The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-01-02

BILE for anyone to have survived was
considered to be utterly improbable
Notwithstanding the desolate appear
ances, a number of men entered the
building before it had entirely settled
and several human lives were saved
Mrs. Robert Snyder, owner of the no
tel, and her daughter, Miss Helen Sny-
der, aged % years, both of whom had
been on the second floor that had now
settled to almost the level of the first
story, were gotten out, the latter by
the breaking in of the door of her
room. Both were found to have es-
capped injury beyond few bruises and
scratches. Mrs. Mary E. Hudson,
mother of Mrs. Snyder, was dragged
from beneath a steam radiator. The
work of rescue continued until mid
afternoon, when the last body was got
ten out.
The list of dead and injured follows:
Robert Morris Snyder, aged 20, son
of the landlady, dead when found.
Charles Gray, bartender, aged 35,
dead when found.
The injured are:
Nathaniel Thomas, colored porter,
badly burned about the legs, chest and
face. He was in a critical condition,
but rallied sufficiently the next day to
give a brief statement of what hap
pened in the cellar. He is in serious
condition. 1t is feared he cannot re-
cover from his wounds and the shock
to his nervous system.
Mrs. Mary E. Hudson, skull slightly
fractured at the forehead, and injuries
to body. caused by being struck by
radiator.
William Hollingsworth. colored, bad
ly injured arm and Commissions,
Herbert Bentley, colored cook, brol-
en- arm, severe burns and Commissions.
Benjamin Armstrong, colored, burns
ON face and chest, and eyes affected.
Mrs. Snyder and daughter and all
the above named injured persons were
taken to the Burlington County Hos
pital. Armstrong left the institution
after his wounds had been dressed, but
returned the next day, as the condition
of his eyes grew worse. All are still al
the hospital except Miss Snyder.
Mrs. Snyder was Frustrated from
shock and grief.
Others who were in the building and
who escaped with slight or no injurie
were Charles Storey and Harry Ander
son, and three colored men, Logar
Harmon, Seaford Harmon and Johl
Branin. These men were in the bar
room, under which there was no cellar
and crawled out.
Mrs. Hudson had most of her cloth
ling torn from her body by the force o
the explosion. She escaped injur,
from fire. Robert and Helen Snyde
were in bed at the time OF the blow-up
The boy was found dead in bed, appaI
entity having been smothered. Hi
face showed that it had been steame'
or boiled. The bedding was butslight
lily scorched. The young lady was re
scued before she had any time to Sc
cure additional clothing.
The funeral of Robert took place OF
Saturday from Keeler's parlors. In
lterment was made at Colestown.
Thomas, one of the men who wen
to the cellar to charge the gas machine
was dug from the debris at the north
west corner of the building. He wa
in almost nude condition, his cloth
ling having been burned off. Hi
groans attracted the attention of tn
irescuers and located his position.
In his statement at the hospital h
said that he and Armstrong cleane
out the machine and then they sa
and talked awhile. Then they clean
ed it again. at hadn't been workin
right, he said. 81 filled it up wit
water and put three hoppers (of Cal
bide) in the machine and turned it or
1t was working all right, 1 thought
but it seemed to be bubbling. wen
over to shut the lid, but 1 didn't &C
the lid on. That is all l know" Tn
explosion followed.
Armstrong crawled out cellar wir
dow on the east side of the hotel abou
an hour after the accident. He said b
had assisted on a number of occasion
in recharging the machine. Ths
morning he and Thomas cleaned til
E machine, filled the tank with waite
arranged the carbide, and pulled th
Operating lever. There followed run
bling noises, jumping motion of IL
!receiver, and then the explosion. H
claims not to have noticed any cd,
= Of escaping gas, and that there was I
+ light in the cellar except an electr
lamp; also that there was no explosio
caused by ignited gas. He was throw
s distance by the explosion and the
a spent an hour in moving debris in @
9 der to get out. His burns, he sal