The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-05-16
FIRE TORRENT FALLS
Railway Yards Near Pittsburg the
Scene OF a FrightfuI
Calamity.
EXPLOSION OF NAPHTHA tt CARS
Thousands Collect to Look at a Blaze
When the Blast Of Death DC.
curs-Hundreds Are More
or Less Burned.


able series of explosions between
and O'Clock last evening caused the
death of at least twenty-five persons.
the burning and injuring of two or
three hundred others, and property
loss that will run into hundreds of
thousands of dollars. The list of dead.
so far as obtainable, follows:
Albert Mexican and John Swan,
brakemen, Sheraden: unknown boy,
about II years; H. e. Smithley,
Uhrichsville, O.; Finerty, Sister
vile, w. Va; Charles Hertig, Chest
nut mines; w. W. Taylor. of Miller's
Station; G. e. Hunter. of Sheraden:
w. e. Wright, of Sheraden; Dallas
Bort, Of Sheraden; unknown white
man; - Douds; David Smith, aged
years, Of Sheraden; James Keenan,,
Carnegie; Pascoe Nader; Italian sec
ton hand; unknown boy, aged 10.
Those Most Seriously Hurt.
Partial list of seriously injured:
Among the more seriously burned are
Albert Haertig aged -; Carl Eatings,
of Upton, Tenn; Henry Denzine, of
Allegheny; Sadie Seymour, deaf mute;
Flick Connidi, grocer, Cecil Pa; CLYDE
Grinnage: Roy Guthridge, aged o;
Clyde Fair, Mcdonald; Charles Kee-
nan, aged Il: w. III. Enoch, Pittsburg,
will die; Frank Doerr, condition seri-
Gus; William Henderson, Elliott Bor-
ough; Hugh Henderson; J. E. Hanna,
justice of the peace, Bridgeville, seri-
Gus; ]. J. Wallace, Trevescan, serious;
James Callahan, Elliott Borough: AL
n NJ
Julia Ansell Sheraden; Frank Culture,
Carnegie; Matthew Moreland, McKee's
Rocks, will probably die. The many
others who were injured live in all
parts Of Allegheny county and their
names cannot be secured.
Cause of the Terrible Horror.
The Sheraden yards of the Panhan-
die railroad are a few miles below
this city, and yesterday evening and
last night were a merry furnace of burn
ing cars naphtha, oil and merchandise.
The cause of the catastrophe was the
explosion Of a naphtha car, brought
about by leak in the car which COM
municated to a switch light Lear by,
causing a terrific explosion. Crowds of
peOple-men, women and children
quickly gathered to look at the fire,
and were lined about the yard on the
hillsides to the number of thousands.
Second Did the Awful Work.
When all danger had apparently
passed second explosion Of naphtha
followed, far worse than the first. The
flames from the second car were
thrown 500 feet into the air, complete
ly envelOping the OnlOOkerS. In an
instant the scene was one beyond de-
scription. The air was superheated to
a degree impossible for human life
to exist in. Those nearest the exploded
cars were caught and fell to the
ground. The clothing of those farther
away was soon afire, and the victims
ran frantically about, tearing their
burning garments from their bodies
and screaming for help.
Sewers Spread Death and Ruin.
In the meantime the fire had spread
to other cars and in an incredibly short
time the entire yard was ablaze The
heat was SO intense that firemen were
unable to get anywhere near the fire
The burning oil was carried through
the sewers to distant parts of the dis
trict, one of the results being an ex-
plOsiOn in a pool room at McKee's
Rocks, where hundreds of men were
gathered. Four men are reported killed
at this point. Hundreds of people
were lying around on the ground in
the railway yards, in all conditions of
injury and death.
Property Loss Is 100000.
The Panhandle Railroad company
has thirty-siX tracks through Sheraden
and has succeeded in keeping commu-
nication open. The property loss will
amount to at least 100000.