Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-02
MANY ARE KILLED
|NGAS EXPLOSION
Tenement Building in Chicago
Wrecked, Most of Victims
Being Foreigners.
SEVERAL RESCUED ALIVE

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, February "A gas explo-
sion and fire wrecked a tenement build
ing at S13-23 West 18th place. in the
heart of the west side early today.
An early estimate of forty persons
dead may be materially reduced. as
many hours later removal of debris en-
abled firemen to rescue five uncon-
scious adults. Firemen, police and Ia
borers. encouraged by sounds which
indicated others We're living, worked
franticaliy to remove wreckage. At
II o'clock two women, two girls and
man, unconscious, but with the
spark of life remaining. We're rescued
and sent to the county hospital.
The explosion was heard for miles :;
by some freak of the shock buildings
a few yards away were undamaged,
while windows were broken many
blocks further distant Hundreds of
Hebrew, Lithuanian, Polish and Rus
sian tenants of the district rushed into
the streets scantily clad. The explo-
sion wrecked one of the tenement
buildings which contained tWenty-four
fats sixteen of which were occupied.
The flames burst throughout the lower
floor Immediately. When hrenen ar
rived they were able to resuce few
children who were dropped by their
parents from upper windows. Some
adults also were saved in this way. A
group of railroad switchmen who hap
pened on the scene in advance of the
firemen were reported to have rescued
fifteen children. At daybreak Fire Chief
OConnor said the ruins were so hot
that it would be many hours before
search of the wreckage could be made
and the loss of life ascertained.
Due to Gas Main, Is Belief.
lowed the bursting of gas main in the
basement of the tenement house.
tenant of the building told Fire
Marshal O'ConneH that at midnight he
saw a neighbor moving through the
building with a handful of matches,
which he lighted from time to time,
apparently looking for a gas leak The
explosion may have resulted from this
The barking of a dog led to the re-
covery of the unconscious form of AL
Johnson. The dogs forepaws rested on
Johnsons chest. He was hauled to the
top of the heap with ropes. uninjured,
and his master after him.
i After working for an hour at wreck
age where means came from firemen
came upon man and woman in a
semi-conscious condition. The fremen
said that the voices were becoming
palmer and that number of persons
seemed to be imprisoned in sort of a
wreck-choked grotto< archeId over by
a fallen timbers.
Seven different Investigations were
begun by various city and county de-
partments. Morris Feldman. the janitor,
was sent for to confirm his story to the
police. He told the latter that on va
rious occasions complaint of the odor
of gas was made to the gas company
and that repairJnen sent out wrapped
the leaks with pieces of tape. One who
he said said that
he could nor handle the job alone and
Feldman said he went away without
doing anything.
The wAter thrown on the ruins froze
as fastas IL fell. The gas continued to
burn>1ong after the infiammable ma
terial of the building had been con-
sumed. lighting up the ice-covered OBJ
1ects in weird fashion.
& Many Hastily Leave Homes.
Many whose homes were in no danger
from the flames or who heard the ex-
plosions carried their household goods
into the street. Pavements and side
walks were Uttered with cradles,
chairs and tables-meager exhibits, tes-
tifying TO the poverty of the neighbor-
hood. Those driven from their homes
found refuge from the cold at Hull
House settlement, hospitals, police sta
tions and in stores. whose proprietors.
when alarmed by the explosion, opened
their doors.
In one little grocery store there was a
scene typical of many others. The place
was crowded with excited men and
women crying and talking excitedly in
Yiddish. Among them was Mrs. John
Lancowski. She wore nightgown, a
shawl. one slipper and one boot
She had brought her six children safe
ly out of the building. but in the ex-
citement ha| lost them again. The
oldest. she said. was ten
Patrick /Donohue, an assistant fire
marshall said that when he reached the
scene a great flame of gas was leaping
across West 18th place
Little Chance to Escape.
"a lot of those people," he said, were
in bed asleep and had no chance to es-
cape Where gas and flames did not cut
them Off falling stairways and crumbling
walls did,
Others who We're upon the scene early
assert that they saw women with hair
and clothing ablaze carrying or dragging
their bs bies into the street.
a score or more of persons were injured
in adjoining structures by broken glass or
in their rushes TO escape into the street
Most of these were cared for at the Coun-
ty Hospital
Morris Feldman. janitor of the building,
said that SiXty-Seyen persons were or
should have been in the building last
night. OF these ne said forty were miss
Ing and probably dead.
Among the buildings damaged was the
Garfield School. When the children as
sem6led and learned of the situation
they shouted with joy to each new conner:
'.No school today, No school today"
An incident disclosed by the coming of
daylight was that OF a year-oId
boy, Stanley Stilowitch. found freezing to
death. The explosion shut off the gas
and electric lights in the district and in
the darkness the child. clad only in a
union suit. ran into a secluded nook.
where. benumbed with cold. he fell asleep,
He was sent TO q hospital
Two tenants of the building who recov-
cred, but would not give their names sal
that the odor of gas observed yes
terday afternoon and was reported to the
gas company
Completely 10 extingnish the fire il was
necessary to dig down to the gas main
This. owing to the frozen ground was
slow work. and seven hours after the ey
plosion the main had not been reached
Belgian Relief Ships to Sail.
NEW YORK, February 2.-Steamships
a