Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-02-18
Gas Explosion Wrecks a
Building and Takes
Life Toll.
FOUR MEMBERS OF
2 FAMILIES CAUGHT
Were Gathering for Picture
Show and an Art
Exhibit.

LNlllDlt.
NfENIA, Tex. Feb. 16-Nne persons
AVA killec, Devcrai seriously injured
and property loss estimated ut s75,0DJ
resulted from tie collapse of the old
opera house and rcsultlnG gas ex-
piosion here shortly after O'Clock 90
night. Police stated at II o'clock
every person in the building nj the
time of the collapse had been ac-
counted FOR.
An art exhibition Dy students Of
tho MeXia schools was to have Lecn
held in .he builoinl tonight beginning
at O'Clock and those expected to at
tend had Just begun to arrive when
the Gisasted occurred There was u
great panic outside the building after
ho catastrophe but no one was in
jured.
The fire spread rapidly to adioninS
property but at II O'Clock wa3-hndcr
control after destroying five business
buildings al an estimated loss Of
$1,000.
The known dead:
\. y. Wci-ncr, superintendent
NCxia schools.
Mrs. \. B. WCisncr. his wife.
oscar JOilai>tn.
Ciaudc JOIGanscn, brother OF Oscar.
Ray Cox.
paul Ncldcll.
Ray Hit.
\. e. Bruton of Winnsboro, Texas.
Toll, WOmack. negro.
The known injured:
Mrs. John Davis.
Ten year old daughter Mr.. and Mrs.
4. B. WciSncr.
Mrs. J. ". KinchclOc.
Fari Hit.
Walter BCNi'!.
MI. &. \. Lycll.
Mr. EON Bass.
Blown Across street.
The crowd for the night exhibition
Of pictures had just begun to assem-
ble when the explosion occurred.
Professor and Mrs. Wesner and their
little S-year-old girl and Professor
Rruton, representing the school rae
ulty. Mrs. X. Il. Bass. Mrs. kinche-
loe, Mrs. Lyel and Mrs. Davis, repre-
seuting the mothers club, were lnside
tho opera house, the exhibit being on
the first floor of the building. The
women were hurled across the street
by the force of the explosion and are
seriously burned, though it is believed
t'.ey will recover.
The four young white men VINO
were killed were eating supper at
the time in the Mecca cafe, two doors
east of the opera house. ana the
repro who met his death was cooking
~ the cafe at the time. Bunk
I}cVills. seriously injured, was also an
occupant of the cafe.
G. w Perkins, city secretary,
entered the opera house at $50
o'clock and lit the gas stove in order
that the building might be comfort.
able for the evening exhibit ana
turned the key over to Professor Bru-
ton, the high school instructor in
chemistry, who later opened the
building and found everything all
right It is certain that / @ explosion
did not occur on the first floor of the
;. opera house.
Fire Followed.
Both the force of the explosion and
the falling of the heavy walls of the
opera house contributed to the de-
struction of the Mecca cafe, where SIX
lives were lost. yielding the heaviest
toll of any of the several buildings
that were destroyed.
Fire followed quickly in the wake
Of the explosion and though the fire
men fought valantly, assisted by
number of citizens, it was 10 o'clock
before the flames had been checked.
and at midnight the fire was still
burning, though it was under control.
Professor Bruton is "A single man
and all the young men who met
death in the restaurant were single.
IN addition to their little daughter,
who was painfully injured, Professor
and Mrs. Wicsncr are survived by
son ~ years old, who was not at the
opera house. The family came here
last summer from Bowie. Texas, and
Professor Wcisner was serving his
frs, term as superintendent of the city
schools. Professor Bruton claimed
Winnsboro as his home, though he
taught at TeXarkana last year
When the fire broke out ii not only
etc its way east to the eastern cx-
tromity of the block, which is also the
extremity of the business section. but
the flames continued westward to
Sherman street. the main street of the
city running north and south, taking
the Consumers wholesale grocery, the
store of Robertson & Bass, general
merchandise, and the Farmers State
bank, and reaching Sherman street
turned south on that street and had
reached the drug store of Cox & For
'rcst before it was brought under con-
troll.
While the total insurance carried
on the buildings could not be ascer-
tanned tonight all of them were par
TALLY insured. The houses destroyed
represented nearly fourth of the
business section of the city. Tho
building in which the Cox & Forrest
drug store is located was not COM
pletelv destroyed though the stock is
"a complete loss.
No such catastrophe has previously
occurred i'm this section of the state
and the whole town was thrown into
a furOre.