The San Francisco call., 1903-01-22
SWEEPS MEN
INTO DAY AND
To DEATH
Water Bursts It's Bonds,
Overwhelming Six
Laborers.
Two Men Are Killed and
Four Injured at Standard
Oil Works.
Enormous Steel Reservoir at Point
Richmond Suddenly Collapses
With Most Disastrous
Results.

POINT RICHMOND. jan. 21-WhlIe a
monster steel oil tank at the Standard
Oil Company's works was being prepared
for water test this morning the enor-
nous reservoir, filled with $1,000 gallons
/ of water, suddenly collapsed, the great
steel sides falling apart like paper, sweep
ing six men down with the tremendous
food of water, carrying tank plates.
heavy tfmbers and avalanche OF rock
and earth into the bay "a mile distant.
OF the half dozen ,workmen caught in
the wreck, two, Jerry Ellicott and An
drew Cool, sustained injuries from which
they died this afternoon.
/ The others injured were:
Joseph Harvey, 10 years Of age, residing
at San Pablo. He suffered severe bruises
and cuts on the head and body.
William Mcdonald, Point Richmond,
collar bone fractured; cuts on head and
bruises.
john Wadman, Point Richmond, COM
pound fracture of right leg.
Frank Conlin. Point Richmond, cuts
about head and face.
Young Harvey was washed out into the
! bay before he was picked up senseless
from the sweep Of debris into which he
was hurled
The accident occurred about lO:30
o'clock. gang of men had been work
ing on the huge tank since it's compile
ton last Saturday mending leaks that were
discovered when the big steel receptacle
was filled with water, preliminary TO max
ing the hydrostatic test of its strength.
/ The tank rested upon a massive frame
work of timbers and supports built upon
strong foundation. 1t stood on the
hillside, between the company's Offices
and the whale and lard oil departments
at the works. 1t was without a second of
warning that the riveted plates gave way.
| There was crash and as the i'm
/ ruense structure fell apart and the i'm
! prisoned thousands of gallons of water
! suddenly released, rushed with tremen-
4 dous force, engulfing the men and pour
ing down the hillside, carrying the torn
I and twisted steel and the massive tim
/ bers like eggshells in the food.
Struggling in the sweep were these help
/ less workmen, some of them escaping
death if by miracle. They were fair
! ly hurled down the slope.
| The roar of the flood was heard
! throughout the works, and scores of
/ vorkmen and other employees ran to the
|, scene. There was quick work at rescue,
and before many minutes the half-dozsn
/ victims had been carried to places of
/ safety. Meanwhile physicians at Point
/ Richmond, a mile distant from the scene
| of the accident. had been notified and
were in readiness TO receive the injured
as rapidly as the conyeyances from the
works arrived with the men,
Ellicott was found TO have suffered a
fatal fracture of the skull. with external
( injuries besides many minor cuts and
| bruises. Cool was also Injured internally,
and the physicians said neither of these
men could live. During the afternoon
/ Conlin and Mailman were removed to the
Railroad Hospital in San Francisco. The
others were taken to their homes.
Ellicott was 2S years old. native of
L.
were notified of his death, reside. He was
unmarried. Cool was 4S years of age. He
| leaves a wife.
The Standard Oil Company officials al
the works were at a loss they said Ia
give an explanation for the accident. The
| tank had been built, they claimed by
( skilled workmen and of frst-class mate
rial. After its completion II had been
filled with water, as is usual in such
structures, in order to find leaks and 70
make ready for the tests that are always
given TO determine the strength of the
reservoir,
1t was intended to use this storage tank
as feeder for a gravity pipe line to the
dock at the bay shore, that oil could be
furnished vessels lying there For that
reason the reservoir was erected on the
high point overlooking the bay, thus CIV
ing ample fall for the flow of the oil.
At the works it was said by some of the
| men who had been employed on the tank
| that the collapse occurred because the
steel used in the construction of the re-
ceptacle was old and had been used
formerly at the Alameda Point oil works
| before they were absorbed by the Stand
ard Oil Company.
Coroner Curry was notified of the
deaths as a result of the accident and
took charge of the cases An inquest will
be held at an early date for the purpose
Of determining the cause of the disaster
I 70 Pc