New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-03
EXPLOSION HURTS MANY
FIREWORKS BLOW UP
Panic an Store an Worcester, Mass.-
One May Die.

Worcester Mass. July Accidentally st.r.
ping a bomb-jack. large torpedo, Alber,
Cilds. a clerk of the Nelson Five and Ten Con.
Store Nos. $40 and 52S Main ST., started a A.
at $50 o'clock tonight which caused the =,
ploson of S70O worth of fireworks, cutting =.
forty customers and clerks who were IN ia
store from the only exit Women and child,,.
We're injured and suffocated by smoke and v.
rescued from the cellar. where they had sas
to avoid the flames. Caught under fre.s.
elevator as it was descending with twenty-t,,
women on it into the bottom Of the pit Mamma
Obiginian was taken to City Hospital, wher.
his right leg was anputated. and he is not A..
pected TO live. Jacob Bedik, and Avigian Ova-
gilman, of New Haven. are dangerously III from
inhattng smoke. Twenty-Five women and Child
rem received minor injuries and were carried to
their homes in police ambulances.
Miss Alice Dunn. a clerk at the fireworks
counter, suffered intensely from inhaling smoke
and received Commissions OF the right knee and
right elbow. Albert Schmidt severely
burned on both hands by ball Of fire from
skyrocket which shot through the store and
caught him near the elevator. The discharge
of pyrotechnics created a panic among the men
women and children in the store. Skyrocketa
mines Roman candles and $500 worth OF fire
crackers filed the air with balls of fire and gave
the racket of field OF battle. With one wild
rush the crowd went TO the back OF the store
and to the elevator shaft Here they crowded
In wild confusion until Frances Hoyt, cashier
got to the place and quieted the crowd on the
elevator and started it toward the exit, one
story UP.
The elevator had just started. when some one
in the cellar pulled the cord and sent the ele-
vator into the cellar with its load OF human
freight. The cellar was fast filing with smoke
and there the fremen found the women halt
suffocated.
l. A Wetherbee and T. ]. Powers member,
of Ladder l. and Policeman T. J. Spencer got into
the cellar by smashing windows on the side
walk. Half OF the thirty women and children
were pulled through the windows and one load
was hoisted on the elevator by the fremeu
through the shaft. which was filed with smoke
Three ambulances from Station !. one in charge
of Chief of Police William J. E Stone. hurried
the injured and suffering to the hospital and
TO their homes. Stores about the region OF
Franklin Square were turned into irnprovised
hospitals. and dozens Of doctors volunteered
their services and attended the men and chill
dren suffering from inhaling smoke.
Chief George S. Coleman led the f1remen into the
burning store. facing the shower OF pyrotechnics
but water of against the explosives
and after the 500 worth had blown up
fire which had started in all parts of the store
was quickly eXClnSulSnSd. InerS were many
acts OF herOism by fremen and citizens, who
rushed into the burning store and rescued chill
dren. One little boy. who had been locked up
in room directly under where the fire started
on the charge of stealing candy in the store.
va" rescued by the firemen, terribly scared but
uninjured- When the fire started, William r.
Fay. manager OF the store. grasped a fire ex-
tinguisher. and. IN the face OF the exploding
fireworks in the big window, held his place until
he had emptied the contents on the blaze.
Main-St- rapidly filed with a Saturday
night crowd. and thousands in their exciteme1t
blocked the and lined the sidewalks so that
the police round hard work in making way for
ambulances and hremen. The street remained
crowded until late hour tonight