By: Mary E. Mortimer
On April 12, 1972, a violent thunderstorm dumped nearly three inches of rain in Bellefontaine in about four hours. Possum Run, flowing through a partially culverted drainage ditch east of Main St., overflowed, flooding the downtown area and basements with muddy water and debris. An exposed three-inch gas main in the ditch was ruptured by debris during the flood. Gas from the main drifted and collected in the basement and first floor of the Ray Hennesey Building, at 207-209 S. Main St. At approximately 11:45 p.m., it is believed the gas was ignited by a pilot light in a gas water heater in the building, causing an explosion.
The Hennesey Building, which housed H and B Advertising and Townsend Realty, was completely destroyed. Bellefontaine firemen were quickly on the scene and extinguished the flaming debris before it had a chance to spread. Bellefontaine Police cordoned off the blast area, and people living within the area were evacuated from their homes. All available firemen, Bellefontaine Police Chief Donald Woodruff and his policemen, Sheriff DeWeese Skidmore and his deputies, some auxiliary men, Indian Lake REACT, Box 15, and Vanguard members were on the scene. Wives of some of the men working in the disaster area set up coffee and snacks for them.
A building-to-building check was made by Dayton Power & Light crewmen for possible gas leaks and damage. Police cars and DP&L vehicles cruised areas of the city that surrounded the blocked off area and warned residents through loudspeakers to check their basements for flooding and the smell of gas.
The shock wave from the blast rocked the entire downtown area, shattering glass display windows in multiple businesses, and shook houses at least a mile away. A parking meter was hurled across the street into the Corwins’ clothing store window. The blast damaged Johnson’s Delicatessen, located next door to the south. Nick Johnson was in the basement at the time of the explosion, trying to stop the flooding there, and although badly shaken, he only had minor cuts from crawling out a broken window. The Logan County Bank drive-thru located north of the Hennesey Building was damaged, and windows on all three floors of Dee’s Department store were shattered.
*Photos courtesy of the Bellefontaine Examiner
Approximately fifty other buildings received damage from the explosion. Several people received minor cuts from flying glass, but no serious injuries or deaths were reported.
Gas and water service were disrupted over a large area of the city, prompting Mayor William S. Meyer to declare a state of emergency. DP&L called in extra crewmen from Sidney to help repair the gas lines.
Additional stores on Main St. that suffered plate glass window damage included, Don’s Hamburger, Cummins Cafeteria, Corwin’s, Gross Barber Shop, Foreman’s Antique Store, Logan County Welfare office, Gillespie Buick, Hartley & Nicholl, Jackson’s Newsstand, One-Hour Martinizing, Sears, Goodyear, Sherwin-Williams, Stupp Furniture, Harris Jewelers, Army Recruiting Center, DeLong’s, G.C. Murphy, S&G Enterprises, , Myers Shoe Store, Hadley Studio, Uhlman’s, United Discount, and second story windows were shattered in the offices of Attorney Douglas Chamberlain and Dr. H. V. Whitney.
Damage to W. Columbus Ave. businesses included Litton’s, Lord’s, Buchenroth Clothing, Logan Office Supplies, Singer, Sloan Insurance, and Montgomery Ward. E. Chillicothe Ave., Rath Forms, Sarah Jane’s Beauty Shop, and Lorrayne’s Tavern, and on E. Court Ave., Hutchins Dry Cleaning, P&E Appliance, Style Shoppe, and a vacant storeroom.
The next day, DP&L brought in more out-of-county crewmen who assisted in handling the emergency duties over a 48-block area. They went house to house, checking gas lines and relighting pilot lights where the gas had been shut off. The gas lines, water lines, and streets were repaired. Broken windows were replaced, and slowly, Bellefontaine returned to normal.
In July 1978, it was reported in the Sidney Daily News, “The Dayton Power and Light Co. has agreed to pay about 90 percent of the damages resulting from a gas explosion that injured four people and destroyed a building at 207-209 S. Main St. in Bellefontaine. The explosion also damaged about 50 other buildings.
Harold E. Townsend, a realtor whose office was destroyed in the explosion, sued DP&L for $7,058.50. While his case was pending, 18 insurance companies, seven Bellefontaine residents, and trustees of the Grace A.M.E. Church filed combined damages of $75,327.88 against the utility.
The Townsend case was settled out of court. On April 6, 1978, a jury ordered by Judge Richard Finefrock found DP&L had been negligent by failing to cover an exposed gas main, which led to the explosion. A jury was ordered to convene on July 31st to decide the amount of damages to be awarded, but the jury was not needed after attorneys for the utility company and the plaintiffs settled the case out of court.”
H and B Advertising was first opened by Ray Hennesey in 1917 at 137 S. Opera St. The business moved to the third floor of the Canby Building in the mid-1940s for about two years before moving to the 207 S. Main St. location. Hennesey, who was an active supporter of harness racing and helped organize the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio, decided not to reopen his business.
Harold E. Townsend had been in the real estate business since 1953. He moved his business to the Hennesey Building at 209 S. Main St in 1962. After the explosion, he reopened his realty business at his DeGraff farm.
The Logan County Bank opened at 201 S. Main St. in 1952. Damage to their drive-thru banking was repaired, and they continued to be at this location until they built a new facility as BankOhio across the street in 1977. At that time, the old bank building was razed for additional parking, and a new drive-thru was constructed.
Shortly after the explosion, a new building was erected where the Hennesey Building once stood. Ross Orthopedic Supply was located there until 1976. That same year, Judy Groves moved her Empress Beauty Salon to this building from her former 133 S. Detroit St. location. She had owned and operated the Empress Beauty Salon since 1968.
