Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-03-18
OIL FIRE KILLS SCORE
THE BURNING FLUID is THROWN
UPON CROWD
Over Fifty Are FrightfulIy Injured
by Explosion of Tank Cars at Fire
in the Freight Yards at o1eau,
New York.

a deluxe of burning oil poured upon
dozens of spectators Of fire in The
Erie freight yards at Olean, n. ".
caused the death of score or more of
persons and frightful injury to over fifty
others. Many bodies have been taken
from the wreckage. Some of them are
burned beyond recognition, only the
trunks and skulls remaining. The death
list may reach thirty. The agony of the
injured is pitiable.
A freight train, made up principally
of tank cars filled with oil. broke in two
near Clean. The two sections Of the
train came together with a crash and one
u the oil tanks was demolished Fire
b Ike out almost instantly aad the sky
g rs lighted up for miles.
A large crowd at once left the city
for the scene of the fire. While they were
lined up along the tracks terrific ex-
plosion occurred. The flames sonImuni-
Gated quickly to the other tank Ours end
a second and a third explosion lowed
each other in rapid succession.
Flames Cover Crowd.
Sheets of flame shot out in all direc-
tions. Scores of persons were caught
within the zone of the fire aud enyeloped
in flames. Men aud boys ran screaming
down the tracks with their clothing
mass of flames. Others fell where they
stood, overcome by tAe awful heat. just
how many were killed is not known. as
many of the bodies were inciuerated.
sydney Fish. a prominent business
man, said: II was attracted to the scene
of the fire between $3.50 and 10 O'Clock.
When l was within a quarter of a mile of
the wrecked train there was a terrific
explosion. Flames shot outward and
upward for a great distance.
Like Human Torches.
81 saw several persons who started TO
run away drop OH the railroad tracks.
and they never moved again. Others " ho
had been standing close TO the wreekage
were hurled through the air for hun
dreds of feet The scene was awful.
Half a dozen young boys ran down the
tracks with their clothing ON ere They
resembled human torches. / could hear
their agonized screams distinctly from
where stood. They ran some distance
down the track. and then threw them
selves TO the ground gr1yeling in the
bitches in their frantic efforts TO extn-
guish the flames. Then they lay still,
some OF tnem uhcODSfioult OtAfrn NtaN'
do not know how many we're kis!ed, but
counted twenty bodies before ] came
away"
Word was at once sent TO 0leas no
lice headquarters By telephone. Every
doctor and ambulance in the city was
summoned Grocery wagons and car
riages Of all kinds were pressed into
service. and everything possible rs done
to transport the injured without delay
to the hospitals for Treatment
Burned Beyond Recognition.
II was impossible 10 ascertain the
names of the do al at once. as their bod
les were burned TO ashes ia the intense
heat. A canvass is being made cf the
city as rapidly as possible TO End out
the names Of tCose missing.
Large crowds gathered al the hospital
and the faces Of tie injured were anx-
iously scanned as they were borne into
the building on stretchers. Touching
scenes were witnessed " hen one Of the
poor blistered bodies was recognized by
a father or a mother or brother. and il
was with difhculty that persons were
restrained from invading the operating
rom.