The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-01
AN EXPLOSION OF GAS
Threatened Destruction of the
Whole Works.
ESCAPING GAS THE CAUSE
Ofacers OF the Company Think That
Some Miscreant Did the Work
for Revenge The Depart
mentT Thinks Differently.

An explosion Of gas at the gas COM
pany's works In the southeastern part
of the city yesterday morning started
a fire which at one time threatened the
destruction OF the works, u which.
by good management, was subdued
with very small loss under the conse-
quence. The gas people believe the ex-
plosion was due to the work of some
miscreant. whose purpose was to get
even with the company for a fancied
wrong. but Chief Flannery and Assist
ant Chief Sanger of the fire depart
ment, who were early on the ground.
are of the opinion the explosion was
accidental.
About half past II o'clock in the fore
noon, L. H.. Smith. who is i'm charge OF
the gas making plant. was startled by
a loud report, and running to the
meter ROOM. from which direction the
report came. he found the room in
anne He at once turned off the gas
and raised the retorts to stop the gas
from making and then caused an alarm
of fire to be turned in. Another en-
ploye was directed to turn on a stream
of water with n fire hose kept in the
building. but the fire spread rapidly
and was making alarming Roadway
"'Ni ~ nv ~ lt dIflNtu III
went to work. II was but a few min
utes before the flames were subdued.
ana IL was then seen the damage had
been very slight. The big volume of
flame had been chiefly the gas burning
and the building had caught but VT
tie. and as a consequence the damage
did not amount TO more than s25 or
$50. Had the department been less ex-
peditious the building would doubtless
have caught and been destroyed.
investigation developed that the ex-
plosion was the result Of escaping gas
due to a disarmament of the appa-
ratus in the basement. In this part Of
the building is located what is known
at the center seal through which the
gas must pass from the retorts to the
meters. A cap IN the seal is held down
by driving a wedge in between Il and n
joist Just over IL. This wedge had been
l~oosened. allowing the gas to escape
from the center seal. and when the
room was filed the gas commenced es-
Gaping up through the floor TO the
meter room. where a Jet II kent rom
stantly burning 10 test the candle pow
er Of the light. When the gas reached
this light il ignited and the explosion
followed. The windows Of the room in
which the explosion occurred were all
blown out and fortunately no further
damage was lone aside from the small
amount caused by the fire.
Il. s. Feurtado. manager Of the gas
company. Is satisfied the explosion was
caused nv some one who wished to do
the company injury and who. being
familiar with the workings. knew what
the effect Of loosening the wedge over
the zap Of the center seal would he.
Mr.. Feurtado stated that he made his
daily inspection Of the works about two
hours before the explosion and found
everything In perfect order. He stated
that Smith. who is In charge. has been
in the position nine years and he a no
reason 70 believe the explosion was due
10 his carelessness or 10 anything else
but n desire Of some one 70 blow up the
works. which came near being the re-
suit. whoever was responsible. An ef-
will he made to ferret out the true
cause and punish the guilty party II
apprehended.
The heads Of the fire department do
not share Mr.. Feurtado's suspicious.
From their investigation, they came 20
the conclusion the explosion was purely
accidental. They state they found a
jet still burning when they arrived,
and think something else nay have
been overlooked as wen. In a few min
after the fire was out. the plant
was running again as though nothing
had happened.