A St. Louis Horror

A terrific explosión occurred at an early hour the other niorning in the groeery store oí Micbael Kewman, at 7 South Fourteenth street, St. Louis, Mo. The rocery and two adjo'ning two-story brick buildings were nearly demolished, and 13 persons, including the wife and flve hi.dren of Newmau, and two families in he adjoining building, were buried in the ralas. The messenger of death had scarcely wreoked the place before a devastating fire swe]t through the ruins and seemed bent on infernal work. Human aid was quickly on the scène, but in such confu" sion tíiat the horror seemed to increase with their efforts to relieve the imprison. ed victims. 'J he people of the neighborhood, dumhfounded, rushed about the sireots, scokini: friends, dumanding explations or luouning írom lruises. The sheet of fíame that bad attacked the ruins baftied the eil'orts of the liremen, who had begim the first ystematic work, and for a lew minutes bid f air to pead into adjoiniug pruperty. hut good work won, the lire was put out, and then began the seareh for the dead, and in a short time the bodies of ftlichael Aewmau, aged 52 year; Mrs. AnniflJNowman, aged 40 years; John Newman, aged 10; ivellie Kewman, figed 15; Kate .Newman, aged 11; Eddie ftewman, aged 18; Charles Jevere aud Mrs. Charles Devere had been taken from the ruins. There are many theories to explain the cause of the explosión, but none are satisfactorv- Tlie general belief is that escaping gas nlled t he cellar, and that .Mr. Newman kopt a quantity of kerosene oil and coal oii in the cellar wliere the explosión evideutiy took ptace. The eseaping gas theory is supported by the store boy, Joe Bien ven ue, who eays that he was annoyed during the afternoon ly a strong sinell of gas and before shutting up the store for the nigbt he went through the building looking lor the opeu burner. He did not visit the cellar. The treuieudous force of the explosión is the eau e of greatest doubt to this explanation. Work of Fiendg. A telegraph pole laid across the Rock lslatid railroad, between Menooka and Morris, 1)1., the other morning, wreckod freight train No. 1(1. Kngineer John Mills and fireman (Jrft were iustantly killed and the head brakeman was fatally injured. The miscreants doubtless intended to wreek the h ansas City express, due later. The jiassenger train was liftoen minutes late and the freight pulled out ahead to run to Menooka. striking the obstruction with the result stated. There isgreut excitement there over the wreek since it bus been definitely ascertained that the obstructiou was placed on the track with the delibérate purpose of wrecking the passenfier train. The excitement is augmentad by the growing belief that the tSchwai tz-Watt expruss oar murder and robberv gang planned the deed. Large rewards have been olïered by the Koek lslaud company and deUctives are on the -round.