Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-03-12
SCORES BURNED
IN AN EXPLOSION
Number of Dead is Estimated
at Twenty-Two-.Forty
injured.
PECULIAR CATASTROPHE
Train of Tank Cars Breaks in Two,
Then Comes Together With Crash
and Tank After Tank
Explodes.

olean, N. Y, March 11,-A score o.
more people We're killed and a larg,
number injured by an explosion of oil
here last night. A freight train on th,
ERIE railway. made up principally O
TANK cars filled with oil, broke in two
near this city at 8 o'clock. The two
sectlons of the train came together witt
4 CRASH, and one of the oil tanks was
demolished. Fire broke out almost in.
stantly, and the sky was lighted up flo,
| miles. w ~
y large crowd of people left this city
Tor the scene of the fire. While they
were up along the track terrific eX-
preston occurred. The flames communi-
Gated quickly with the other tank cars
and second and third explosion fol-
lowed each other in rapid succession
Sheets of flames shot out in all direc-
,lols. scores of persons We're caught
Wllhln the zone of the fire and envel-
oped in flames. Men and boys ran
screaming down the tracks with their
clothlng mass of flames. Others fell
where they stood, overcome by the aw-
full heat
Just how many were killed is not
known, as many of the bodies We're in
Generated.
Twenty Two Probably Dead.
Inc latest estimate of the casualties
places the number of dead at twenty
two and the injured at forty-live. Some
OF the injured will die.
WORD was sent at once to the Olean
ponce headquarters by telephone.
Every doctor and ambulance i'm the city
was summoned.
Grocery wagons ard carriages of all
kinds were pressed into service and ev-
efythlng possible was done to send the
injured without delay to the hospital.
At midnight the first of the injured
arrived at the hospital They We're
four young boys Their injuries we're
irlshtful. Great patches of flesh were
burned off and hung in shreds from
their bodies.
The following were treated aft tho c,ty
hospital:
james Mcdonald, condition serious.
Richard Mcdonald, condition serious.
James McCready legs and face badly
burned
Walter Jackson, head, back and arms
burned; Inhaled flames will die.
Agonizine Scenes.
1t will be difficult TO ascertain the
names of II great many of the dead.
as their bodies We're burned to ashes in
the intense heat. A canvass is being
made OF the city as'rapidly as possible
10 llnd out the names of the missing.
There is great excitement In the city,
ana the streets are thronged with peo-
Pile.
Large crowds gathered ut the hos
pltai, and the faces of the injured were
anNlously scanned as they were borne
mo the building on stretchers Heart
fendlng scenes We're Witnessed when
one OF the poor, blstered bodies was
recognized by a father or mother or
orothef, and 1T was With difficulty that
persons were restrained from inyad-
hg the operating roo,l.
Eye Witness Tells Story.
Sidney Fish, a prominent business
man, returned from the scene of the
IRE 0t.@tdn ;3,.'5v ;lilu III o'clock. Mnen I
was within u quarter of mile of the |
train there was a terrific ex-
DloSion. Flames shot olltwardS and up /
wards for n great distance. | saw sew
.ral persons who started to run away |
lrop on the railroad tracks, and they |
never moved again. Others who had |
been standing close to the Wrecllage |
we're hurled through the air for hum
lreds of feet. The scene Was awful. |
Half a dozen boys ran down the tracks
With their clothing on fire. They re-
sembled human torches. i could hear
their agonized screams distinctly from
where l stood. They ran some distance
down the track and then threw them
selves TO the ground, groveling in the
bitches In their frantic efforts TO eXtin-
guish the flames. Then they lay still,
some of them unconscious, others dead. |
do not know how many We're killed
but | counted twenty bodies before |
came away"