The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1903-03-14
OIL TANk:> ..-1. ,-yIJ]
MORE THAN TWENTY PERSONS
PERieH ~ FIRE NEAR
CLEAN, N. Y.
Train Made Up Of OH Tank Carr
Breaks In Two and the Sections COL
lido Later with Terrific Feres-Ftre
Immediately Starts and the vietIms
Were Spectators Whs Had Gath.
cred to View the Wreck.

twenty people were killed And . large
number were injured by an explosion
Of oil near here At night. A freight
train On the Dr1s made up principally
Of oil tank ears fllsd with oil broke IN
two near this city at about o'clock.
Tho two sections Of the train came to-
gether With q crash ana ono Of the oil
tanks was demolished. Fire started
almost instantly ana the sky was
lighter up for miles. 4 large crowd Of
people let this city fer the scene.
While they wsre lined up along the
tracks terrific explosion occurred.
The flames communicated quickly with
the other tank cars and q second and
third explosion followed each other in
rapid succession. Sheets Of fame
shot out IN all directions. Scores Of
persons were caught within the zone
Of the me and envsloDsd In flames.
Msl and boys ran screaming down
the tracks with their clothing 4 mass
Of flames. Others fell whore they
stood, overcome by the heat. Just
how many were killed is not known,
as many Of the bodies we're incinerated.
The number of dead is known to be
at least eighteen and some estimates
place 1t as high as twenty-five. Over
two score were seriously burned. Some
of them will die. It is out of tho
question to identify any Of the bodies
recovered.
Scene Was Awful.
Sydney Fish, a prominent business
man, returned from the scene of the
fire at midnight. He said: II was
attracted to the scene of the fire be-
tween $3.50 and 10 o'clock. When 1
was within quarter Of mile of the
wrecked train there was a terrific ex-
plosion. Flames shot outward and
upward for great distance I saw
several persons who started to run
drop on the railway tracks and they
never moved again. Others who had
been standing close to the wreckage
were hurled through the air for hun
dreds Of feet. The scene was awful.
Halt dozen young boys ran down the
tracks with their clothing on fire.
They resembled human torches.
could hear their agonized screams dis.
tinctly from where l stood. They ran
some distance down the track and then
threw themselves to the ground, grow
elling in the bitches in their frantic
Efforts to extinguish the flames. Then
they lay still, come Of them uncon.
scious, others dead. do not know
how many we're killed, but counted
twenty bodies before came away"
Word was sent at once to Olean po.
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 was
done to bring the injured without de.
lay to the hospitals for treatment
First Of the Injured Arrive,
At midnight the first Of tho injured
arrived at the hospital, They we're
four young boys. Their injuries were
frightful. Great patches of flesh were
burned OIL and hung in shreds from
their bodies.
1t will be dimcult to ascertain the
names Of great many Of the dead, as
their bodies were burned to ashes In
the intense heat. A canvass is being
made of the city as rapidly as posi-.
Bile to find out the names OF those
missing. There Is great excitement
In the city ana the streets are thronged
with people,
Large crowds gathered at the hes
pitals and the faces Of the injured
were anxiously scanned As they were
borne into the building on stretohers,
HeartrendinE scenes were witnessed
when one Of the hllstered bodies was
recognized by . father or mother or
brother, and It was with dimculty that
persons wero restrained from invad-
ing the operating room.
The latest estimate Of tho casualties
places the number Of dead at twenty
two, and the injured at forty-fve.
Many Of the injured will die.
A late report from the scene Of the
accident says twenty-five hodies have
been taken from the wreokage. Some
OF them are burned beyond recogni-
tion, only the trunks and skulls re-
naming.