WILLIAM SCHWARZENBART

Explosion Burns Fatal
Schwarzenbart Is Dead Here
Youth Injured as Sewer Gas at Tavern Explodes
First, second and third degree burns suffered by William Schwarzenbart, 18,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schwarzenbart of 1614 South 13th street, when a
basement explosion shook the Sherman’s Bar, Tenth and Commercial streets,
late Monday afternoon, proved fatal to the young man.
He died at the Holy Family hospital shortly after 6 o’clock this morning.
Schwarzenbart, employed by his father, owner of the Manitowoc Bottling Works,
was delivering a cylindrical pressure drum to the bar basement and lit a
match to find the light switch. There was an instant flash of blue flame
enveloping the stunned and retreating Schwarzenbart, who staggered up the
basement steps on to Tenth street, his clothing in flames from head to foot.
The injured youth rolled in the grass alongside the curb to extinguish the
flames and was assisted to a blanket brought by bystanders and later taken
to the hospital in the ambulance.
Probe Cause of Blast
Cause of the blast that shook the tavern, operated by Sherman Pankratz, was
still undetermined today. Fire Chief John Gaedke, who answered the call,
said it was probably due to escaping sewer gas in a basement pipe. There is
a sewer pipe protruding up from the dirt and brick floor, according to
officers.
The force of the blast heaved the floor of the tavern in front of the bar up
three or four feet, shattered windows in the two story brick building,
loosened plaster from the wall and blew out a glass door leading to one of
the basement rooms. There was no fire after the first flash of blue flame
from the explosion.
Sergeant William McConnell and Officer Ben Muchowski talked with Schwarzenbart
at the hospital before he lost consciousness. He said he had stepped only a
couple of feet inside the basement door on the Tenth street side and put down
the metal drum to find the light switch. It was dark, he said, so he struck a
match.
Flame Pours Out of Door
A sheet of flame followed, he said, and he groped his way back through the
door and up the steps with his clothing aflame.
Elmer Dunkle of route 4, Manitowoc, who was driving along South Tenth street
at the time, told police that he heard an ex-…
(Cont. on page 2, Col. 6) EXPLOSION BURNS FATAL TO YOUTH (Cont. from Page 1)
…plosion and saw a sheet of blue flame pour out of the door and a moment later
Schwarzenbart came staggering up the steps, his clothing aflame. Dunkle said
he stopped his car and ran to the assistance of the stricken youth who by this
time had started to roll in the grass to put out his burning clothing.
Coroner Theodore Teitgen said this afternoon that an inquest will be held…
Funeral services for Schwarzenbart will be held at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the
Pfeffer funeral home and at 9 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Catholic church, the Rev.
Henry Letz officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home after 3 p.m.
Wednesday. The casket will not be opened. The rosary will be recited at 7:30
p.m. Wednesday.
William Schwartzenbart was born July 12, 1929, in Manitowoc. He was graduated
from St. Andrew’s Catholic grade school, attended Washington junior high school
and graduated from Lincoln high school in 1947.
Survivors are the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schwarzenbart; two brothers,
Fred Jr. and Donald; two sisters, Marjorie and Anne.
He was a member of the Eagles and the Junior Holy Name society to St. Andrew’s
church.
Manitowoc Herald Times, August 5, 1947 P. 2
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[d. 08-05-1947/age 18 yrs./son of Fred Schwarzenbart Jr.]