ACCOUNT FROM THE "DAILY HERALD"

HELSLEY HOME EXPLOSION

FEBRUARY 21ST 1885

AT WELLSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA

(note this is being copied from a VERY TORN newspaper clipping thus the "blanks" in the story)

TERRIBLE AND FATAL GAS EXPLOSION

Three houses burned and numerous other wrecked

Six persons instantly  killed  __________

About one o'clock this morning ____ gas from the large pipe line, on Charles street, Wellsburg found its way into the cellars of Helsley Brothers and Lucas Walters and becoming ignited in ______ the entire building burst into atoms and killed six Helsleys, his wife, mother and  children and also John Walters, son of Lucas Walters.  Mr Walters and one son were rescued from the burning ruins, a ___ was Mr. Leonard Easterday, he was found in the cellar burned beneath the _____

The buildings were in flames almost instantly and ______to the fury inside ___ quaked with fear that ___ would be swept away by flames. By superhuman ____ the Fire Department __________________

within a short time we began feeling safer. Mayor McCleary said  he and Wm. Ratcliff were the first to reach the scene and succeeded in ___________rescuing the living ___ from the  burning building.

The buildings all around are terribly riddled with flying bricks and debris. The concussion broke windows in Leazrville over a mile distant. Window sashes are blown out of houses many squares away.  Thos. Hudson who lives some three miles away, heard the explosion and saddled his horse and was soon on the ground, rendering all the aid he could. Our citizens are doing all they can for the suffering and ___  as we go to press are searching  ruins for missing being a child of Mr. Helsley's  and John Walters

At this writing_______ impossible to describe the situation.  Business is suspended and the people are flocking to the scene of the disaster.  Without exaggeration, Wellsburg  today is an appalling town. This month a year ago,  we had a flood when almost a hundred thousand dollars worth of property was lost, but yet, the excitement and the feeling at that time is not ______ with this direful calamity.

The loss cannot be approximated. Houses are damaged beyond estimation and the whole town is in a state of excitement.  To give the reader an idea of the strength of the explosion, it is necessary to say that the shore ice of the river was vertically broken and the houses in Brillliant, across the river, were shaken, and in the hotel over there, the fire irons were removed from their proper place by the explosion.

Dynamite is nothing to be compared with the strength of this gas.  It is simply terrible and the citizens generally are becoming alarmed and there is some talk that this fuel will be abolished on the part of many citizens.

The extinguishing of the great fire last night or rather this morning was due to the supply of water furnished by Mr. Tucker.  Its is supposed in _____reward his service with their usual well known liberality. It was the pleasure of the Council to contract with the Gas Company for light for lamp posts, but as for water necessary to extinguish fires, it is thought Mr. Tucker can  furnish that gratuitously and keep an engineer at hand with steam up day and night.

Submitted by

George Davison