The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-03-25
KILLED BY OIL EXPLOSIONS
Horrible Disaster Follows a Collision
Near 0Iean, N. Y.
Fifteen PERSONS LOSE LIVES

A BurnlnS Railroad Wreck Attracts Hun
drsds When III Tank Cars Burst-Ths
Sheets OF Flame Iastsntly Enveiop
The spe~ctators-The Bodies OF n Vic
Tins Burned Beyond Recognition.
OIean. \. Y.-Fifteen were killed and
forty persons were burned or bruised
by an explosion Of oil following a
wreck Of the Erie Railroad north Of this
city. Some of the bodies were inciner.
ated and some were blown into the
creek by the explosion.
The following are dead: John Stem
linger. aged seventeen years: Norman
Brown. aged eighteen years: John To.
bin. aged sixteen years: John Nc.
Cready. aged eighteen years: John Nc.
Mahon. aged nineteen years: Walter
Swift aged nineteen years. Michael
Briscoll. aged twenty-five years: Wal.
ter Jackson. aged thirteen years: Wal
ter Roth. aged sixteen years: Richard
Cornell. aged nineteen years: Herman
Bollman. aged fifteen years: Rofelo
Quarlnto. Carmen Siteiiano and Martin
all OF Olean: Henry Golden.
aged eighteen years. Of Boardmanville.
At the General Hospital n of the
patients said a young boy was blown
into the creek near him.
1t was about 0 o'clock p. m. when an
Erie freight train west-bound broke 4
on the hill two miles north Of the
city. At first the forward part Of the
sprang forward with increased
speed. Brakes applied and the
front portion was brought almost to q
ut the iron bridge across
Olean Greek. The rear cars. gathering
as they came down the hill.
crashed into the front end of the train.
Most Of the cars were tank cars filed
with refined oil or gasoline. One Of the
tanks caught fire 500 after the COLL
sion. The exact cause Of the fire Is not
known. but 1t IL supposed to have
from a spark struck from the
grinding pieces Of iron in the wreck
age. In a few minutes another q Of
gasoline caught fire and burst into
danes with q terrific report. Portions
Of the iron domes Of the cars were
a distance Of several hundred
feet. The flames shot high up in the
mir. presenting a brilliant spectacle.
In this early accident. so far as can
be learned. no one was injured. A large
crowd quickly gathered. For two hours
the people stood massed together. fas-
by the bright white flames that
hundreds of feet into the mir. AS
the heat became less intense the crowd
began to edge closer to the wreckage.
until about II o'clock some venture
some boys approached to within a few
hundred feet Of the burning debris.
Suddenly there was a terrific explos-
on. Great masses Of white flames shot
hundreds Of feet into the air and liter.
lily rolled down the banked sides Of the
into the gully where the specta-
.ors were standing. Men and boys fell
before the wave Of white light to rise
no more. Huge pieces Of iron were
through the air with lightning
velocity. moving down human beings
Dy the score. Some managed to scram-
Die to their feet and get away from the
but others lay still In death.
The scene Of agony and horror ut that
moment was beyond description.
A veritable rain Of fire came down
upon the crowd. Men and boys with
heir clothing q mass Of flames ran
down the track, shrieking In their
agony. some Of them falling to the
unconscious. while others grow
slled in the ditch or jumped into the
creek in mad endeavor to put out the
ire that was consuming them. Many
II those overwhelmed by the flames
probably never knew what happened.
They dropped where they stood and
never again moved. The groans and
cries of those MANNED or burned were
'rlghtful to hear.
Az soon rs the telephone could be
reached all the doctors In the city We're
summoned and the ambulances We're
allied out. Express wagons and other
vehicles were pressed into service. In
the meantime those In the vicinity Of
he wreckage who escaped injury made
valiant efforts to rescue the wounded
who were still lying with reach Of the
whitening flames.
Nothing could be done to check the
They began to die out about
midnight. 4 short distance west Of
the iron bridge q dead line was estab-
lisheG. beyond which no n was per-
to pass. rs one OF the burning
cars was still thought to be In danger
exploding.
1t was about 1 o'clock in the norm.
Ing when Deputy Sheriff Osterhout
came forward and called for twenty
to carry stretchers on which
the dead and injured were to be borne
to the ambulances and wagons. Three
times as many rs were called for
forward. 1t was q gruesome
trip. A strong light was shining down
the track. but instead Of serving to illu-
inmate. 1t seemed to blind the sight
with Its dazzling wilderness.
In all fifteen bodies were recovered
and laid out beside the track. When
the last body had been rescued the
bearers formed n procession
ana started down the track toward the
ambulances and. carriages. The crowd
fell back and the only sound that broke
the stiffness was an occasional sob or
a shuddering oh"
The remains Of the dead arrived in
the city about 3 o'clock. and were taken
to undertaking establishments. 1t will
he impossible to identify some Of the
dead.