Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-04
STEAMER rnocREsso.
ELEVEN MEN ARE MISSING.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. December s.
While the steamer Progresso was lying
At the wharf Of the Fulton Iron Works.
at Idasbor View, this morning, an ex-
plosion occurred. AS q result. twelve
men are missing. a score were more or
less seriously injured. and property val
ned at S200ooG was destroyed. Inc miss
ing:
First Assistant Engineer SPARKS,
JOSEPH REN.
CHARLES GLENN,
HOWARD DOVE,
JAMES CAVATT.
DAN GALLAGHER,
JOSEPH mcguire.
T. NELSON.
c. c. M'GREGoR,
JACK STRAND,
JACK ASHTON.
sETECEDENTS OF MISSING.
First Assistant Engineer Sparks Joseph
rex. Charles Glenn. and Howard DOVE,
of the crew OF the Progresso. were
shipped only this morning. Joseph ReN
is a son Of Mate Rex. Of the snip w. L.
Rabcock Charles Glenn is brother OF
Second Officer Glenn, Of the Transport
sheridan. James Cavatt was an electro
clan. and Gala cher, Mcguire. T. Nelson.
md McGregor were ship-builders.
lack Strand was employed s a fireman,
and Harry Small a boy was working as
4 rivet heater. His home is at vallejo.
Ashton was a fireman en- the frosTesso'
and Dove was a seaman.
The list of seriously injured includes:
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Henry Conama, aged is; arm amputat-
ID
Robert Gibson, both legs broken
r. Bucoii fractured left wrist
George McNeeniy. severe burns.
!. Moran, injured about arms and legs
T. McGill. severely burned.
Willie Vanderest, head bruised.
Peter Hanson. fracture Of right leg.
THE INITIAL EXPLOSION.
The disaster occurred at 9:4o O'Clock,
while forty mechanics Of the iron works
and twenty employees of the ship We're
on board. Below the decks the mechanics
were busy completing the work Of chang
ing the vessel from a coal-burning, coal
carrier 10 an oil-burning oil-carrier, when
suddenly one of the tanks blew up. Men
were hurled against the steel wall. and
Il sheet Of fame came sweeping into their
faces. On the upper deck men were huTlf
ed into the air or thrown into the water
Three sailors engaged in washing paint
outside the pilot-house disappeared as
the cloud OF DlaCk SMOKE Cdlllc up IL oiu
the ship, and were seen no more.
Following the explosion. the ship sagged
in the centre, showing that she had
broken in two. In the offices Of the
iron works twenty feet away, every
window vas shattered. and flying glass
cut the faces and hands of many of the
officials and clerks.
AS they rushed out into the OPEN the
survivors who were able to help them
selves we're seer feapinS from the ship.
A great crowd of mechanics came run
ning out of the works. AS soon as the
panic had subsidized. these men set to
work to rescue men from the burning
vessel.
A SEA OF FIRE.
A stream OF burning oil. running from
the tanks, spread out, until the ship lay
on waves of fire. The flames crept under
The wharf. and soon the timbers were
blazing, adding to the difficulty of the
work of rescue.
AS the ship was built of steel, the fire
was nearly all below the deck. There
were fourteen oil-tanlls. containing about
400 barrels of oil, and despite the efforts
Of the fire department. tins continued to
burn fiercely for hours after the eXplo-
sion.
Several minor explosions. due to the
flames going from tank TO tank. occurred
at short intervals. but all the injury and
loss of life were caused by the first.
One popularity Of the explosion was
Thai several men who We're on the other
side Of the bulkhead from where it oc-
Cured were uninjured. while others far
Their away were badly hurt. Several men
n the yards were struck by flying debris.
THE MONEY LOSS.
The loss to the Fulton Company by the
wrecking of the building and burning Of
The wharf will exceed $4,000. 1t is esti-
mated that the Prosresso was worth
about $4,000. The explosion shook all
the buildings At Harbor View. and the
shock was felt mile away. In few
Instances windows were broken several
Stocks away,
James Srers, Jr., general manager Of
the Fulton Iron Works is positive that
The explosion was due TO the OIL and not
to the bursting of the boiler His theory
IS that gas was generated in one Of the
oil tanks 1T was certainly the explo-
sion of tank" he said. IF it had been
a boiler explosion. cloud of steam would
have arisen, but there was no steam
Instead. il was black smoke from the OIL
There was only a small pressure of steam
at The time