1957 Explosion Update
Reader responses to our Fall 2007 story about the 1957 explosion on Rohmann and Sterling warrant a few pertinent updates. Larry Traub, the son of Perry Traub who lost his life in this tragedy, has provided his mother’s collection of clippings of all the relevant 1957 Peoria Journal Star stories and the pictures that appear in this issue and those posted on the WPRA’s website.
Perry Traub was not working late in his store on the night of the explosion (as was reported in our previous story). Having already returned home, Traub was hosting a birthday party for his friend, Prentice Pickard of 2605 W. Hayes Street in Peoria.
When Traub received a call from Heitzman--the owner of the Rohmann Street property—to check out a gas odor, Traub asked Pickard to go with him since he might be of help due to his experience as a steamfitter for the Morrisson Construction Co.
According to Pickard’s inquest testimony (reported in the Peoria Journal Star), he had gone to the basement to shut off the gas meter when the explosion occurred. Traub and Einfeldt were still at the top of the stairs, and Heitzman may have been in another part of the basement (quite possibly having entered through the tunnel that connected the basement of his house to the basement of the store). These three were killed by the explosion.
Pickard said he was knocked unconscious by the explosion, came to, was able to move a few boards that had landed on top of him, and saw a hole created by the blast. He crawled through that hole to the street, where Deputy Sheriff Robert Mowbrary saved his life by beating out the flames from his burning clothing. Severely burned, Pickard was then taken to the hospital.
Mowbrary and Frank Scherer, another deputy sheriff, had been on Farmington Rd. when they heard the explosion and arrived on the scene before the second blast—just in time to save Pickard.
Mrs. Opal Heitzman and her grandson, Kenneth Einfeldt, barely escaped the exploding house. They ran to the home of Mrs. Walter Knoll (then at 2410 W. Rohmann), who called an ambulance for them. Eleven-year-old Robert Einfeldt, who was separated from his grandmother and brother by the force of the explosion, died.
A 16-year-old unnamed Manual student was credited with helping in the rescue of two children and other occupants at 2421 W. Rohmann (see picture of this house later used as Dr. Dean Bordeaux’s office). At the time Mr. and Mrs. Edward Franklin were two of the residents of that home.
The property damage caused by the explosion was reported to be $300,000—including the site of the explosion and some 210 homes in the immediate area. Richard Steenrod was the captain of the West Peoria Volunteer Fire Department at the time of the explosion.