious condition. The most seriously injured are:
 R. C. Chambers. one of the proprietors. both legs and wrists broken.
 William Helwig, a blind bath house manager, both legs broken, will die. J. S. Meeks, Hot Springs. badly bruised and cut.
 Joseph Kinney. Hot Springs. legs broken.
 Joseph Pace, hotel keeper, Hot Springs. leg broken
 - Flnnegan, plumber, Hot Springs. both legs broken.
 James Cowen. Hot Springs both legs broken.
 William Metzer. a boy, Hot Springs, legs broken, skull fractured. will die.
 J. c. Burch, Chicago. leg broken, not expected to live.
 w. s. McInerny, Louisville, Ky inter- nal injuries, probably die.
 Henry Lindsay, New York, injured about lower limbs.
 J. c. Crawford, Cincinnati, leg and wrist broken.
 James coughlan, Plumber, Hot Springs, leg broken.
 c. G. Parker, Milwaukee Wis. both legs broken.
 Allen Hotchltss. Hot Springs, knee fractured. T. oszier. engineer. Hot Springs, both legs broken.
 IT. George, New York, leg broken. F. cranheld, Cincinnati, leg broken, ribs crushed.
 Walter Powers, St. Louis, arm broken Eugene Daily. Hot Springs, both legs broken.
 Thomas Phelan, telegraph operator, Hot Springs, badly cut
 O. R. Donnelly. visitor, Chicago. fore arm and knee broken; will die.
 Twelve others sustained bruises and slight injuries.
 The Explosion. About o'clock this afternoon the pool room was crowded with more tnan 10[ persons. Just as a race at New Orlean was being called by the operator. th floor of the buf'ding seemed to rise ar @ in an instant 2 report that shook entire block rang out The upper fo and back walls of the building fell .he mass of struggling men who w wildly piled in an endeavor to esca to the street The entire house looked = If tornado had ploughed through its center. The front glass windows were broken and both sides of the structure W ere shattered by the concussion, which resembled the report of twelve-pounder. Inc news of the catastrophe spread rap dly. and soon Central avenue was jammed with people. Reports were cur rent that several persons had been killed. The police and flremen took charge of the building and the work of rescue be- gan. Men were pulled from under the debris in a terribly shattered state. One of the most pitable sights was when Billy Helwig the blind manager of the Lamar bathhouse, was taken from the ruins. Helwig is widely known to the thousands of visitors who come to Hot Springs annually R. C. Chambers, one of the proprietors of the Turf Exchange, Is also lessee of the Fort Erie, Ontario, 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 ros- sble is being done to alleviate their suf- ferings.
 Exact Cause Unknown.
 The exact cause of the explosions has not yet been determined. It is said by some that gas, which had escaped in the cellar of the building, was ignited in some manner, causing the terrible acci- dent.
 The police have made a full investiga- tion, and have held Ben Murray who is alleged to be responsible for the disaster in careless handling of the high com bustible.
 The bank roll of the pooiroom consisted of $50,000 and was blown away in the et1- plosion. but the greater part of 1t has been recovered.
 Another report. which is probably cor rect, says driver of gasoline wagon was filling a tank in the cellar when the explosion occurred.
 A Victim Dies.
 Billy Helwig, one of the victims of the explosion. died at midnight
 Willie Metzger. the 12-year-old boy who was injured, IS not. expected to survive many hours
 The condition of R. c. Chambers is now considered more serious than at first re- alized.