New-York tribune., 1903-03-10
TWENTY-FIVE LIVES LOST.
OIL TANK CARS EXPLODE.
Horrible Disaster FOllO1CS q Collision
ON the Erie Near OLean.

Olean. n. Y, March 9.-Twenty-two people
at least killed and forty-five were in
tured by an explosion of oil near here to-
night. A freight train on the Erie, made up
principally of tank cars filled with oil, broke
In two north of the city at about o'clock. The
two sections Of the train came together with
crash and one OF the Oil tanks was demolished.
Fire broke out almos: instantly and the sky
was lighted up for miles. A large number or
people left this city for the scene of the fire.
While they were lined up along the tracks
terrific explosion occurred. The flames COM
municated quickly with the other tank cars
and a second and third explosion followed IN
rapid succession. Sheets Of flames shot out in
all directions. Scores of persons were caught
within the zone of the fire and enveloped in
flames Men and boys ran screaming down
the tracks With their clothing mass of flames
Others fell where they stood, overcome by the
awful heat Just how many were killed Is not
known, as many of the bodies were incnerated.
sydney Fish, a prominent business man. re-
turned from the scene of the fire at midnight
He said:
was attracted to the scene of the fire between
$50 and 10 o'clock. When | was WITHIN
quarter Of a mile of the wrecked train there
was terrific explosion Flames shot outward
and upward for great distance. l saw seVeral
persons who started to away, drop on the
railroad tracks, and they never moved again.
Others who had been standing close TO the
Ureckage were hurled through the air Tor nun
dreds of feet The scene was awful Halt d
dozen young boys ran down the tracks with
their clothing on fire. They resembled human
torches | could hear their agonized screams
distinctly from where 1 stood. They ran some
distance down the track, and then threw tnern-
selves to the ground, grovelling In the dltcnes
in their frantic efforts to extinguish the names.
Then they lay still, some OF them UNCONSCIOUS
others dead. 1 don't know how many were
killed but I counted twenty bodies before /
came away.
Word was at once sent to Olean Police Head
quarters by telephone Every doctor and ambu-
lance in the city was summoned. Grocery wag-
ons and carriages of all kinds were pressed into
service and everything possible was done to
bring the wounded without delay to the city
hospitals for treatment.
At midnight the first Of the wounded arrived
- +Ha hospital They were four young boys
rba,r ,niuries were frightful. Great patches Of
flesh were burned off and hung in shreds from
their bodies. A number of the injured Will die.
II will be difficult to ascertain the names of a
great many of the dead tonight, as their nooleS
were burned to ashes in the intense heat a
canvass is being made OF the city as rapidly as
noss;ble to find out the names OF persons VINO
are missing AS these missing persons turn up
- tbev do, their names will be eliminated and in
the end a complete list Of those who lost their
lives will be secured. but this will take time and
natience Besides there was great excitement
in the city and the streets were tnronseo WIFI
people until long after midnight
Large crowds gathered at the hospital and the
faces Of the injured were anxiously scanned as
thew were borne into the building on stretchers.
Heartrending scenes were witnessed when one
of the poor, blistered bodies was recognized by
a father or mother or a brother. and 1t was
with difficulty that the people were restrained
from invading the operating room.