The Dunmore neighborhood rocked by a natural gas explosion Thursday has experienced at least two others dating back more than a century.
Possibly the deadliest residential gas explosion in the area’s history, and certainly one of the most calamitous, happened shortly after 3 a.m. on March 20, 1912, at 242 Elm St. That is a few blocks from 413 Smith St., the site of Thursday’s blast.
Local History Blog: Deadly blast claims 9
Nine members of a family were killed when gas leaking from a main believed damaged by a mine cave-in seeped into the basement of their two-story home and came into contact with a burning oil lamp or stove, according to Times-Tribune archives.
The resulting explosion splintered the house and touched off a fire that destroyed the home next door.
A story in The Scranton Times identified the dead as Mrs. Jean Batiste Coviello and six of her children — two of them adults and four others between the ages of 3 and 14 — along with two grandchildren.
One child, a girl, was found unconscious in the limbs of a tree 50 feet from the house, where she had been tossed by the blast. She died later at a hospital.
The force of the explosion or flying debris badly damaged more than 20 other homes in the neighborhood. Dozens of neighbors were thrown from their beds by the concussion.
On Feb. 4, 1929, an explosion shattered a two-story, two-family house at 301 Smith St., just down the street from Wednesday’s 413 Smith St. explosion.
“The entire front of the house was rent asunder, and the front porch was torn away from the house and fell to the ground,” The Scranton Times reported.
Ralph Del Rosso and his wife were asleep on the first floor of the home with their two children, including a 10-month-old, when the baby’s wails awakened Mrs. Del Rosso.
Realizing the house was filling with gas, she hurriedly roused the family. They were still inside and thrown to the floor when the explosion happened but escaped serious injury, as did the family on the second floor.
The gas main break in that case was also blamed on a mine cave-in.
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dsingleton@timesshamrock.com
Explosions in Lackawanna County*
1. Pittston Avenue and Elm Street, Scranton
June 28, 1897
2. Coviello home, Dunmore
March 20, 1912
Nine killed
3. Scranton Street and 9th Avenue, Scranton
Jan. 10, 1919
One killed
4. Woodlawn and Adams avenues, Scranton
Feb. 24, 1924
One killed
5. Scott Street, Carbondale
Jan. 30, 1930
Three killed
6. Pignitato home, Dunmore (Gasoline)
Jan. 11, 1930
Three killed
7. M.L. Benovitz, Dickson City
Sept. 22, 1931
8. Corsceletti home, Archbald
July 22, 1932
One killed
9. Hawthorne Street, Scranton
Sept. 29, 1932
10. Carbondale
March 18, 1957
11. Prospect Avenue Rooming House, Scranton
Oct. 26, 1957
12. Jackson Street, Scranton
Oct. 23, 1958
13. Attorney Joseph McGraw’s home Carbondale
Nov. 18, 1960
14. Florey’s Barbershop, Boulevard Avenue
Jan. 4, 1962
15. Vandling
Aug. 8, 1962
One killed
16. Price Street and Garfield Avenue, Scranton
Jan. 30, 1963
17. Sheridan home, Jermyn
May 23, 1968
18. Pollack home
Olyphant
Sept. 21, 1969
19. 527-29 Throop St., Dunmore
April 25, 1970
One killed
20. Penn Furniture Warehouse, Lackawanna Avenue
Feb. 21, 1972
Twelve injured, 1 killed
21. Strony home, Peckville
Nov. 11, 1972
22. Pennypacker Avenue, Scranton/Dickson City line
Nov. 11, 1972
Five homes destroyed, eight injured
23. Mobile home, Springbrook Twp.
April 9, 1975
24. 1426 Pittston Ave, Scranton
Jan. 19, 1976
25. Mark Avenue, Dunmore
Jan. 20, 1979
26. Boulevard Avenue, Scranton
Dec. 25, 1979
27. Clifton Twp./Route 435
March 23, 1981
Home destroyed
28. 2824 N. Main Ave., Scranton
June 21, 1990
29. 423 Marion St., Scranton
April 10, 1992
30. Frank Serafini’s guest chalet, 10 Alpine Drive, Glenmaura
Aug. 31, 1998
31. Garfield and Terrace streets, Carbondale
Jan. 8, 1999
32. 1211 Rushbrook Road, Scott Twp.
Sept. 12, 1999
33. 921-23 Clay Ave., Scranton
May 12, 2000
34. Morgan Highway home, South Abington Twp.
Nov. 21, 2000
35. 1065 Heart Lake Road, Scott Twp
Dec. 3, 2007
36. 249 Main St., Archbald
Jan. 30, 2009
37. 730 Carmalt St., Dickson City
July 13, 2009
Two killed, one injured
* Doesn’t include industrial explosions
SOURCE: Times-Tribune archives