The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-06-05
Explosion in Big Peoria DistiI- IGry Cause Property Loss
 of Over $JOOO,OOO
WHISKY WAS A FOOT DEEP
 IN ADJOINING STOCK PENS
One Man Is Washed Seventy-five Feet By Flood of Spirits Rushing From the Ware
 house.

Peoria, IL, June 4.-Ten men were killed, score injured, 3o000 barrels of whisky destroyed and 5000 cattle burned to death as the result of an explosion at the plant of the Corning distillery com rany this afternoon.
 The immense warehouse in which the explosion occurred was destroyed, and three other buildings were gutted by flames The property loss is over $10oo,0OO It is thought that the death list will be increased.
 The Corning distillery plant is said to be the second largest in the world.
 The ten men were buried beneath the ruins by the explosion and burned to death. Six others were seriously injured
 The loss to the distillery will approxi- mate $l 100000. The fire spread to the stock yards, where a dozen large cattle barns, filled with cattle, were burned The loss to the stock yards is S250,0oO.
 The dead: Fred Knoll. Louis Behrend, John Hobecker, Joe Zimmerman, Louis Sax, William Finley, Jr, F. w. Brown. M. Crowl, John Leppin, William Field
 The injured--Adam Werner Edward Werner, Elmer Hogan, J. B. Marshall, James M. Miller Allie Feinberg.
 Explosion in Warehouse.
 The explosion occurred in an eleven story warehouse, the third catastrophe in less than year to overtake the distillery. Two ,ther explosions followed in rapid szsslsesssias kuttheir cause mas n. not psen !, 9stermined ... ...s '.s.. ~. N Fire. followed the xnlosiops The plaat asa5ii was surrounded by thousands or nzeaons sho were anablesto get close to the st.11tures on account of inc Intense heat. 1he warehouse, containing in the reighboriiood of 5000 barrels of whisky, soon was a seething cauldron. The ware house in crumbling set fire to tho smaller structures, while whiskey from the burn ing barrels flooded the street and ran in streams toward the river. In a snort time there was a foot of whisky in the cattle pens east of the warehouse. This whisky burned hercely, and the bawling of the 5000 steers, chained fast, was piti- aple Their distress lasted only few moments, however, for they were soon roasted or suffocated by the deadly fumes.
 Soon Food for Flames.
 Two large fermenting houses were soon food for the flames being almost destroyed. The fiermen made a gallant fight against great odds.
 A high wind was blowing and fanling the flames in the direction of the Mon arch distillery. For time it was feared that the fire would sweep along the en- tire river bank, but by ' o'clock the fire was under control
 Elmer Hogan was at work in the ware house when the collapse came He was washed out through break in the build ing by the big stream of whiskey He was carried 75 feet towards the rrver before being lodged against fence, from which he escaped before the fire over took him. He can not recover.
 Fred Knoll and William Finley had just left the building when the explosion and collapse came Finley turned just in time to see the wall fall on his com panion.
 It is believed that all the government men have escaped.
 Was EIeven-Story Structure.
 The warehouse where the first explosion occurred was an eleven-story frame structure, covered with corrugated iron. It was 100 by 200 feet and contained 30-oo0 barrels of spirits. Another warehouse containing the cistern room, was a three story brick building, 10Ox200 feet It con- tained in the neighborhood of 52,0oO thou sand gallons of spirits. In the two fer menting rooms, which were 10Ox1S0 feet were eighteen tubs with a capacity of 1000 bushels of mash each. They were all filled and contained about 5000 gallons of spirits each. All this went up in flames, and added to the general loss.
 The house of Dan Giese and John Me Donald were burned and the families had