Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-03
MANY ARE KILLED
IN GAS 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 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-
ab1ed fremen to rescue five uncon-
scious adults Firemen, police and la
borers. encouraged by sounds which
indicated others were living. worked
frantically to remove wreckage. AZ
II o'clock two women, two girls and
a man. unconscious but with the
spark of life remaining, were rescued
and sent to the county hospital.
The explosion was heard for miles:
by some freak Of the shock buildings
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 firemen ar
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
fremen were reported to have rescued
fifteen children. At daybreak Fire Chief
OConnor said the ruins were SO hot
that 1t would be many hours before
q "a Hrf NJ 60 q sy& mi -
and the loss OF life ascertained.
Due to Gas Main, Is Belief.
The explosion is believed to have fol-
lowed the bursting of gas main In the
basement Of the tenement house.
A tenant of the building told Fire
Marshal O'Connell 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 q dog led to the re-
covery OF the unconscious form OF Al
johnson. The dogs forepaws rested on
Johnson's chest. He was hauled TO the
top of the heap with ropes. uninjured,
and his master after him.
After working for an hour at wreck
age where means came from dremen
came upon a man and a woman in q
semi conscious condition. The iremen
said that the voices were becoming
palmer and that a number of persons
seemed to be imprisoned In sort Of q
wreck-choked grotto arched over by
fallen timbers.
Seven different investigations were
begun by various city and county de-
partments. Morris Feldman, the tanitor,
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 repairmen sent out wrapped
the leaks with pieces Of tape. One who
he could not handle the job slone and
Feldman said he went away without
doing anything.
The water thrown on the ruins frozs
burn long after the infiammable ma
terial of the building had been con-
sumed, lighting up the ice-covered OBJ
jects 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
She wore a nightgown, q
shawl, one slipper and one boot.
he hoA oh hnr al oh
" out of the building. but in the sx-
element had lost them again The
oldest, she said, was ten.
Patrick Donohue. an assistant nrs
marshal, said that when he reached the
scene a great flame of gas was leaptnS
across West 14th place.
Little Chance to Escape.
"A lot Of those people," he said. were
n bed asleep and had no chance to es-
ape. Where gas and flames did not cut
hem off falling stairways and crumblins
walls did,
Others who were upon the scene early
.ssert that they saw women with hair
md clothing nblaze carrying or dragging
heir babies into the street.
A score or more Of persons were injured
n adjoining structures by broken glass or
n their rushes to escape into the street.
lost of these were cared for at the Couu-
y Hospital.
Morris Feldfnan. janitor Of the building,
aid that sixty-seven persons were or
hould have been in the building last
light OF these he said forty were miss
ng and probably dead.
Among the buildings damaged was the
fairfield School When the children as
embed and learned of the situation
hey shouted with joy to each new conner:
No school today! No school today!
An incident disclosed by the coming OF
aylight was that OF a seven-year-old
oy, Stanley Stilowitch. found freezing 10
cath The explosion shut OF the gas
nd electric lights in the district and II,
he darkness the child. clad only In a.