The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1902-05-15
SCORE DEAD AND OVER THREE
4uNDRER INJURED IN sHER.
I % ADAM lPA.) DISASTER.
FIFTY OF LATTER WILL DIE
Series 81 Accidents Follows the Tele.
scopins 81 Naphtha Tank Cars, cul.
nsnatins u ! Terrific Explosion
Which Covers the Hundreds Of
sishtseers With Burning Oil. Flam-
ing Timbers and Red Hot Iron.


ing Timbers and Red Hot iron.
Pittsburg. May 14,-Twenty-one are
dead and not less than 300 others in
jured as the result of the terrible ex-
plosion OF naphtha at Sheradan Mon
day evening. OF the 800 injured the
physicians say at least so will die.
Many Of the dead have not been re-
ported TO the coroner and an accurate
list canont be obtained at this time.
The long list Of dead and injured is
the result of a series of four accidents,
eliminating in a frightful disaster
The telescoping of naphtha tank cars
in the yards of the Panhandle Railroad
company in Corks Run was followed
by the ignition Of the naphtha by an
open switch lamp; by the flowing OF
the ignited naphtha through the cul-;
vert leading to the Ohio river half
mile away, and to its explosion Wa
attendant loss OF lite aM property AMI
by the explosion OF three other naph-.
tina tanks at the point of original mis-
hap after hundreds OF people had been
attracted to the spot by the, burning
naphtha, which was sending up flames
a.hundred feet high. The detonattons
of the explosions were heard as far
away as Duauesne Heights.
All the story can hardly be told. for
no words can picture the horror of the
scene. g,
The telescoping of the cars was one
of those things that not infrequently
happens without serious consequences.
Its subsequent ignition by an open
switch lamp Is matter which will
later be given full Investigation. The
cause OF the explosion at the point
where it once again broke out is still
a matter Of conjecture. 1t seems that
the flames followed the flowing naph-
tha, and, exploding at the culvert's
opening,
Ruined Half Dozen Houses ss
III the neighborhood, setting them on,
fire and injuring not less than a hum
dred people. The shock from this ex-
plosion was felt across the river in
Allegheny, where windows were bro
ken.
The burning of the naphtha at the.
fountain head, the two naphtha tanks.
was spectacular. 1t was giant pillar
of fire, surmounted by glorious crown
of iridiscent hue. People came from
far and near to view the sight.
Fully two hours after the fire had
started there came the second explo-
sion. There were three other naphtha
tanks In the immediate neighborhood
of the two tanks that had telescoped
and were burning. These tanks were
growing hotter and efforts to get them
out of range had for some reason been
Intellectual. With mighty splash Of
fame across the heavens and can
nonade that made the hills quake the
tanks ignited almost at the same mo-
ment. Ss
Following the explosion burning
naphtha, flaming timber and red hot
iron rained upon the people who had
congregated to view the conflagration
from the hilltops. Many of these were
instantly killed. Others were injured
or set On flre. Maddened with pain
and fright they ran hither and thither,
tearing their burning clothes from
their backs. s 35s Al
BY the freaks OF chance there were
some few left unscathed. These hur-
ried to give aid to the less fortunate,
put out the flames and carried the
desperately injured to more secure
spots. ss: ~ sss IS
Speedily all the local hospitals were
notified, but the ambulances OF all the
hospitals in the city were not adequate
! tn rive attention. tn' all the ir inrad