The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-10
SanFranciscoDock
Scene of the
Disaster.
A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE KILLED
The Prosreso. With an Oil Cargo.
Blows Up at the Fulton
Iron Works.

SAN FRANCISCO, December 3.-The
steel steamer Progreso, which has
been lying at the wharf of the Fulton
Iron Works at Harbor View, blew up
this morning, causing great loss of
property, the death of probably six
men, and the serious injury of score
of others.
OF the six that were known to be
missing and who, it is feared, lost their
lives these are known:
First Assistant Engineer Sparks.
Time Keeper McGreegor.
=. Glew, sailor
=. Dow, sailor
The names of the other two at the
hour of writing could not be ascer-
tanned.
The first two mentioned were at work
in the hold of the ship and undoubt-
edly perished.
The sailors were at work scraping
the side of the vessel, and from their
situation at the time little hope is en-
tertained that they escaped.
The explosion occurred at 9:24 a. m.
and is accounted for by the authorities
at the iron works as having resulted
from the generation of gas in one OF
the oil chambers. The vessel was
loaded at the time with oil. The force
of the explosion tore her asunder at
amidships and the fuel poured out on
the water and beneath the pier of the
works, which Immediately took fire and
was consumed.
The vessel did not sink, but little
expectation is felt that there will be
any salvage on her.
: The Progreso has been at the Full
ton Iron Works for some time UNDER
going reconstruction to fit her for the
carriage of OIL For many years she
had been in the coal trade on this
coast, but her owners, the Saginaw
Steel Company, recently decided to put
her in the Texas oil trade and it was
their intention upon the completion of
the work under way to send her around
the Horn. She was to have had her
trial trip on Saturday.
Immediately following the disaster
a call was sent in to the Presidio Hos
pital, which responded with its ambu
lances with dispatch and eighteen of
the injured men were removed thereto.
The remainder were taken to the
Emergency Hospital.
There were at the time of the dis
aster eighty men aboard the vessel,
sixty of whom were employees of the
iron works and twenty composed the
crew. Many saved themselves from
nj eyrryfy,
ming to the landing.
/ The Fulton Works estimates their
loss at 1000
I The loss on the steamer is not known
accurately, but it is expected that it
sands of dollars.
Among those treated at the Emer-
gency Hospital was Willie Van Tassell,
an apprentice boy at the Fulton Iron
Works, who resides at 3S Eighth street.
He is suffering from an injured hip.
Another is Peter Hanson a ship car
penter living at the Sailors Home.
He was working on the wheelhouse Of
the steamer and is suffering from a
broken knee.
j Several of the injured were taken TO
the Presidio Hospital, where five doc
tors are in attendance upon them. The
hospital authorities offered to take all
the injured sent there, but the city an
thorities decided to attend to the rest
3 of the injured.
! Those at the Presidio Hospital are:
/ =. McNERNEY, scalded and badly
bruised; seriousness of injuries not yet
determined.
I EDWARD KANE, right foot and leg
badly crushed.
1 =. CONEMAUGH, fractured leg.
-. McNAUGHTON, a little boy,
fractured right arm.
HUGH McGTLL, face burned. Hope
to save his eyesight.
A GRAPHIC STORY OF EXPLOSION
Policeman Connors, who lives abou;
Continued on Page q.