1940 — Dec 17, Natural Gas Explosion, Mercantile/Apartment Bldg., Cincinnati, OH —  13

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 10-9-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  13  Moorhead Daily News, MN. “13 Dead in Tenement Blast.” 12-21-1940, p. 8.

—  13  NFPA. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, p. 293.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Assoc.:  “Stores and Apartments, Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 17, 1940.

“Seven children and six adults were killed by a gas explosion which destroyed a multiple occupancy mercantile and apartment building at 3:30 in the morning.  Investigators reported that the destructive blast was typical of a gas explosion as the energy was distributed uniformly over all enclosing surfaces, resulting in a generalized displacement or buckling of floors and walls, but with little localized destruction. The general demolition made a shambles of the brick and wood building, burying many of the victims…Forty-tree other buildings in the area also suffered damage.  Evidence as to the exact source could not be established, as mechanical diggers had to be used to recover the bodies of victims, and this eliminated opportunities to probe carefully the remains. Testimony and analysis of the circumstances made probable the following explanation:  a firm handling gas hot water heaters illegally tapped a gas line to operate the unit in a show window.  While the remains of the work indicated a well done job, the gas pipe to which the connection was made was very old, and it is possible that some portion of the pipe was broken by the additional strain or vibration.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 293-294.)

Newspapers:

Dec 17:  “Cincinnati, 0, Dec. 17 (UP) — Firemen and police dug carefully among the ruins of two three-story brick buildings today in search of the bodies of victims of a terrific explosion which reduced the adjoining structures to shambles.  At least 12 persons were known dead in the aftermath of the blast believed to have been a gas explosion. The exact caused was undetermined.  Ten persons were injured, none seriously.

“The store-tenement buildings were located in the downtown market district. The explosion at 3:25 a. m. shook buildings as far away as a mile from the scene. Many windows in nearby structures were shattered and utility poles snapped….

“The first bodies recovered were identified as Don Smith, 9, and Joseph P. Koebbe, 33, proprietor of an appliance shop in one of the buildings.  Other bodies recovered included Helen Schnetzer, 10, Leonard Schnetzer, 9, and four unidentified persons.

“The blast tumbled many sleeping tenants of the two buildings to the ground two and three stories below in a mass of steel girders, bricks and other wreckage.”  (Moorhead Daily News, MN. “At Least 12 Killed in Blast at Apartment.” 12-17-1940, p. 1.)

Dec 21:  “13 Dead — Leaving wreckage that looked like air bomb damage, an explosion blasted

two tenement buildings in Cincinnati, killing 13 persons, members of five families. Concussion was felt for blocks.  Above [photo not reproduced here], firemen rescue woman victim buried among girders and shattered lumber. Baby was born dead to another victim under wreckage.”  (Moorhead Daily News, MN. “13 Dead in Tenement Blast.” 12-21-1940, p. 8.)

Sources

Moorhead Daily News, MN. “13 Dead in Tenement Blast.” 12-21-1940, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=186643367&sterm=cincinnati+explosion

Moorhead Daily News, MN. “At Least 12 Killed in Blast at Apartment.” 12-17-1940, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=186643320&sterm=cincinnati+explosion

National Fire Protection Association.  “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 287-309.