The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-04
FrightfuI Result Of Explosion on
Steamer PrOgIessO al
San Francisco,
PROPERTY TO THE VALUE
OF 100000 DESTROYED
Disaster Occurred While Forty Me.
ehanIcs OF the Fulton Iron Works
and Twenty Employees of the
Ship Were on Board.

San Francisco, December 3.-While the
steamer Progresso was lying at the wharf
of the Fulton Iron works at Harbor View
this morning, an explosion occurred and
as a result twelve men are missing. u
score more injured, and property to the
value of 100000 was destroyed.
The missing:
First Assistant Engineer Sparks.
Joseph Rex.
Charles Glenn.
Howard Dove.
James Gavall.
Dan Gallagher.
Joseph Mcguire.
F. Nelson.
s. C. McGregor.
Jack Strand.
Harry Small.
Jack Ashton.
Charles Glenn and Howard DOVE of the
crew of the Progresso. shipped only this
morning. Joe Rex is a son of Mate Rex
of the ship w. P. Babcock. Charles Glenn
is a brother of Second Officer Glenn of
the transport Sheridan. James Gavall
was an electrician and Gallagher, Mcguire,
Nelson and McGregor were shipbuilders.
Jack Strand was employed as a fireman
and Harry Small boy, was working as
a rivet beater. His home Is at Vallejo.
Ashton was a fireman ON the Progresso
and Dove was a seaman.
Seriously Injured.
The list of seriously injured includes:
Henry Conama, Robert Gibson, A. Kane,
r. Bucoll, George McNemy, j. Morgan,
T. Magill, Willie VanLaerset, Peter Han
sen.
The disaster occurred while forty me-
chanics of the iron works and twenty en-
ployes of the ship were on board
Below the decks the mechanics were
busy completing the work of changing
the vessel from coal-burning coal-car-
rier toaam oi11buraliffg M nerchantman, when
suddenly one of the oil tanaks blew up.
Men were hurled against the steel wall
and a sheet of flame came sweeping into
their faces. On the upper deck men were
hurled into the air or thrown into the wa
ter. Three sailors, engaged in washing
paint outside the pilot house, disappeared
as the cloud of black smoke came up
from the ship and were seen no more.
Following the explosion the ship sagged
in the center, showing that she had broken
in two. In the office of the iron works,
twenty feet away, every window was
shattered, and flying glass cut the faces
and hands of many Of the officials and
clerks. AS they rushed out into the open
survivors who were able to help them
selves were leaping from the ship.
great crowd of mechanics came running
out of the works. The men set to work
with a will to rescue the men from the
burning vessel. A stream of burning oil
running from the tanks spread out until
the ship lay on waves of fire. The flames
crept under the wharf and soon the TIM
bers were blazing, adding to the diff
Guilty of the work of rescue.
Ship Built of steel.
The ship was built of steel. The fire
was nearly all below deck. There were
fourteen oil tanks containing about 400
barrels OF oil in ALL and despite the ef-
forts of the fire department this contin-
ued to burn fiercely for hours after the
explosion.
Numerous minor explosions occurred at
short intervals, but the injury and loss
of life was due to the first one.
The loss to the Fulton company by the
wreclxing of the building and the burning
of the wharf will exceed $4,000. It is esti-
mated that the Progreso was worth about
| $175,00O. The explosion shook all the
buildings at Harbor View and the shock
was felt a mile away. Windows were
broken several blocks from the scene.
James w. Spiers, Jr., general manager
of the Fulton Iron Works, is positive that
the explosion was due to the oil, and not
to the bursting of the boiler. His theory
is that gas generated in one of the oil