The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-18
FULLY 100 ARE INJURED
Urgent Call for Help Sent to
NeighbOring Cities.
Fort Recovery shaken and Later
Business Portion Is Fire-sweDf.
Cause of Disaster Not Known, and
Probably VIII Never Be Learned.
Parade Passed by but Few Minutes
BefOre-Rescuers Rush to Scene.

Celina Ohio, Oct IA dynamite ex-
pIosion In the MinaFding Hardware Com
panys store, at Fort Recovery, Ohio, 1T
noon to-day. wrecked the entire middle
section Of the town. -Four persons were
killed, two are missing, and at least
hundred persons injured. Physicians had
70 be summoned from other points 10 aid
the in5ured. The property damage Will
reach $4,000
Buildings in the neighborhood Of the
hardware store were wrecked and the
hardware store itself was demolished.
Fire followed the earthquake-like shock.
and for d time il seemed as if the entire
city was doomed. Fire apparatus and
fremen were sent from Lima and other
nearby towns, who were successful IN
checking the blaze before the toWn had
been completely destroyed.
AS the explosion occurred in the busi-
ness section al busy time Of the day,
there were many people in the streets.
ali Of whom were injured. The force
OF the explosion broke every window in
the town. and the shock was felt in
some Of the surrounding towns.
List of the Dead.
The dead are.
Aiss CLEO WEIs. aged tWsnty-thrae. bookksepeE.
HENRY LEAlMERS aged tweuty-threc.
JOSH ROSENER. aged forty-fve.
CHARLES WAGNER. aged foTty.
a customer and a travelling salesman.
whose identity has not been learned. are
reported missing
The seriously injured are:
John McAiullen, lee almost torn from body: can
not live
Mrs; John MsNlullen. leg cut and side sashod.
d. kiddOck. leg broken.
\. l. Riclier. les broken.
Henry Claughman. internal injuries
Ms George Record body badly bruised
Many others were injured. but all were
able 10 go to their homes. and in the con-
fusion their names were not obtained.
The cause Of the explosion is not known.
il Is suggested that a gasoline tank In
the building caught fire in some way and
exploded first. setting of d large quantity
Of dynamite which was kept in the place
Il is also declared that the explosion
occurred in the engine room OF the
Journal -'rinting Company. next door TO
the hardware store, and that the Jar set
OF the dynamite in the store.
Cause Is Not Known.
Both the store and the printing Office
were destroyed, so st cannot be de-
termined where the first explosion oc-
Cured Just before the explosion oc-
Cured a parade had taken place through
the main street IN front Of the hard
ware store. The street was crowded with
people watching the parade
Suddenly there was a terrible roar and
the earth seemed to rock. The hardware
open. There was another big explosion
and people were knocked from their feet.
Women screamed, and the groans OF the
injured could be heard on every side.
Fire broke out in the two ruined build
ingS, and. famed by a light wind, swept
along Main street
All the buildings in the vicinity were
shaken 10 the foundations, and the crash
OF falling glass could be heard through
out the town People living on the out
skirts OF the downtown section rushed
to the rescue Of the injured. They found
the street hlled with unconscious men
and women, who had been stunned by the
explosion.
ResCuers Rush 10 Scene
In response to the cries for help. which
could be heard coming from the wrecked
buildings, the rescuers entered. They
found many persons suffering from cuts
from broken glass. and some were crush
ed by the walls of the buildings which
had collapsed. Stores several blocks from
the scene Of the accident which had es-
capped material damage were turned
into temporary hospitals. where the in
Jured were taken.
In was then found that the fire was
assuming alarming proportions. Near
by towns were called upon, and fire
men and apparatus were rushed here
from Cold Water, St Henry and Port
land. Ind. By o'clock the fredghters
had succeeded in checking the blaze A
dozen buildings were destroyed before the
fire could be gotten under control The
buildings destroyed We're: The Journal
Printing Company, Heiby saloon. Bank OK
Fort Recovery. b. w. Ropes residence,
barn and blacksmith shop. telephone ex-
change, MOTvelius Opera House. Minard-
ing dry goods and hardware store.