The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-03-11
From the Detroit Advertiser, March Ith.
A FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY.
EXPLOSION OF A KEROSENE OIL REFINERY.
FOUR MEN KILLED.
THE EXPLOSION.

FOUR MEN KILLED.
THE EXPLOSION.
About fifteen minutes past ten yesterday
morning the city was startled by the sound o.
loud report, resembling the simultaneous
discharge of battery of artillery ringing
through tho air. Those I earcst the place
from whence it camc were stunned, aad -four
men who were standing on tho Jefferson ave,
nue. bridge were rendered senseless for mo.
ment. Buildings were shaken to their ioun.
dations windows broken, and furniture
thrown down in some houses and destroyed
Immediately following the roar and shock Of
the explosion dense column of smoke rose
up through the air in the vicinity of the WA.
ter works round house, which was succeeded
10y the bursting out Of n sheet Of flame. Then
a general fire alarm for the Tenth Ward peal.
cG out, and in moment tho engines were
rattliug over tho stones towards the scene of
disaster, accompanied and followed by a large
number of ctiz ms.
The fire was found to be in the oil refinery
Of J. II ilermon e. Co. situ' te near the cor.
ner Of Dequndre and Atwater streets. The
entire root Of the building and portion of
the walls, were lying scattered around, and a
most intense fire isged amid the ruins. All
around lay scores of oil barrels, some Of which
were snatchcd from the reach Of the flames
and the Others left to feed them. The streams
Of oil were lick I'D up by the fire, and served
only TO intensity the heat, and, every once in
while, n loud bang was heard as another
barrel Of the crude material was let out Of its
confinement and contributed to keep up the
fire. AS the crowd increased, and as the en-.
gioes got fairly at work, little knots of people
gathered together, each having some facts and
some rumors to add to the general Stock
There were several persons on the ground who
had visited the works earlier in the morning,
aud they knew of number of people who
were inside at the time Of the explosion, all,
or nearly all, Of whom they believed were
killed.
TIE KILLED.
Among those who were known TO have been
inside, aud who had not been seen since the
explosion, wero Robert lIigham, Charles l..
DibOe and John Renharlt. 1t was also re
ported that J. II. Harmon, three workmen
and several strangers were inside the works
when the explosion occurred, but this report
Was incorrect: Mr.. Harmon being down town
at the time, and no other workmen were
there, and but one stranger-whose dead
body was afterwards taken out--was inside
the builling. When the engines had slight.
IL ,ubdued the fire and the heat, search WAS
II ado iOr the missing, and tho charrrd and
mangled remains of John Reinhardt, .abor.
cr employed at the refinery, were discovered.
Il 81. l.. I,,,, ol,ot
book was found upon his person which led to
his Identification, by lis wife. The remains
were covered up aud laid in an adjoining shed,
whore they were afterwards visited by hun
drc,!s Of citizens. About AN hour later the
body of Charles l.. D.bbIe was found among
The deJrj but it was so bsckened and dis.
figured that his friends did not Identify it un-
I'll a diamond pin and a small portion of his
neck tie were discovered. His face was crisp
Ell, and only small portion of hair remained
on tie side Of his head. The body was given
Ia charge Of J. II. Farwcll, undertaken, 10 be
dressed and put in coffin, when 1t was sent
10 bis fathers house.
The smou,dcriug ruins wcro first put out
nd cooled of, and then the search :or the
other missing men was continued. About two
o'clock the body of Robert lligham was found
under pile OF bricks and rubbish. 1t was
not SO horribly mutiIatcl and burned rs Were
hc others. The face was bruised, aud the left
loot and part Of the left leg Were burned Oft.
Il WAS au easy matter to recoCr ize the body,
.owevar, as these were all the injuries appar.
mt. One Of the policemen present had seen
Ibis body some two or three hours earlier, but,
ust as he was rushing towards il, u part of
The wall fell and hid it from view, where it
.cmaiucd until recovered.
TIE next and fourth body found was that
,l Frederick Schwoob, young man in the
5mpoy OF Mr. f. n. Wilcox, who had been
sent to the works for naptha His body was
in 'wn by letter on bis person, postnarkcd
Chicago, and pocket.book, both of which es-
,aped the fire, but were soaked through with
water.
The engines 10y this time were on their
way home, but the search for more bodies was
continued until about four o'clock. Huge
pieces Of blackened timber and machinery
we're rolled over and dragged out until scarce
y stone remained untumcd, but no more
bodies were found, and it began to be believ
I'd that nobody else had been killed. The
citizens then returned home, feeling much de-
pressed by the sad events that bad transpired
iuing one short day.
TIE INJURED.
A colorcd man named Robert Smith, who
vas employed at the refinery, was just leav-
NC the building and had reached the door
when he was blown outside and fell scnseless.
A piece Of wood or iron struck him on the
lead, which, for few hours, deprived him Of
eason. He was picked up and taken home,
md at last accounts, was recovering, so much
70 that it was believed he would be able to be
present at the inquest TO y. Another man,
Henry Tatner, who was near by when the ex
olosion occurred, opened the door Of the build .
ng, when he was met by gust Of flames,
which threw of his hat, singed his hair and
burned his face SO severely that it was con
lered doubtful if he survives.
This makes total Of four Killed and t,Oo
eriously injured Several Others received
light bruises and scratches from the falling
If masonry and timber, but we believe that
10 serious damage was sustained by anybody
)csd les those referred TO above.