The Williamson enterprise. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1907-1911, 1911-01-19
20 KILLED IN BLAST.
EXPLOSION AND FLAMES IN A
STORE AT coNNELsviLLE, pa
CAUSES DEATH OF MANY.
CRUSHED BY FALLING WALLS
Ruins Are lgnltetd by Escaping Gas
and .Rescucrs Are Prevented From
Giving Relief to victims-Buslness
Section Of Town Threatened.

Connelsville, Pa, Jan. IA gas ex-
plosion In the building occupied by
McCrory's Ave and ten-cent store
wrecked the building. 1t Is reported
that 20 girls are missing. -
| 1t cannot be determined whether
the list of missing will be increased
until the debris of the collapsed walls
has been searched.
There were customers In the store
when the explosion occurred, but the
exact number is not known.
Several Buildings Burned.
The buildings burned were: Nc
Crory's store, Citizens National bank,
Grahams drug store, residence and Of
fee of DR.. H. F. Atkinson, residence
of Fire Chief Mitchell.
There were about 20 customers In
McCrory's store when the gas ex-
ploded The front wall was thrown
into the street In falling 1t carried
down large number of electric wires.
These were tangled in mass and pre-
vented for time any attempt to res
cue those imprisoned in the wrecked
structure.
Hurled Out With Plano.
Ada Mitchell, the piano player, COM
planned to Manager Poff Of strong
odor Of gas. He went to investigate.
Before his return the explosion oc-
Cured Miss Mitchell, who was sit
ting at the piano, WAS hurled, with
the instrument, from the rear of the
building through the entire length and
into Apple street.
Four carpenters were at work in
the cellar Three escaped with
slight burns while the fourth will prob
ably die.
Fire appeared to break out In all
parts of the building and within few
minutes other walls began to fall.
Merchandise was scattered high upon
the floors, many clerks being buried
underneath.
Then the walls Of adjoining build.
ings began to go down. Finally res
cuers were organized and succeeded in
clearing away the wires. They
forced passage into the five and ten
cent store. Here they located strick-
en- employees and customers, and as
each was found he was carried out,
Ambulances had been summoned, and
those of the injured who could not be
cared for by physicians on the ground
were hastily hurried away to hos
| pitfalls.
Outside Fire Department Aids.
| Uniontown responded to the call for
help, and sent fire fighting apparatus
and large force of men. These aid
ed the Connellsville department in
completing the work Of rescue and In
fighting the fire, which was gaining
rapidly.
With the flames subdued, 1t is hoped
to recover the bodies Believed to be
In the ruins before night
1t developed that there had been
two explosions, one in the Citizens
National bank, whose fF0nt was also
blown out.
Falling walls broke the electric
wires in North Pittsburg street, where
the McCrory store is situated, making
1t impossible for rescuers to enter the
wrecked building.
Within ten minutes after the explo-
sion the walls Of McCrory's had all col
lapsed.
20 FIremen Injured In N. Y. Blaze.
New York, Jan. 13.-Twenty f1remen
were. injured and damage aggregating
$4,000 was caused by five fires.
Fireman Leo Hackbarth fell four
stories down an airshaft and through
a skylight In a burning Harlem tene-
ment.
Whole Town Is Threatened.
WEIGH. w. Va, Jan. ia fire
which started in Hudson Bros saloon
destroyed several buildings and threat
ems now the entire town. Bluefield
has been requested to send fire ap-
paratus to assist the local department
The damage to date is 100000.