The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-21
NAPTHA EXPLODES.
s Terrible Disaster in the Railroad
Yard at Fittsburg.
TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE HURT.
Thc Ealatila Fluid Burns Over Il
vide Area, Causing Injury
and Ruin, and Killing
Many People.
Many People.

The Sheraden yard Of the Panhan-
die railroad at PittSburg. Pa. was the
Scene Wednesday afternoon Of one Of
the most disastrous explosions and
fires known in that section for many
years. At least tWenty-Hne lives
were lost and about 200 persons were
so badly burned that. according to the
Judgment of physicians in attendance,
- per cent Of them will die from the
effects OF their injuries.
The cause Of the catastrophe was
the explosion Of train Of naphtha
cars which was being switched at the
yard, and in the switching the rear
car teleScoped the car forward. The
leaking naphtha ignited from switch
light. causing an explosion. which
threw the flames fifty feet high.
Much of the escaping naphtha ran
through Corks Run to ESplenborough,
a distance of one and one-half miles,
causing an explosion, blowing to atoms
the SheraGen Hotel and the Collins
House, and badly wrecking frame
building nearby. in which were con-
gregatcd 200 or more sports from
Pittsburg and vicinity, betting on
the races, base ball etc Few Of the
occupants of this building escaped in
jury, many being badly hurt. Mrs.
Seymour and her daughter, of the
Sheraden hotel, were seriously and, 1t
is feared. fatally injured.
The first car Of naphtha exploded
about 40 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 section
car exploded about o'clock, but it
was at els 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 be-
gan.
A torrent Of flame belched forth on
each side Of the track, sweeping back
the terrified spectators like charge
of artillery, and sent a shower OF
flames over their heads, resembling
Mont Pelee on small 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
we're rendered unconscious by the eX-
treme heat and the gaseous fumes,
and were being carried away when the
torrent of flame swept over the excited
crowd.
There was an awful hush for mo-
ment. then followed scene OF frenzy.
Men and women, their clothing ablaZe,
their faces scorched and blistered and
their hair burned off their heads, ran
wildly Shrieking hither 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 were
swept along by the tide of burning
humanity. The town people did al
in their power for the stricken vic
tins and all the PitSburg ambulanccS
were Immediately dispatched to the
scene with a corps of physicians,
Many of those not seriously burned
were removed to their homes in Shera'
den. while others were sent to the
various Pittsburg hospitals, and the
dead removed to undertaking estab
lishments in Sheraden and vicinity
and to the PittSburg morgue.
The Panhandle Railroad Company
has thirty-six tracks through Shera
den and has succeeded in keeping com
1.unication open. The property los!
will amount to at least $500, 900. The
list Of known dead numbers twenty
all residents of Sheraden or vicinity
Several died last night III hospitals
Among them is Carl Eatings Of Tip
ton. Tenn, who was badly burned
about the head. \ complete list o.
the wounded could not be secured last
night. a partial list contains twenty
names.
The accident happened in the rail
road yards at Sheraden, where the
Panhandle railroad makes a turn, neal
| Corks run. Banked by two high hill:
hundreds of people were caught. A
this point, which is about one-fourtl
Of mile from the city line, there are
uhirtv-three tracks. Upon thesf
tracks were several hundred cars
Near the middle of these tracks abou,
4.45 O'clock a heavy freight train wa:
being made up for the west. In thl:
train were ten tank cars, containing
refined petroleum and naphtha. II
the shifting necessary to prepare tht
train for her journey a switch wa:
made with too much force. Five tanl
cars. two of them filled with refined
petroleum and two with naphtha
were switched with too much force
and one of the cars of naphtha wa:
broken. Instantly the intlammablf
by-product poured out in a stream
The trainmen. seeing that one Of the
cars was damaged, started to pull
them all out Of the way.
Already the men in charge Of the
switch light had made his rounds anc
the lights were burning. AS the tanl
car passed over one of the lights the
dropping naphtha caught on the little
fame and almost instantly an explo
sion followed.
= Practical Reform.
\ Pennsylvania tells of practica