The San Francisco call., 1903-01-31
JURY CENsURES
SHIPS OWNERS
Investigation Is Made
Into Catastrophe on
Progreso.
Testimony Shows No At
tempts Were Made to Test
Dangerous Oil.

The Coroner's jury appointed to inves-
tigate the deaths of the eight laborers
who were killed by an explosion of oil
in the fuel tanks of the steamer Pro-
greso on December failed to discover
the actual cause of the explosion as the
result of the. testimony given yesterday,
but 1T severely censured the owners of
the vessel for accepting oil as fuel with
out making any tests to determine the
danger arising from its excessive inf1am-
inability
BY the testimony of three Witnesses
w. j. Gray, superintendent of the Ship
Owners and Merchants tug Company;
Fire Marshal Charles Towe, and E. T.
Morris, experimenting engineer of the
Oceanic Steamship Company-the oil
which had filled the tanks of the Pro-
greso. and which whisked eight men to
death in its flash, was of a grade which
is highly volatile and dangerous 1t was
further admitted by Frank Evers. super
intending engineer of the Michigan S cam
ship Company, the Progresses owners,
that this oil was received from the Union
OIL Company without any tests either for
its specific gravity or its flash tempera-
ture.
A theory to explain the presence of the
spark which set the deadly gases in ex-
plosion was advanced by the testimony
of Hugh McGill and George McNerney,
who were on board the Progreso when
the explosion occurred, but it did not
have enough weight to warrant its in
corporation in the jury's verdict.
According to the story of these two
witnesses, Darby Mckinley, one of the
mechanics who was killed by the explo-
sion was last seen boring holes for a
stanchion in the top of the oil tank and
had candle by his side. The sudden
rush of gas through the hole in the roof
of the tank coming in contact with the
flame of the candle, would instantly
cause the terrible upheaval which oc-
Cured.
Captain John Metcalf. surveyor for
Lloyds' Register. was the first witness
the stand. He testified that he had
made an inspection of the fuel tanks
when they were completed and found no
leaks whereby flame might penetrate to
the interior. His statements were corrob-
GRATED by W. H. Stewart, experimenting
engineer Of Lloyds.
w. L. Crigler, marine superintendent of
the Fulton Iron Works. testified that the
contractors were not responsible for the
hasty loading of the oil upon the ship
before the contract for converting the YES
sci into an oil burner was completed.
Frank Evers, experimenting engineer of
the Michigan Steamship Company, ac-
knowledged that the oil, to the extent of
from 400 10 500 barrels. had been received
from the Union Oil Company without any
tests of its inf1ammability being made. He
said that of the nineteen feet of depth
in the oil tank only about five feet was
filled with oil. thus leaving a large space
where the gases from the volatile LIQUID
could accumulate. He further certified
that the hatch on top of the oil tank was
firmly closed on the morning of the ex-
plosion.
The dangerous quality of the oil was
shown by Fire Marshal Charles Towe.
who reported the tests made of the oil
which was in the Progresses tanks. On
December z the oil flashed at s. degrees
and burned at 1888: on December s it flash
ed at Sc burned at 145: on December
1t flashed at So burned al 140. Accord
ing to the marshal oil for any purpose
is not allowed in this city which flashes
under 40 degrees, and any use of lower
grade oil was criminalIy dangerous. His
testimony was backed by similar state
ments by W. ]. Gray of the tugboat COM
pany.
The danger of the Progresses oil was
given a conclusive test, according to the
testimony of E. T. Morris of the Oceanic
Steamship Company. He claimed that he
brought a sample Oh the fioslesO Oll
with him, firmly corked in a bottle, but
that while standing near the stove in the
Coroner's office the phial of oil exploded
in his pocket
II. ]. Jerome agent for the Michigan
Steamship Company; John Wood, the
Progresses cook, and W. Wilgrus also tes-
titled.
The Jurors who rendered the verdict on
the case were Robert S. Shepston, Frank
Sopas. F. G. Conklin, P. S. Marshal, Os-
car Judell. Richard Hook, Peter Grennan
and M Sampler.
The victims of the disaster upon whose
cases the jury sat are Charles Glenn,
Daniel Gallagher, James Mcclure. Ed
ward Nelson, Howard Dow, John Barry.
Joseph Rex and Darby Mckinley.
n O
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