The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-13
NAPHTHA HOLOCAUST
HORRIBLE EXPLOSIONS AT SHEER
ALDEN, PA.
MONT PELEE ON SMALL SCALE
ABOUT 20 DEAD AND NEARLY 800
INJURED.

Succession, Doing Horrible Dam
age-Hundreds, Who Had Gathered
to See the Brilliant Sight, Caught
by the Worse and Latest ExpIO-
siOn-Hair and Clothing Burned
and Little Children in Flames.
Party of Sports, One and a Half
Miles Away, Caught by Exploding
Naphtha Stream-PrOperty Loss of
$6OO,OOO.
Sheraden, Pa, May IA remark
able series of naphtha explosions be-
tween and o'clock this evening has
caused the death of at least % persons,
the burning and injuring of to or three
hundred others and a property loss
that will run into hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars.
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 near by
causing a terrific explosion. This ex-
ploston occurred at about $50 p. m.
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 thous-
ands.
When all danger had apparently
passed, a second explosion of naphtha
followed, far worse than the first.
The flames from the second were
thrown 500 feet into the air, complete
ly enveloping the onlookers. The vic
TINS ran frantically about tearing
their burning garments from their
bodies and screaming for help.
Among the dead are: Harry F.
Smithey, leverman, resided at Denni-
son, O.; Billy Taylor, brakeman,
Uhrichsville, O.; Elmer Hunter, con-
ductor; Albert Mexican, brakeman,
Sheraden; John Swan, brakeman, Sher-
alden; Dallas Byrd, fireman, Sheraden.
The cause of the catastrophe was
the explosion of train of naptha cars
which were being switched at the yard,
and in the switching the rear car tele-
scoped a car forward. The leaking nap
that ignited from a switch light, caus-
ing an explosion which threw the
flames so feet high.
Sports Were Blown Up.
Much of the escaping naptha ran
through Croke Run to Espen-
borough, a distance of one and
one-half miles and caused another ex-
plosion, blowing to atoms the Seymour
Hotel and the Collins House on River
road and badly wrecking a frame
building near by, in which were con-
gregated 200 or more sports from Pitts
burg and vicinity, betting on the races
baseball, etc. Few of the occupants
of this building escaped injury, many
being badly hurt. Mrs. Seymour and
her daughter, of the Sheraden Hotel,
were seriously, and it is feared, fatally
injured.
The first car of naphtha exploded
about lao o'clock and the spectacle
soon attracted a large crowd on streets
lining the hills on both sides of, and
parallel to the railroad. The second
car exploded about o'clock, but it
was 6:15 o'clock when three more
cars of the deadly stuff went up with
roar that could be heard for miles,
that the work of destruction really
began.
Like Flames From Mont PeIee.
A torrent of flame belched forth on
each side of the track, sweeping back
the terrified spectators like a charge
of artillery and sending shower of
flame over their heads, resembling
MONT I6lee on d .SIlldll scale.
The scene that followed beggars de-
scription. The successive explosions
had heated the air to such an extent
that before the third explosion many
were rendered unconscious by the tx-
IRENE heat and the gaseous fumes, and
were being carried away when the tor
rent of flame swept oE er the excited
crowd.
Men and Women i'm Torture.
There was an awful hush for a mo-
ment, then followed a scene of frenzy.
Men and women, their clothing ablaze
their faces scorched and blistered and
their hair burned off their heads, ran
wildly shrieking, nither and thither
only intent on escape from that awful
furnace of fire. Some gave vent to
frenzied appeals to kill them and put
them out of their misery, and little
children, with their curly locks and
light summer clothing small pillars OF
fire, cried piteously as they We're swept
along by the tide of burning humanity
The townspeopfe did all in their
power for the stricken victims and
an the Pittsburg ambulances were i'm
mediately dispatched to the scene with
corps of physicians. Many of those
not seriously burned were removed to
their homes in Sheraden, while others
were sent to the various Pittsburg
hospitals, and the dead removed to
undertaking establishments in Shera-
den and vicinity and to the Pittsburg
morgue.
The Panhandle Railroad Company
has thirty-six tracks through Shera-
den and has succeeded in keeping COM
munication open. The property loss
will amount to at least 5000, 000
Seventeen known Dead.
The list of known dead numbers II,
all residents of Sheraden or vicinity.
Several have died tonight in bospitais.
Among the injured is Carl Eatings nf
Upton Tenn. who was badly burned
about the head. A comple-e list Of tho
wounded could not be secured tonight.
A Partial list contains twenty names.
MUST STILL FLY BRITISH FLAG.