The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-04
Twelve Hurled by Explosion
Into Eternity.
OIL TANK BURSTS
A Number Of Mechanics We're Changing tie
Progresso From Coal Burner to an
Oil Burner When the Disaster
Occurred.
(By the Associated Press.)

l.
San Francisco, Cal, Dec. 3-While the
steamer Progresso was lying at the
wharf of the Fulton Iron Works. at
Harbor View, this morning, an explosion
occurred. AS result twelve men are
missing. A score were more or less
serious injured and property valued at
100000 was destroyed. The missing:
FIRST ASSISTANT ENGINEER
SPARKS
JOSEPH REX.
CHARLES GLENN.
HOWARD DOVE.
JAMES CAVATT.
DAN. GALLAGHER.
JOSEPH INQUIRE.
T. NELSON.
C. c. McGREGOR.
JACK STRAND.
HARRY SMALL.
JACK ASHTON.
First ssistant Engineer Sparks,
Joseph Rex, Charles Glenn and Howard
Dove, of the crew of the Progresso, were
shipped only this morning. Joseph Rex
Is son Ol MdlS INeA, VI lHS snip W.
Babcock.
Charles Glenn is a brother of Second
Officer Glenn, of the transport Sheri-
dan.
James Cavatt was an electrician, and
Gallagher, Mcguire, F. Nelson and Nc
Gregor WEIR shipbuilders.
Jack Strand was employed as a fire.
man, and Harry Small, a boy, was work
ing as a rivet beater His home is at
Vallejo. Ashton was a fireman on the
Progresso, and Dove was a seamon
The list of seriously injured includes:
Henry Conama, aged Is years; arm
amputated.
Robert Gibson, both legs broken.
A. Kane, fractured leg and foot.
r. Bucoll, fractured left wrist.
George McNeemy, severe burns.
] Morgan, injured about arms and
Iegs.
T. McGill severely burned.
Willis VanDerest, head bruised
Peter Hanson, fracture of right leg.
The disaster occurred at GAS o'clock
while forty mechanics of the iron works
and twenty employees of the ship were
on board. Below the decks the me
chanics were husv completing the worl
of cha ring the vessel from a coal burn
ing coal carrier, to an oil-burning OF
carrier, when suddenly one of the tanks
blew up. Men were hurled against th'
steel wall and a sheet of fame came
sweeping into their faces. On the uppel
deck, men were hurled into the air o.
thrown into the water. Three sailors
engaged in washing paint outside th'
pilot 'house, disappeared as the cloud o
black smoke came up from the ship, ant
were seen no more.
Following the explosion, the ship sag
ged in the center, showing that she hat
broken in two. In the office of the irol
works, twenty feet away, every windoy
was shattered and flying glass cut th
faces and hands of many of the officials
and clerks.
AS they rushed out into the open, sur
vivors, who were able to help them
selves, were leaping from the ship.
great crowd of mechanics came running
out of the works. AS soon as the pani
had subsided, these men set to work t.
rescue men from the burning vessel.
stream of burning oil, running from th
tanks, spread out until the ship lay ol
waves of fire. The flames crept unde
the wharf and soon the timbers wer
blazing, adding to the difficulty of tn
work Of rescue.
AS the ship was built of steel, the fir
was nearly all below the deck. Their
were fourteen oil tanks, containing abou
four hundred barrels of oil, in all. am
despite the efforts of the fire department
this continued to burn fiercely for hour
after the explosion.
Several minor explosions. due to tn
flames going from tank to tank, occur
red at short intervals, but all the injur,
and loss of life was caused by the first.