The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-08

An explosion of gasoline was the
cause of fire at the plant of the CONT
mental Oil company in the southern
part of the city yesterday about
5 o'clock in which Robert Long
staff and John S. Gilston, two en-
ployes of the company, were badly
burned, the former so terribly that he
died about II o'clock last night. Gil
ston's burns, though very painful, are
not so serious that his life is at all in
danger.
The tanks and warehouse of the COM
pany, which constitute the principal
part of the plant, are located just south
of the Montana Union tracks. on the
extreme southern edge of the city lin
it's. and about 200 yards east Of Mon
tana street. 1t was in the warehouse
where the package goods are kept that
the explosion occurred. 1t was can
of what is known as 81 gasoline that
caused it, The company does not deal
extensively in this particular kind of
gasoline, but keeps a small supply on
hand for special use. Yesterday the
company received an order for some of
the article and Longstaff and Gilston
were engaged in putting up the order
when the explosion occurred. The high
proof gasoline was kept in the cellar
and the two men were carrying the 10
gallon cans up to the warehouse and
packing them. Longstaff carried a can
up stairs which he discovered as he
reached the warehouse was leaking.
He was some 80 feet away from a door
leading into room where furnace is
kept for heating irons used in soldering
cans, and knowing that the high proof
gasoline generates gas instantly it
comes in contact with the air, he real
lied there was danger and started for
the furnace room to shut off the fur
mace as a matter of precaution. He had
barely set the can down when the fluid
spurted in stream from the leak
about 20 feet in the direction of the fur
mace. There was no time to save an
explosion, for instantly a gas gener-
ated which reached the furnace and ig-
nited before Longstaff could reach the
furnace room door, expeditions as he
tried to be.
A terrific explosion occurred when
the gas ignited and Longstaff received
the full force of it. Gilston was more
fortunate in being some distance fur
Their away. Instantaneously Longstaff
was enveloped in a sheet of flame and
but for the presence of mind of Gilston
would have persisted, for he was blinded
and knew not which way to run for his
life. Gilston seized hold of him and
dragged him out of the building. His
clothes were all on fire. A stream of
water was quickly turned on him, but
he was crazed and ran away from it
and had TO be caught and thrown down
and held. Before the fire in his clothes
could be extinguished every stitch of
his apparel was burned completely off
except his shoes. He was quickly re-
moved to a nearby house and hurry
calls We're sent in by telephone for sew
eral physicians to secure, prompt at
tendance of doctor. DR.. Moore was
the first to reach his side. He did ev
erything possible to relieve the mans
sufferings, but he continued in terrible
agony. There was not a spot on his
entire person from the crown of his
head to the soles of his feet that had
escaped being burned more or less Sc
verely and 1T took DR.. Moore two hours
to dress him.
Gilston was very badly burned about
the face and hands and had his hair
singed entirely off, but DR.. Moore
stated that the character of his burns
was not alarming.
Both men have been in the employ
of the company upward of eight years,
and were among the most trusted en-
ployes. Longstaff Is man well along
in years, being upward of so. He 10
wdower and roomed over the COM
panys office at the plant. He has
two grown daughters in the city. Gils-
ton is a young married man and lives
at 65S Colorado street.
Immediately after the explosion &C.
CURED a still alarm was sent to the
fire department by telephone from the
companys office. The department
turned out and was well on the way
to the fire when an alarm came in
from box 70. some one at Front and
California streets having seen the
flames and pulled that box. The de-
partment soon reached the scene and
performed a remarkable piece of work.
The warehouse is built of brick, is
about so by 60 feet in dimensions and
one story high. In the basement or cell
lar were stored oils of different kinds,
coal oil, gasoline, lubricating oils, etc,
TO the extent of about 100 barrels. On
the ground floor there were stored 800
eases OF coal oil, each case containing
10 cans, holding 10 gallons each, or a
total of $4,000 gallons, and there were
besides on this floor eight of the same
sized cases of the 81 proof gasoline.
In the midst of all this the explosion
occurred and flames spread instantly
throughout the interior making the
whole inside of the building like one
big furnace when the department ar
rived, yet the efforts of the firemen
under Chief Sanger and Assistant Chief
Cunning, were directed to such good
purpose that the roof was not even in
jured, and after the fire was ont in