Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-05-15
En- (. IVE'LO.PED in FLAME
Naphtha Cars Explode in Yards at
Sheraden, Pa.
AIR FILLED WITH BLAZING OIL.
Clothing of Hundreds OF SiEhtseers
Catches Ffre-At Least Twenty
Five Are KILLED, and 200 or
300 Are Injured.


Five Are KILLED, and 200 or
800 Are Injured.
Pittsburg, Pa, May 13.--The Shera-
den yards Of the Panhandle railroad
was the scene Monday evening of one
of the most disastrous explosions and
fire known in this section for many
years. At least rs lives We're lost and
between 200 and 800 persons We're
SO badly burned that, according to the
Judgment of physicians in attendance,
rs per cent. of them will die from the
effects of their injuries.
The Victims.
The following is a partial list Of the
dead:
Albert Mexican, brakeman, Sheraden.
John Swan, brakeman, Sheraden.
Unknown boy, a bout IA years DID, died on
| way to Allegheny general hospital.
! H. f.. Smithley, UhrichsWille, Ohio, died
| at Mercy hospital
Finerty, aged 40 years, sistersville,
! w Va, died at Mercy hospital.
| Charles Hertig, Chestnut Mines, died at
Mercy hospital.
| w. w. Taylor, q years old, of Millers sta
ton, died at Mercy hospital
G. e. Hunter, % years old, leaves widow
and five children, Of sheraden, died at
Mercy hospital.
| w. p. Wright, IS years old, a carpenter
Of Sheraden, died at Mercy hospital
| Dallas Bort, % years old, of Sheraden,
died at Mercy hospital.
| Unknown white man, about 40 years old,
five feet inches tall and weighing about
TO pounds, taken to McDermot's under
| taking rooms.
-- Doudss died at Mercy hospital
The Cause.
| The cause Of the catastrophe was the
explosion Of a train Of naphtha cars
which were being switched at the
yard, and in the switching the rear car
telescoped car forward. The lead
ing naphtha car ignited from switch
light, causing an explosion which
threw the flames so feet high. Much
Of the escaping naphtha ran through
Cork's Run to Esplen Borough, a dis
tance of 11% miles, and caused another
Explosion, blowing to atoms the Sey-
mour hotel and the Collins house, on
River road, and badly wrecking frame
building nearby, in which were congre-
gated 200 or more sports from Pitts,
| burg and vicinity, betting on the
races, baseball, etc. Few of the occu.
pants Of this building escaped injury,
many being badly hurt. Mrs. Seymour
and her daughter, Of the sheraden ho-
| tel. were seriously and it is feared ia
tally injured.
Flames Enve1op Spectators.
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 second
car exploded about five 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 A
| torrent of flame belched forth on each
side of the track, sweeping back the
terrified spectators like a charge of
artillery and sending a shower of
flame over their head resembling
Mont Pelee ona small sca1e. The scene
that followed beggars. description.
The successive explosions had heated
the air to such an extent that before
the third explosion many were rem
dered unconscious by the extreme heat
and the gaseous fumes and were be-
ing carried away when the torrents Of
f1ame swept over the excited crowd
A Terrible Scene
There was an awful hush for mo-
ment, then followed a scene of
frenzy. Men and women, their cloth
ing ablaze, their faces scorched and
blistered and their hair burned off
their heads, ran wildly shrieking,
hither and thither, only intent on es-
cape 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 townspeople did all in their
power for the stricken victims, and
all the Pittsburg ambulances were
Immediately despatched to the scene,
with corps Of physicians. Many of
those not seriously burned were re-
moved to their homes in Sheraden.
while others were sent to the various
Pittsburg hospitals, and the dead
removed to undertaking establish
ments in Sheraden and vicinity and
to the Pittsburg morgue.
Because of the burning Of all tele-
graph and telephone wires near the
scene of the accident, news must be
carried by messenger, making def
mite news concerning the catastrophe
hard to get. Street cars are blocked,
a long distance from Sheraden, and
the Panhandle railroad tracks are
completely blocked.
| j I'd iEfl
Palma and Wood Confer.
Havana, May 13.---The family Of
President-elect Palma arrived here
| Monday from New York. Senior Palma
| had long conference with Gen. Wood
| Monday at which they discussed the
| details Of shandinp over tha oouarn