Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1884 — HOT SHOWER BATHS. [ARTICLE]

HOT SHOWER BATHS.

Three Ken Burned to Death by Blazing Oil from an Exploded Tank. [Cleveland Dispatch.] An explosion occurred in one of Merrlam Sc Morgan’s paraffine works In Central way, corner of Ohio street, by which three workman met with horribled deaths. At the time of the explosion a number of men were in the vicinity of the refining mill, but all ex" cept three escaped injury. At the moment of the explosion a large fiery mass of refined oil was belched upward into the air, and fell to the earth like a stream of molten metal from a broken retort. Of the workmen in the vicinity, August Fisher and August Guenther were closest to the exploded still. They were enveloped in the liquid shower of flame, and in an instant nothing but charred and horribly disfigured remnants remained of what they had been. William Stahlman was a short distance farther away from the still than his companions. When the mass of flameß descended upon him his clothing was consumed like so much tinder. He made a wild and desperate effort to escape, but soon succumbed. When the fire could be sufficiently subdued to allow the firemen to enter the inoloeure, the remuins of the three workmen were removed to the adjoining pump-house and placed upon shutters. The bodies of Fisher and Gueptber were the most horribly burned. Scarcely a vestige of them remained below the hips, and the Upper portion of their bodies were so charred that they could scarcely reoognized as the remains of human beings. Stahlman was about 20 yeais of age, and lived with his wife in Seymour avenue. He loaves no children. Guenther was 27 years of ago. He was married, the father of three little children, and lived at No. 123 Ilerschell street. Fisher was probably 80 years of age. His home was at No. 160 Trumbull street. Ho leaves four children, with a wile, who is in a delicate condition. The oxpl -d'd still hpd contained about twenty-five barrels of paraffine. What caused the explos'on Mr. Merrium is at a loss to conjecture, as it was a now one of the most approved pattern. The loss to the firm will be about ?20, 00, upou whioh there is no insurance. Ocroner Bock will hold an'lnquest over the remains.