Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-07-06
FRIGHTFUL
Accident in the YARDS of the Ohio
River Railroad at Parkersburg.

Parkersburg, w. Va, July 4.--Nev-
er in the history of the Ohio River
railroad has such terrible accident
occurred anywhere along its line
as that which this morning killed al
most instantly six OF its officials and
employees, fatally injured one more and
more or less seriously injured about
forty of the employees of the road or
citizens of Parkersburg.
The accident occurred at 1921
o'clock this morning, when the gen.
eral superintendent of the road and
party OF other officials and employees
were at work trying to remove from
the tracks the burning wreck of car
of naphtha.
About 1886 o'clock this morning a
south-bound freight train in charge of
Conductor w. w. Hazlett and Engi-
neer william Carr, Jr., ran into an op-
en- switch at the north end of the
Parkersburg yards, between the Ohio
River railroad shops and the River
side suburb On siding was car
containing 5000 gallons of naphtha,
which had been shipped yesterday
from the refinery of the Standard Oil
Company in this city.
Investigation by the Coroner's jury
developed that the switch had been
left open by the night yard crew,which
was asleep on duty. The engine was
derailed and the naphtha car was dam
aged, the naphtha leaking out and
catching fire. One of the trainmen
was badly burned and was taken to the
hospital.
The fire burned continuously, but
slowly for the rest of the night and
soon after daylight the officials OF the
road were notified OF the mishap, and
went to the scene to try and extinguish
the fire and clear the track of wreck
age. At 1921, when the explosion oc-
Cured, General Superintendent j. H
Hamilton, Master Mechanic Laline
Yardmaster Mohler and the others who
we're killed, were standing near the
burning tank of naphtha, trying tc
think of some means OF putting out the
fire. A hundred persons had gath
cred about the fire watching its pro-
gress, when suddenly huge volume
of burning naphtha was forced two
hundred feet into the air, and rising
like a balloon, it spread over an aref
A hundred yards in diameter and fel
back to earth a veritable shower o
fire. Every one who was in reach o
The fire cloud was more or less burned
Scarcely a person who was at tn
scene of the wreck escaped entrel.
uninjured but most of them were on
ly slightly burned. The explosion wa
accompanied by loud report. and tn
shock was so great that houses half
mile away were shaken on their foun
fations and persons as far away wer
awakened from sound sleep.
The force of the explosion was ter
rife. One end of the car was hurle
like a ball out Of cannon's mout
straight towards a house at least fift
yards away. Two women were stand
ing on the porch when the end of tn
big tank car struck the side of tn
house. 1t tore out the entire from
corner of the house, passing through
both side and front and injured bot
The women seriously. They were Mrs
Mcfarland and Mrs. Ausbury. TIL
house was occupied by Mrs. Asbur,
and was owned by James Smith. l
was olmost totally demolished.
The other end of the car was blow
down the railroad track for fifty yard
and stopped against the end of a loni
(, eight train. The dome of the ca
was carried fully two hundred yard
and landed at the door of the roun'
house.
The men who had been standing
near the burning car were blown il
every direction. Some of them wer
found dead by the searching parties
lying in the cornfeld, hundred yard
away. All of them were terribly man
gled and burned and could scarcely b.
recognized. General Superintendent
Hamilton was terribly disfgured AM
also Master Mechanic Laline. Pieces o
human heih were strewn for hund
rcd yards along the track and over tn
| ao:nfields on either side of the roat
and ore human foo; was found whicl
seems to bc that Of boy, but whom
M one seems O know about, no bo!
having been reported missing and IN
other remains not having been found
Among the crowd which was in tn
explosion were many women and child
ren. The women screamed as though
they were about to be killed, as in
deed they thought they were, and sew
eral OF them became hystrical. o.
woman rushed as fast as she could to
ward the burning wreck of the car
calling for her husband. He was un
hurt, and as he answered her call AM
hey met there among the dead ant
manned, there was a most affecting
scene which brought tears to man!
strong mans eyes
When the first fire was at its height
the fire department was notified ant