Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-12-28
CHRISTMAS PARTY
ENDS IN DISASTER
Destruction of John FaabOrg Home
Southwest of Town and Terrible
Results Worst Ever Known

One of the most horrible tragedies
on the Christmas season was the ca
plosion of light plant at the home
of John Faaborg, wealthy farmer
twelve miles southeast of Audubon
last Sunday. Word came shortly at
ter noon asking all of the physicians
of the city to asst in giving aid to
the twelve persons who were injured
and buried beneath the debris of the
house which was reduced to kindling
wood by the force of the explosion.
Mr.. Faaborg was the host at a
family reunion and they were cele-
brating the glorious Christmas sea-
son. Two of the sons with their fam
lilies, had come from Nebraska, while
the others were frrm Elk Horn and
Kimballton. Early in the morning
it was noticed that the lights, which
were furnished by an acetylene gas
plant, were not in order, and John
Nelson of Kimballton, a gas plant ex-
pert, had been called to inspect the
machine. He arrived about dinner
time VIXEN fourteen members of the
family were seated about the table,
and at once went to the basement with
Axel Faaborg to look at the plant.
When the door to the basement was
opened the explosion occurred. 1t is
thou sht that as soon as the door was
opened, the gas was ignited from the
kitchen stove,
The explosion shook the neighbor-
hood, the home was lifted into the
air and reduced to kindling wood,
and the members of the family, who
a few minutes before were happy and
WELL were found mangled and dying
among the ruins. Notone OF those who
were in the house escaped serious in
I jury. Rescuers rushed to the scene
Abut it was two hours before the last
iof the victims could be removed from
the ruins. Three of the victims were
Idead when found and one died Mon
iday morning while several of the 9TH
ers are expected to die as result of
! their injuries.
The members of the family of Nels
]. Anderson, situated short distance
from the Faaborg home, heard the ex-
plosion and rushing out of the house
sa,. the smoke and dust settling down
over the remnants of the house and
over the dead and dying.
They all ran to the scene of the
I disaster. They were appalled, and
lstunned Scarcely able to sense the
1ytent of the tragedy, they quickly
l,rned their attention to caring for
te Faaborg people. There was not
e in all that household who had not
ZEN injured and the least injured
tuld not for hours tell anything of
at had happened. Physicians were
/ lmoned from Harlan and Atlantic
s..4 as fast as possible the Anderson
n. 60 Int n FOL
and morgue. Several of the injured
and dead were buried in the wreckage
A member of the Anderson family
who was first on the scene said he
= would not attempt to describe it. All
of them were so terribly shocked that
memory of the tragedy will be car
ried with them through life.
When the physicians arrived it was
seen at once that nearly all of the in
jured were too badly hurt to permit
Of their removal to hospitals and with
two exceptions all are still being cared
for in the Anderson home.
Two of the wounded, Lydia and Of
to Faaborg, were taken to the Jones
hospital in Atlantic. The former is
recovering nicely. She has broken
leg and serious burns. The right
leg of Otto Faaborg was amputated
Tuesday morning and he is in very
serious condition.
Nelson was terribly burned and
mangled and is thought to have been
instantly killed. Axel Faaborg. who
went with Nelson to the basement,
was burned almost beyond recogni-
ton, but 1t is now thought will re-
cover
Ida and Christina Faaborg were
buried in the wreckage and died be-
fore the rescuers could reach them.
Mrs. John Faaborg died soon after
she was rescued from the ruins Of
the house. Several of the others
have very slight chance for recovery.
The nature of the injuries may be
imagined when 1t is known that no
less than thirteen compound tract
ures are reported to have been treat
ed. Eight surgeons worked all after
noon in performing operations and
setting fractured limbs.
The dead are:
John Nelson, AZ, Kimballton, cleo
trician.
Ida Faaborg, IA; daughter of John
Faaborg and wife.
Chr.rtina Faaborg, 8; daughter of
Chris Faaborg and wife.
Mrs. John Faaborg, A
The injured are:
Axel Faaborg, %; both legs brok-
en-, badly burned. Son of John Faa-
borg. May recover.
Anna Faaborg, IT; daughter of
John Faaborg, both feet amputated;
internally injured. May recover.
Mrs. MAIDS Faaborg, "a, Older,
nhr crli Of nct
lungs. Chance for recovery.
John Faaborg, IS, both legs brok-
Anton Faaborg, Nysted, Nebr.,
badly burned and cut.
/ Lydia Faborg, leg broken and burn
Otto Faaborg. z; son of John Faa-
borg. leg amputated, badly burned.
Knud Faaborg, IA; son of Soren
Faaborg, leg broken, one eye torn
out.
Infant son of Anton Faaborg and
wife, Is months old, 10th arms
broken.
The occasion OF the gathering was
dual in purpose. two sons and their
families from Nebraska having re-
turned home for family reunion
and the occasion being made one of
general jollity and Yuletide pleasure
for old and young. The sudden trans
formation of this happy home has
plunged the community into deep
grief,
Almost every possible kind and de-
gree of injury was found by the sur
geons. There were several with COM
pound fractures. Arms and legs
broken and all more or less seriously