The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-03-24
GAS AND DEATH.
Three Persons Fatally Ana Four
Badly Wounded.

PITTSBURGH, March 20.-A terri
ble explosion OF natural gas occur
red yesterday afternoon at Murrays-
vile, by which six persons were
badly hurt, three of whom will die
Much property was alsp DESTROYED
by the fire which followed Al 1:30
o'clock the CHARTERS Company turn
ed on their gas from liie new Nc
Williams well for the first time.
This well is located on the McWil-
liams lot, which is in the village of
Murraysville. Ii was only brought
in during the last few days. and has
been blowing of since then al the
extraordinary pressure OF 450
pounds to the square inch. A g.
inch pipe has been laid from the
well TO the main line some sixty
feet distant. This branch line was
commenced as soon as the well was
completed and its construction was
only finished yesterday. After the
Joints were all made secure and the
ditch filed in, arrangements were
made to turn the gas on into tie
new line. This branch line ran
through the yard of Mr.. Harry Tay-
lor. who is employed as q tool dress
er by the CHARTERS Company. 1t
also ran alongside his house till it
meets the large 15-inch main run
ming in the main read.
SWEPT BY FIRE
The gas was turned on but the
pressure was too great. In min
ute the six-inch pipe WAS blown |
into small pieces, with "A crashing
sound the ground was torn up and
the great volume of gas rushed to-
the house. The windows were up
and in twinkle the gas was ignited
and the house was on fire II ii al
the time were Mrs. Harry Taylor, /
her three small children, William /
Tay lor, blacksmith, father Of Har- /
~ Taylor, and Miss Sallie Raycox. /
All Of them were badly burned. /
So severe was the flame and so rap
i'd its action that they were rescued |
with difficulty. SUI erittsndent
Hays, ofthe Philadelphia Company, /
saw the accident, and with large
gang of men rushed into che house .
and succeeded in carrying the peo-
pie out before they were burned INTO /
crisp. As it was Mrs. Harry lay /
lor, Miss Raycox and one of the
Taylor children named Maud, aged
3 years, were fatally burned about
the head and body. Mrs. Henry I
Taylor and her father, William Tay (
lor, were also seriously burned each :
about the lower part of the body. ,
Wm. Taylor and the two remaining
chiidreh escaped with only slight .
burns.
FIVE HOUSES DESTROYED.
The flames spread rapidly to the /
next house. and from balf-past one
till five O'Clock the citizens were
busy fighting the fire. Five houses
were destroyed. They were those /
owned by Harry Taylor, James Me /
Curdy, the Wilkes MoWiiliam pro-
perty, the Irwin House and the
pcstoflice building. The contents .
of these buildings were nearly all /
removed, and all the mail matter 1
was saved. There is no fire engine
in the village and the citizens were
forced to use the old-iashioned buck
cts
At 6 o'clock smouldering ruins
were all that was left of the proper
ty. The gas well, though, had caught
fire and was burning hercely. The
attention of all hands-even those
employed by the Philadelphia Com
pany-was directed to put it out.
All known appliances were used,
but at late hour this morning it
was still burning, and it may be a
week before il viii be extinguished.
This o. itself will be a great loss TO
the CHARTERS Company.