Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-26
FATAL ACCIDENT.
A Horrible Oil Tank Explosion
Occurs at Philadelphia.
Several WOrkmen are Roasted
by the Burning Oil.
INSTANTLY KILLED BY THE CARS.

INSTANTLY KILLED BY THE CARS.
PONTIAC, Mich, Nov. 21.-This
morning Detroit & Milwaukee train
ran over and instantly killed William
Sanbrook and his wife, and their
bodies were frightfully mangled.
DISASTROUS EXPLOSION.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21.-An ex-
plosion occurred at the Philadelphia
Luoric companys works, at the
Mifin street wharf The damage is
not known, but it is reported that
thirteen nen have been seriously
burned. Some have been taken to
University hospital. Two men are
missing, and one is supposed to have
been burned to death. As the vic
TINS are being taken to the various
hospitals Of the city, no accurate list
OF the names can be obtained. There
are four men badly hurt at the Penn
sylvania hospital.
FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OIL TANK Elk
PLOsION.
PHILADELPHIA Nov. 21.-An ex-
plosion of tank of oil at the Phila-
delphia Lubric companY's works
this morning resulted IN the death of
one man and the probable death Of
boy, the seriously injuring of four
others and partial destruction of the
establishment. The victims are Alex
Banks, aged 40, burned to q crisp. He
| IF 70 nd
came recently from Pittsburg; Chas.
Marshall, aged IL, cannot be found.
Joseph Robinson, aged 35, entire
body terribly burned and cannot re-
cover; Patrick Boyle, head, trunk and
exit entities frightfully burned. He
will die; Chas. Mclean, aged a.
burned about the head and extremi-
ties and will probably die; Arthur
Groeber, aged %, entire body terribly
burned. He will die.
For some time the works have been
running to their full capacity, and
early this morning gang of 100 men
were set at work to repair the stone
| foundation under the large iron still,
which contained 1, 500 barrels Of crude
oil. Several of the men were engaged
in plastering up the interior walls
when the man-hole of the still was
blown off, setting fire to the oil, tilt
ing over the still and causing the
burning oil to fall out upon the men
below. This explosion was followed
by a second report soon after, and the
dense volume Of smoke caused the ut
most CONSERVATION among the men.
The fire departments reached the scene
somewhat tardily and the work OF
rescuing the men was delayed. An
elderly man, whose name is not
known, was found lying against the
fence which surrounds the works about
seventy-6ve yards from the exploded
tank, unconscious and terribly
burned.
TWO MORE VICTIMS BE.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21.-Two more
victims of the explosion, Jas. Robin
son and Arthur Grueber, died this
afternoon.
Alex. Banks was working Immedi-
ately under the tank when the explo-
sion took place and while the rescuing
party was searching for victims his
body was observed, as the wind car
ried the smoke away, lying close to
the foundation wall and
SURROUNDED WITH BLAZING OIL.
One of the men named Michael
Cavanaugh volunteered to rescue him
and not withstanding the protests Of
his companions crawled along on the
ground, after one of the fremen had
saturated his clothing with water.
When within reach of the unfortu-
nate man he grasped his right foot
and in making an effort to draw the
body out the mans foot parted from
his body. Cavanaugh dropped it and
hastily reached a place of safety,
leaving the body to the flames. Cav
anaugh's face and hands were badly
burned.
/ A few minutes after Cavanagh es-
capped the tank fell and Banks body
was hid from view. Charles McLell
and Arthur Griber were also found
lying close to the burning still, the
former being unconscious and both
terribly burned. Several other men
who were working close to the still at
the time of the explosion, were also
burned, but their injuries were com
paratively slight. The injured were
taken to the Pennsylvania hospital
where their wounds were dressed. The
loss will reach about $4,000; insur-
ance, ST., 900.