The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-22
KILLED WHILE SLEEPING
Eight in One Dunmore Family Wiped
Out by Explosion-Cause
Either Dynamite or Gas.
[From The Scranton Times.l


Eight persons are dead and an
other is in the State hospital with
little chance of recovery as the re-
sult of an explosion at 3:10 o'clock
Wednesday morning in the home of
Jean Batiste Coviello at 242 Elm
street, Dunmors.
Just what caused the explosion
has not been determined, and may
never be. One theory is that it was
the result of a diabolical Black Hand
plot, in which dynamite, nitro-gly-
cerine or some other high explosive
was used, and the other is that gas
Escaping from a broken main, caused
by mine cave. was ignited by a
lamp or stove in the Coviello home.
The dead:
Mrs. Jean Batiste Coviello, aged
forty-eight years.
William Coviello, aged twenty-one
years.
Lizzie Coviello, aged fourteen
years.
Lucy Coviello, aged fourteen years
Dominick Coviello, aged eight
years.
Mrs. Vito Summa, aged twenty
eight years; married daughter.
Rose Summa, aged four years.
Frank Summa, aged five years;
con of Mrs. Vito Summa.
The injured: Mamie Summa, aged
ten years; daughter of Mrs. Vito
Summa.
Jean Batiste Coviello, the head of
the house, is a night watchman for
the Scranton Gas and Water COM
Dany and was busy last night on
Green Ridge street. watching a re-
,.1, . h. t~ InfY IIa
was summoned about o'clock We'd
nesday morning, and after he had
Viewed the wreck, friends took him
20 the home of another married
daughter, Mrs. Jean DeLorenzo, 231
Smith street. about four blocks from
the scene of the tragedy. He and
Mrs LeLorenzo are the only two
members of the family alive. She
moved from her fathers home a
couple of months ago.
Only a mass of charred timber
and wood that is torn and split into
shreds remains of the two-story
house occupied by the family. The
three-story house of Michael Simone
occupied by two families and locat-
ed at 244 Elm street, caught fire
and is also a total loss.
Just a few minutes before the ex-
plosion occurred two men were said
to have been seen running at full
speed down Dudley street, five or six
blocks away from the scene of the
horror.
1t is estimated that at least a
Thousand windows were broken in
houses and stores in the neighhor-
hood.
Little Mamie Summa was heard
moaning and tender hands took her
from a tree in front of the house
where she had been thrown. She is
the only occupant of the house alive
She was unconscious when taken
from the tree and was still in thai
condition at o'clock this afternoon
according to officials at the State
hospital. There are a number o.
lacerations and contusions on hel
body and about the head, and she
is probably injured internally.
Coviello's house is just across the
street from the house of Mrs. Pat
rick Jordan, at 241 Elm street
whose cellar dropped into the mines
week ago. She heard voice:
shouting and lowered ladder intC
the hole in the cellar and rescued
two miners whose escape, otherwise
was cut off by the cavein.
That cavein extended to the stree
and broke the gas main. The hole
has been filled up and men employed
by the Scranton Gas & Water com
pany were still busy this morning
repairing the break.
Houses on each side were knocked
out of plumb, one burned to thu
ground and two across the stree
partially wrecked. People asleep II