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TWO FAMILIES BURIED BY
EXPLOSION
Six Killed When Houses
Collapse
LONDON. March 27.
Six were killed and 17 injured in an
explosion at Gateshead, which is be
lieved to have been caused by a steam
excavator on the roadway damaging
the gas main. Two houses collapsed,
burying two families, and adjoining
premises were wrecked. A fire fol
lowed, and many were injured and
seriously burned.
Rescuers worked at great risk owing
to the falls of red hot bricks. ?
TOlliam Hood, one of the rescuers,
and a relative of the victims, was in
jured. He climbed the ruins and
fixed a rope to a tottering chimney
stack, which was felled safely.
William Davenport, 67, who was
pinned by beams, successfully pro
tected his baby granddaughter for an
hour until rescued. He. staggered
out carrying the child, and then col
lapsed and died.
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