The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-12-22
APPALLING DISASTER.
EXPLOSION OF-THE TANK AT
THE GAS WORKS.

Two Men Killed Others Slightly
WOunded-Statem of Fore
man Davis and Walter II. Speart
-KMquest Not Concluded.
Persons living mile away from the
town were startled yesterday morning
about seven o'clock by loud report
coming from the direction of the gas
house, and knowing that there had been
trouble with the gas the night pre-.
vious, it was feared that the trouble
was there. These surmises were found to
be correct, and many reached the scene OF
the explosion in a few minutes.
A fearful spectacle met their sight. The
gasometer was totalwreck, and among
the debris were the bodies of two men,
Lewis Guthrie dying. and Will. Gates
dead. of the two other men engaged in
work on the gasometer at the time of the
accident, Walt Spears was badly burned,
and Geo. W, Davis escaped miraculously
with his life.
GEORGE W. DAVIS, the foreman at the
works, stated to CITIZEN reporter that
ii leak was discovered in the stand-pipe
inside the gasometer the evening before
and that water broke in. The gas was
drawn off-he believed all of it, as the
gasometer was on the bottom, and Was
flooded.
He came up town for assistance and
met WALTER SPEARS, who got a man
named WILL GATES, and they all went to
the works. where they were joined by
LEWIS GUTHRIE, who had been employed
there about a month.
They drew the water from the gasome-
ter in order that man might get inside
to stop the leak. Mike Kelly had been
engaged to make the repairs. The plates
were then removed by SPEARS, and as he
laid the same aside all Of the party lean
ed over and looked i'll the hole
as str aightened up felt the gasometer
rising. and saw a small blaze from the
lantern, and jumped backward and out
ward. All of US were standing on the
xasemeter. As fell heard an explosion
and saw the gasometer go up about thir-
teen feet, arose and came around the
tank, were | saw the bodies ofGATES and
GUTHRIE lying on the ground GATES
was dead, and GUTHRIE was slightly
breathing. Both were carried to the office.
GUTHRIEs body was carried home; but
he ceased to breathe a few moments after
leaving the yard. Davis eyebrows were
singed and his hat was covered with
charred tar, showing how close he was
to a frightful death.
WALTER L. SPEARS went to work last
night at 9 o'clock in company with Vim.
Gates and Guthrie. Was employed by
Davis. Worked all night at pumping
water from around tank. Had two
About $40 o'clock this morning Davis
ordered man-hole removed; one lantern
was then on top of tank; tank was down
to bottom; all three of us took off bolts
Of man-hole; Davis was near by. We
then lifted the cover from man-hole |
As we slipped cover off man-hole, the ex-
plosion occurred / did not smell any gas |
Explosion was very loud. Davis and |
jumped off of tank, on south side, side |
nearest to man-hole. Gates and Guthrie |
ran across the tank and seemed to be try
ing to reach the house. think they lost |
their presence of mind. Had they |
jumped as did they would have
escaped. cannot tell what in
duced them to run across the tank |
their doing so, certainly cost them their |
lives. did not fall but retained my feet |
as sPrang off of tank felt it rising.
ran Immediately across branch, then
looked back and saw flame for first time.
got burned by a small flame which
emerged from man hole before explosion.
My injury is now very painful, my face on
right side and right arm being severely
burned. The hair on right side of my
head is burned also.
The tools used by the unfortunate
workmen, and large fragments Of the
frame of the gasometer, were found scat
tered all over the yard.
Guthrie leaves a widow and four little
ones; they live but a short distance from
the scene of the accident. Gates was
unmarried, and lived with his parents in
the southern part of the city.
With their usual promptness the fire
companies were ready, and before the fire
bell had given many strokes the Hook
and Ladder Company were on the scene
of action, the Hose Company following
almost Immediately after.
Though ready for any emergency there
was little that they could do, as the
flames were confined to the tank. They
rolled several barrels of oil and other
combustibles away from the fire, thus
preventing other explosions, attended to
the removal of the bodies, and with their
hose played on the flames until they were
extinguished.
Mr.. ]. G, Martin, president and Messrs.
Penniman and Patton, directors of the
Company were promptly on hand, and
all possible efforts made to alleviate the
grief of the afflicted families.
Prompt and decisive action was also
taken to enable the company to meet the
demands of its patrons in as short a time