The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-04-13
WORKMEN ESCAPE DEATH
Explosion Caused by overheated Stove
Levels Tool Shed Shack and Causes
Damages in Wide Stretch of Terri
tory-Gasoline Probable Cause.
(From Tuesdays Daily

city wasafocked as by an earthquake
just before ten O'Clock this morning
when an explosion occurred in a work
shed owned by the James Kennedy
Sewer Contracting company. It is
claimed that ten gallons of gasoline
I formed the basis of the explosion and
| the effect of it was felt over a wide
territory extending from Balm avenue
on the west to Erie street on the east
and south as far as Tanck avenue.
The best records that the police and
fire department. could secure of the eff
fects of the explosion showed that
windows had been broken in score
Ct houses in the territory effected and
in addition to this the walls Of one
brick house were cracked. The explo-
sion is supposed to have been caus-
ed by an overheated stove setting
fire to the shanty.
1t was rumored that there had been
large amount of explosive stored in
the building, but this fact was denied
by the officials of the contracting COM
their knowledge there was only two
cans of the gasoline and no explosive
OF any other kind in the small build
ing. The building, frame shack
seventy-fve by thirty feet, was com
pletely wrecked and portions of it
were hurled on telephone wires on
Salem avenue more than a hundred
feet from the site of the building.
There was the element of luck in
connection with the explosion and it
seems to be almost miracle that no
one was killed. The reports given to
the police and the fremen indicate
that no one was even injured as a re-
suit Of the showers of broken windows
and flying timbers. Ten minutes be-
fore the two cans of gasoline let go
with a terrific report a dozen men had
been in the little frame shack, but one
OF the men in charge of the furnace
work discovered the fire and drove the
men out Of the building.
The force of the explosion was clear
ly felt way down on Tanck avenue
and in the immediate neighborhood of
the building people rushed from their
homes into the street fearing that
their houses were about to fall down.
Many people in the west section of the
city believed that there had been an
explosion of one of the buildings at
the power mill of Pleasant Prairie
A hurried call was sent to the fire de-
partment, but when the men from the
central and west side departments
reached the scene of the explosion the
small building was already mass of
smouldering ruins. If there had been
any explosives in the building it would
have been impossible to tell as
the only thing that remained was
portions of the stove which it is
claimed caused the fire.
Charles Kennedy when seen said:
" So far as [ know there was nothing
Of an explosive nature in the building
with the exception of the cans of gaso-
line. Some time ago we had been
forced to use explosives to break the
frost in the ground but we have not
used any for some time and it is my
understanding that no explosives re-
manned in the building"
This statement was borne out by
other men who were employed by the
company. Thomas Hoban, the city
inspector on the sewer, was standing
only few feet from the building
when the explosion took place. Broken
and splintered timbers rained about
him, but not one of them touched
him and he did not have scratch to
show for his near approach to the
bright face of danger.
The home of Jacob Zimmerman Just
across the street from the ruined
building on Salem avenue, seems to
have sustained the greatest damage.
The windows in the front part of the
house were broken out as if cut with
a glass cutter and there was a big
crack in the building on the west side.
Nearly every window was broken in
the home of John F. Derwae at 807
Superior street. The members Of the
Zimmerman and Derwae families
were In the houses at the time and
they were considerably shaken up by
the explosion, but they were not in
jured. In many houses surrounding
the corner of Salem avenue and
Superior street, damage was reported.
Within few minutes after the fire
was under control the Kennedy COM
pany had sent out men to ascertain
just where damage had resulted from
the explosion and orders were given
that the damage be repaired at the ex-
pense of the sewer contractors.
The explosion caused oraat aroit~