Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-04
Pier Catches Alight and is Likewise
Speedily Consumed.
woRKMEN THOUGHT TO BE DEAD
Twelve Are Missing and Ten Injured &c
to Hospital.
GENERATING GAS BELIEVED TO Be CAUSE
Four Chambers Burst First, but Soon
After Three Others Also GO Up,
Dealing Destruction to Three
Hundred Men.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. "A disastrous
explosion occurred on the steamer Pro-
gresso today in which Harry Corona and
Rodney Gibson, employees OF the Fulton Iron
works, were seriously injured and twelve
others are missing.
The Progresso was laid up at the Union
Iron works and was being converted into an
oil burner, when one OF its tanks exploded.
second explosion followed. The steamer
was burned TO the waters edge and will be
q total loss. Ten men have been taken to
the general military hospital at The Pre-
sidio, and several men have been killed.
The Union Iron works, a largo industrial
and shipbuilding plant, Ia located on the
bay shore in the western part Of the city.
The Progresso is owned by the Saginaw
Steamship company of New York and ar
rived here a few months ago from the At
lantic coast. 1t was formerly called Wells
City and was 265 feet in length, with a
gross tonnage of 1919 tons. The repairs
on 1t we're about completed and the boilers
were being tested when the explosion oc-
Cured.
The Progresso has burned to the waters
edge. Fire companies are now flooding It..
Three hundred men we're working on board
at the time of the explosion. Some of them
"bTb lnTOWu INTO lnc Ddy. lutES bTtdL
fear that several were killed.
Taken to Hospitals.
Many have been taken to the hospitals in
the city. Ten OF the sufferers were taken
to the Preside hospital.
The second mate. Jordan, of the Pro-
gresso, who had a narrow escape from
death, says he lost three men who shipped
htely from the east.
The first mate Sloan, and Theodore
Psrding, boatswain, escaped.
The first explosion occurred at $50
o'clock in the hrst four oil tanks and the
remaining three tanks exploded at 1910.
making It impossible at this time to tell
how many men have been killed or injured.
The army rendered prompt assistance
and Colonel Rice, Captain Mcintyre, DR..
Mathews and Chaplain Smith were soon on
the scene. Progresso is.a complete wreck.
Among the missing is First Assistant
sparks and a time keeper named Magunde.
Van Tassel thinks the boilers exploded
and set fire to the oil. He found himself
IN the upper deck, having been blown out
II the fire room. He thinks there were
thirty or forty men in the FIRE room.
The fires, he says, were started yester-
oay, as the officers were to give a speed
test Of the machinery.
Authorities Say Gas Caused IL.
The first explosion is accounted for by
the authorities at the iron works as hav-
ing originated from the generation of gas
In one of the oil chambers. The force OF
the explosion tore the ship asunder and
me fuel poured out on the water and be-
meath the pier OF the works, which imme-
stately took fire and was consumed. The
vessel did not sink, but little expectation
is felt that there will be any salvage on It.
Progresso has beea undergoing repairs
Ia order to At 1t for the carriage OF oil. 1t
was to have had it's trial trip on Sunday,
The iron works estimate its loss at $780,
GOO. The loss on the steamer is not accu-
rately known, but 1t is expected to reach
hundreds OF thousands OF dollars.