Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-15
e Disaster in the Yards
Ne Pan Handle Railroad
Near Pittsburg.
hon OF CARS LED TO
PL0Sl0N OF NAPTHA TANK
lands OF People We're
bling the Scene When
he Explosion Came.
elieyed That Least Twenty We're
|, While Those Horribly Burned
Otherwise Injured May Exceed ~
Ran Around wide
Feaming and Tearing on Their
es.

H&fs valley tnlS evening. III is
nd 25 persons are dead and be-
Hoe and $50 arc burned, many of
Y will die. The first explosion
y h in the Sheriden yards of the
andle railroad, about five miles
10 Union Station in this city.
bnen were shifting train Of
which were attached two cars
81 d oil and one of naphtha.
III The cars we're pushed along the
the oil cars came together with
b, smashing the couplings and
ing u switch light. The oil tank
&rred, and oil flowed down On the
II ignited and made u trail to
blk. A flame shot into the air,
efore the trainmen know what
happened an explosion occurred
\ q flash tire burning oil spurted
d Q air.
4 occurred about A. 40 p. m. An
n was sent to Sheridanville and
rs Rocks, and the local Fire
#ment responded. No water could
a and the heat was so intense no
#hlld get near enough to couple an
" to the other two cars and haul
away.
Nut 8. 10 the second car of refined
&ploded, and by this time fully
bersons had gathered on the hill
4 The Pan Handle tracks lie in
Nh thanked by steep hills on each
No one thought of any danger.
from the burning cars gem.
gas in tho naphtha tank near
HI had gas dome. Shortly after
I6ck tho naphtha tank exploded.
aoIne shot into the air and fell on
Hilside amid the jam Of spectators.
tank split in twain and Bthe
3Isa, like fiery serpents, shot into
spraying the thousands
ple, among whom were laborers,
HI, children and railroaders.
there was a rush for
III Hundreds who We're sprayed by
ftj & oil tore their clothes OIL their
sH Women and children screamed
Men ewore and ran hlther and
IaE like wild men. People set fire
ID otner. Some crawled into the
5thers ran and famed the flames
tho Wind. Dozens of naked men
their bodies among the bushes
~ to relieve the pain, while others
3hxhausted, never to rise again.
NJ heat from the burning fluid
ID hadaspread over the valley sep
III haparties occupying each hill
u A Similar scene was being en-
4 on both hillsides. while down the
III none came out alive.
u burning oil trickled into a small
i known as Cork's Run. 1t hoated
The Village of Esplen and into the
5RiVer. At the euge of Esp'en and
city limits q group OF
10Y are situated along the hillside
oh The level. A natural gas main
IpiesSa ditch. There was leak in
gas main.
be- burning oil reached it, the
main exploded, wrecking all the
soa IA the group and killing severa,
lie, nnaiming about 20 more. One
ding contained large poolroom,
re we're congregated u dozen men,
all were killed or injured.
bus. at two distinct places, more
i two miles apart, lives were los
help was needed. BY this time thu
roa H obmpany had organized relic
vs. among their Pittsburg yard men
NJ Musician in the city was tele
ned toslend his aid. Special train
) nihde up to take the doctors dow
r6,if1s. Ambulances were put aboart
,ars and rushed down. Ever.
pital was ordered to get ready TO
overflow, and rescue work was unde
by $50 on u large scale.
Z THE DEAD AND INJURED.
he intense excitement and confusion
Identto the explosions make it i'm
sible 10 get anything like u trust
thy estimate OF the dead and in
ID. but from some of those who es
ed, 1t is learned that hundreds wer
lg around on the ground in all con
lons of Injury and death.
wenty bodies have been found an
10 than 100 PERSONS injured hay
n given temporary aid.
Ill the ambulances from this cit
Allegheny, together with man
'sicians, were quickly started fc
aoene, and at the earliest possibl
rlent the victims were removed. A
hospitals are crowded with patients
the Morgue is full to oyerfiowin
ii bodies,
secause Of the burning of all telC
,ph and telephone wires near IL
ne OF the accident, news must |
ried by messenger, making detinil
hard to get. Street ca
Y blooked long distance fro
MAIDEN, and the Pan Handle railroa
8Iks are completely blocked.
\ diHpatch from Sheraden' says:
series of explosions b
sen 4Hhd 7 o'clock this evening hi
ased tE& death of at least 20 person
, burning and iniuring Of 200 or 8
4 property loss that will run in
ndreds OF thousands of dollars.
The list Of dead so far obtainab
Harry n Smithey, leverman, Dem
Billy Taylor, brakeman, Uhrich
elmer Hunter, conductor, aged 35.
klbert Mexican, brakeman, aged 2
eraden.
,ohn Swan, brakeman, Sheraden.
DALLAS Boyd, fireman.
,njuredt Samuel Ramsey, CAPITA
y. Q Nolunteer Hose Co., Mckee
tcls badly burned about face.
sHu2 Htrasse, aged 10 years, Esple
3 and Hands burned.
Dorsey Daggs, aged 10, Esple
rned on face and hands.
William Douglass, hands and ia
yrned.
drs. Myrtle Douglass, Esple
trned from head to foot.
lQseph Reiner, Braddock, eye bio,
MA Seymour, Cork Run, burned
n body, not expected to live.
liars, 8eymour's daughter, aged
grned *ilpver body, not expected
10.
spittsburg, Pa. May IA. The casual
resulting from Mondays disast