St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-02
EXPLODING GASOLINE
Skaters Building and Badly In
lures Four Firemen.

A disastrous explosion of gasoline Oc-
CURED yesterday morning at the resi-
dence of Daniel Cobalt, 1928 Harrison
avenue. 1t was the same old story-a
leaky gasoline stove and the inevitable
alarm of fire. Engine Company No. 8
responded to the call, and Assistant
Chief Cook arrived shortly after the
men had got to work. He entered the
room in which Capt. Conroy and his as
sistants were endeavoring to smother
the flames. The orifice of the tank
which supplied the stove was open, and
just as an effort was being made to pre-
vent such catastrophe, the reservoir
blew up with terrific force, throwing
the burning fluid all over Chief Cook,
Capt. Conroy, Lieut.. Hynes and Truck
man Macarthur, of No. l. The force of
the explosion shattered the roof and
parted the walls of the house. The
worst injured are Messrs. Cook and
Hynes, their faces and bodies being
terribly burned. DrS. Sweeney and
Metcalf were summoned to attend the
wounded. The opinion is expressed by
the physicians that none of the firemen
will be permanently disfgured. Chief
line stove as a constant menace to life
and property, and says it should be
forbidden by law.
Condemned by the Chief.
Apropos of yesterdays gasoline catas-
trophe, Chief Jackson, of the fire de
partment, has something to say. A
GLOBE representative, in conversation
with the chief last evening, put the
question: "What percentage of the
fires occurring in the course of year
are attributable to gaSoGne"'
81 have never figured it out" was
the reply. 81 can assure you, though,
that the publication of the actual
number of disasters caused by the stuff
would create surprise" Warming up
to his theme, the chief went on to say
that gasoline was as dangerous an ex-
plosive as gunpowdeT, although sold
one and every one. flake the accident
of this morning." he said. 1.-The stove
which exploded, blew the roof off
house and spread the walls apart, was
one of the smallest pattern. The tank at
tached to it held but half gallon of
Oil. yet-well, any man who doubts the
terrific force of the explosion has only
to go and look at the wreck of that
house. One of my men was in the next
room to that in which the explosion oc-
Cured, and ne was burned terribly.
Cook and Hynes are in a lamentable
condition, especially the latter, whose
body to the waist is one big burn.
l say that considering the great danger
attendant on their use, measures should
be taken to prohibit the sale of gasoline
stoves entirely. Although designed to
contain so powerful an explosive, the
tanks attached to them are very fiimSyi in
construction merely sheet metal sol
dered in the form of a cylinder. Now how
are they operated ? A woman lights her
patent stove, the wind blows the flame
out or it flashes out, as frequently Oc-
ours. The gasoline continues to run
out of the burner and drips into the
tray beneath. AS soon as the lady no
tees that the stove is out she
touches light to the burner.
into the tray explodes, and
unless a special Providence is watching
over her She is fearfully burned. In
addition to this. if the plug has by any
oversight been left out of the tank, an
explosion will occur that will kill the
operator and set the house i'll a blaze.
L don't think it is Overestimating
to say that third of all the
fires we have to deal with are started
by gasoline stoves. They are slowed
away all over the city in the top floors
of tall blocks, in frame houses and
shanties, in fact. everywhere. The
apathy of the authorities i'll
the matter is little less than
criminal. A dangerous explosive
is placed in the hands of women who
are ignorant of its properties, and who
court death and invite disaster every
time they handle it. The time has come
when decided stand must be taken
against gasoline and gasoline appli-
ances. The next legislature will have
many less important matters to deal
with than this -