The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-17

of the office of the Police Dispatch Com
pany, on the second floor of the building.
were talking in front of the office of the
Indianapolis Coal Company, which has
seven-foot plate glass window. Both men
were blown almost to the car tracks in
Market street, and each was cut on the
hands and face by particles of broken glass.
The fact that they stood in front of this
particular window is largely the reason
they were not more seriously injured.
Twenty feet from them, in front of the
windows of the Market Pharmacy, man
who runs a night sandwich wagon was
standing He, too, was blown into the
street with great force and cut on the face
and hands by broken glass. He left be-
fore his name could be learned.
DOORS AND WINDOWS OUT.
Within few minutes after the explosion
an alarm of fire was sounded by the watch
man in the courthouse tower. At the same
time Merchant Policeman Thomas pulled
the box at Market and Pennsylvania
streets The explosion caused fire, which
Immediately escaped from the windows of
the basement and was soon noticed by the
tower watchman. When the fire depart
ment arrived it found the sidewalk and
street covered with small particles of glass.
storerooms were blown out into the street
by the terrific force of the explosion, and
pieces as large as the palm of a man s
hand were hard to find The firemen quick
ly brought several lines of hose to the
scene but only two were used. The flames,
which were principally in the cellar at the
west side, were soon extinguished with lit
tie fire loss The firemen then spent the
remainder of their time investigating the
origin of the explosion, which was a peril
Gus undertaking
a n 0Gff fcyaf inrl Of half
number of firemen, including First As
sistant Chief GlaZier, 1T was decided that
the explosion was caused by a fallen live
electric wire which had destroyed the pro-
lection to the artificial gas meter and had
ignited the gas. Evidence of this was
found in the condition of the meter itself,
which was blown thirty feet across the eel
lar, and also in the position OF the dang
ling wire. From evidences visible to the
fremen in their hurried search the effect
of the explosion had been moderate COM
pared 10 the extent of the gas leakage.
The building had been heated in its up
per floors by furnace situated directly
under the entrance. The hot air ducts
from this furnace, particularly in the office
of the Indianapolis Coal Company. were
found twisted and torn from place in the
flooring and walls and scattered about the
room In the barber shop adjoining many
articles were thrown about the room. In
the drug store at the corner OF Delaware
street the force of the explosion seemed
to have spent itself upon the plate glass
window, which was hurled from its fasten-
ing with scarcely a bit of glass left al
| though this glass, like all in the windows
| was more than a quarter of an inch thick.
BUILDING FULL OF GAS.
That human life was not lost by the ex-
| plosion is a marvel. The two men who
/ stood in front OF the Office OF the Indian
| apolis Coal Company were before the only
| window on the ground floor that was not
wrecked In srsakinT Of this AIR. 6srnii-