Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-01
TANK CARS EXPLODE.
Shocking Wreck on the Wisconsin Cen
tral-One Man Killed.

Waukesha, Wis, May 24.-The acct
near Gray's Lake was even more shock
ing than last nights messages reported.
About $50 o'clock freight train No. %,
north bound, broke in two. The two
sections of the train collided near Gray's
Lake, ditching nine cars. Two of the
cars, which were loaded with naptha,
left the track, the contents running
all over the ground and some Of it into
the lake.
dispatched to the scene of the accident
and with the assistance of a number
of farmers in that vicinity the work
of removing the debris from the tracks
was begun.
While the men were working to clear
away the Wreckage a farmers boy
approached the place with lantern and
placed it on the ground. In some man
ner the light from the lantern communi-
Gated to a tank containing naptha and
Il terrific explosion followed, the flames
spreading like a flash.
In the twinkling Of an eye the fire had
spread about the place to wherever
there was a drop of oil, strong wind
which prevailed at the time tanning
the flames, which swept everything in
their path. The men were panic striker
and number of them in their endeav-
ors to escape the burning oil jumped
into the lake.
1t was like jumping from the frying
pan into the fire, however, as the oil
had spread over a large area Of water
and it seemed as if the entire lake was
ablaze. The cries of the men as they
tried to escape the fierce flames while
thy tloundered about in the water were
heart-rending.
An old section hand who happened to
be standing near the tank containing
the naptha when the explosion occur
red, was burned almost to a crisp.
1t is impossible to obtain his name as
the railway officials refuse to give it
out at present.
Chief Train Dispatcher w. II. Strach-
EN-, who was on board the train when
the accident occurred, was severely
burned, but not fatally. Two tramps
who were steling a ride were caught
in the flames and We're terribly burned
about the body and legs. Then wan
dered away from the scene of the dis
aster and have not been seen since.
As soon as the news of the accident
reached this place relief train, bearing
Drs. Wigginton, Villet, Bartlett and Oar
con, was at once dispatched to the
oil
to the injured men. The run was made
to Gray's Lake at the rate of mile a
minute
Another Account
Burlington, Wis, May PA freight
train bound north on the Wisconsin
Central was wrecked about one mile
south Of Gray's Lake at Z o'clock last !
night. The train parted in the middle !
and when the front part Stacked up
to side track the rear part ran into it .
and wrecked five cars.
Two tramps were in a box car that |
was smashed into kindlings and were |
thrown across the fence on either side |
of the track but beyond a few scratches
the tralnps escaped uninjured. The
ground there is low and the recent rains
left lake on either side of the track.
On the train were three tank cars
filed with gasoline and two of these
tanks had holes stove into them. The
gasoline leaked out and saturated the
track and covered the water. The
crew warned people against
or lighting matches, but some.
one did light match, and in an in
slant the wrecking crew and spectators
were surrounded by flames.
A rush was made for dry land and
it is a miracle how all of the 200 people
Many were burned about the
face and hands and others had tbei1
clothes on fire. A number of them were