The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-13

UNKNOWN WOMAN, burned to death on
hill overlooking scene of explosion.
LAWRENCE KEENAN,, clerk, Carnegie.
a. The officials of the Pan Handle road
fear a worse explosion than the three
which wrought so much damage yester-
day. A danger line has been established
500 yards on all sides of the burning
wreckage, and the railroad police are
keeping the curious crowd back. A few
feet below the burning wreckage the big
thirty six-inch main of the Philadelphia
company, which comes from the gas fields
in the southwestern portion of the state,
and supplies the McKees Rocks and lower
Allegheny districts with natural gas,
lies. ..- ..- H.
1t is feared that the conclusion was SO
great yesterday that some OF the joints
or even the pipe itself might have been
damaged; and if such is the case, the gas,
which is under great pressure, will soon
force it's way through and terrific explo-
sions will follow. -
About twenty cars are piled up between
sheraden station and Cork's Run in the
Sheraden yards. This is still mass Of
flames. 1t covers an area of 40 by l50
feet. In this there are all kinds of mer-
chandise. The fire department. of shera-
den is throwing streams on the burning
debris, but little Roadway is being made,
owing to the fact that the entire wreck
age is saturated with naphtha and kero-
sene. ~.
Details of the Horror. .
All the story can hardly he told, for no
words can picture the scene. The teles-
coping of the cars was one of those things
that not infrequently happens without
serious consequences. The cause OF the
explosion at the point where 1t again
broke out Is still matter OF conjecture
It seems that the flames followed the flow
| ing naphtha and, exploding at the cul-.
verts, ruined half dozen houses, set
! ting them on fire and injuring not less
than hundred people. The shock Of the
shot from the explosion was felt across
the river in Allegheny, where windows
| were broken. 5--- ...-
The burning of the naphtha at the two
| tanks was spectacular. 1t was a giant
pillar of fire, surmounted by glorious
crown of irridescent hue. People came
from far and near to view the sight,
| Fully twe hours after the fire had start
ed, there came the second explosion. There
were three other naphtha tanks, In the
neighborhoOd of the two tanks that had
been telescoped. These had been growing
hotter and efforts to get them out of
range had been for some reason ineffec-
tual. A mighty splash of flames across
the hills quake told that the tanks had ig-
nited almost at the same moment. Fol-
lowing the explosion, burning 5naphtha
flaming timber and red hot iron rained
upon the people who had scongregated to
view the conhagration from the: hilltops
Many of these were instantly killed. 9th
ers were wounded or set ON fire. Mad
dened with pain and fright they ran
{ hither and thither, tearing their burning
clothes from their backs.
Notwithstanding heavy rain, thousands
=, went to Sheraden to-day to view the
scene. The Sheraden yards lie between two
a hills. On the north side there is steer
J; cut. All over the hills on either side OF
the tracks hundreds were searching to-
day for clothing which the injured tore
from them after they were caught in the
torrent of burning fluid. Two fiat cars
lie On the siding covered with clothing
picked up during the night. $40. ~
The people about the place seem to
think that the leaking naphtha caught
from switch lamp or the fire box of one
of the engines. Some hold that the naph
tina need not come in direct contact with
a light, but that fumes rising from il
would catch from light even If it was
high above where the naphtha flowed.