The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-13
Engagement Utterly at Loss
For Cause.

Hssh fsnort which sounded like that
t heavy gun and q rush skyward OF
s black smoke pouring up a. If from
IL crater Of volcano one OK the build
Of ths plant q the Portland Gas
Light company was IN twinkling
d into u confused heap Of brick and
aaAd Hoodwork At a few minutes past
san oeloek, Saturday morning, leaving
8 thrs% men who were IN the structure
sIs time dead or dying in she ruins
0as q lesst Is known 20 have been alive
H TIE accident for he was reached By
nn Who tried IN vain to draw him from
Is Wreek AM were forced at last to
sa ly helpless ~ he fell back into the
ss and perished. IN the meantime,
"a alarm q fire called the department to
SPOT and the flames were soon extin-
nAsa Then the mangled ana black
sz bottles OF the victims were drawn
laa tie ruins and the work OF clearing
1sg tie debris commenced. It was
gt that this would solve the mys-
80 the cause Of the explosion but
as not seem to have done 50. The
are.
2ILLTAM CASE. aged %.
WILLIAM J. CAREY, aged IS.
ROBERT MOELS. aged Il.
IL three were employees at the works
81 trusted men.
he gas works are on West Commercial
ssss, little west Of Clark. Entrance is
trough gate and a passageway be-
mNn TWO Of the buildings. On the left
& 4ou enter IS the two story brick office
tidlnF and beyond It one Of the great
anks In which tbs gas IL stored and
sAleh when filled tower high above the
surrounding buildings. Beyond the
anks running parallel with West Com
nslsal sreet Is a long brick building and
asaed which form one side OF the court
gaa around which the structures stand.
adjoining the shed at right angles Is a
hlek building two stories high which
rms along the side Of the court yard op-
nsta the tanks. the remaining side being
kfaesed By the meter house and the
eAoe building with the entrance way be- /
EHsen them. The building in which the
explosion occurred stood in the &c inter- of
be court. It was a single story brick |
structure, IN the west end of which were
TO large boilers with O big brick CHM
nsT near them. This part of the build
ng vas not entirely destroyed The rest
q il was reduced In u second to q pile,
debris. Through the tangle of roof |
auases and aplintered boards and big /
pieces Of the brickwork which had formed /
Tie walls rose here and there portions
the machinery. Smoke and steam and
Jets q flame played through the pile long
s'ef the bodies had been drawn out. The
Window castings lay against the wall of
NE meter house where they had been
hurled by the explosion. The ground
Has covered with pieces of glass and in
ae buildings around the sides of the
court the windows had been shattered.
Aae force Of the explosion seemed to be
y 'he east towards the.tanks, the top of
.ae nearer one, which was only partially
alea, being covered with glass and bits
The wood work. one or two heavy
pieces having bent the iron railing which
surrounds the covering Of the tank III
US second story of the office building the
'0'ee Of the explosion had thrown large
sse'lons Of the plastering from the cell
'as and one end OF a wooden shelf
against the wall was bent downward as
I some heavy body had dropped on 1t.
.aiS was IN room used for draughsing.
= the next room were stored a large
number Of gas stoves and on top of them
Hs'e fragments Of the glass from the
. FhEss man made his way into the
.a'ns as soon as the flames had been sub
Sasu At the end where the boilers
s'00o 10 was possible then to reach the
. = floor in the passage way between
sAsaa' A ladder was leaning against the
"7S'sfn boiler undisturbed by the shock
s1' ene other boiler was covered deep un-
WI bricks and what was left of the roof
lug down over 1t like q piece of canvas.
!, : 'ne ruins Of that part of the build
=. - which was entirely destroyed were q
,''a'F and step ladder which had hard "
S'sn injured. A pile of letters still lay
vi WHAT eparaod 4<, - = n1-A.A II .s4ssA |