Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-10
| OVER SCORE DEAD.
oil Explosion Follows Train
Wreck at Clean, N. Y.
Bystanders, Mostly Boys, Covered and
Burned by Blazing Oil.
Terrible Scenes, the Victims Resem
bling Blazing Torches.

Oiean, n. Y, March "a score or
more people We're killed and larger
number were injured by an explosion
of oil near here, tonight. A freight
train on the Erie made UP principally
of tank cars filled with oil, broke in
two, north of the city, at about
o'clock. The two sections Of the train
came together with a crash and one of
the oil tanks was demolished. Fire
broke out almost instantly and the
sky was lighted up for miles. A large
crowd of people left the city for the
scene of the fire.
While they We're lined uD along the
tracks a terrific explosion occurred.
occurred. The flames communicated
quickly with the other tank cars and a
second and third explosion followed
each other in rapid succession. Sheets
of flames shot out in all directions.
Scores of persons We're caught within
the zone of the fire and enveIoped in
flames. Men and boys ran screaming
down the tracks with their clothing
mass Of flames. Othcrs fell where they
Stood overcome ystfe awful heat. Just
how many were killed is not known as
many of the bodies were Moderated.
Sidney Fish. frpminent business
man. returneds FROM the scene OF the
fire a midnight. He said:r
II was attracted to the Scene of the
fire between $50 and 10 O'Clock, When
/ was within quarter of a mile of the
wrecked train there was a terrific ex-
pIosion. Flames shot outwards and up
wards for a great distances i saw sew
bo c,ta "A
drop on the railroad tracks and they
never moved again.' Others Wlro had
been standing close to the wreckage
We're hurled through the air for hun
Greds of feet.
The scene was awful. Half dozen
young boys ran down the tracks with
their clothing on fire. They resemhled
human torches. could hear their
agonized screams distinctly from where
1 stood. They ran some distance down
the track and then threw themselves 10
the ground grovelling in the bitches in
their frantic efforts to extinguish the
flames. Then they laid still, some Of
them unconscious, others dead. I don't
know how many were killed, but /
counted 20 bodies before l came away"
Word was at once sent 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 ana everything possible was
done to bring the wounded without de-
lay to the city hospitals for treatment.
At midnight the first of the wounded
arrived at the hospital. They were
found to be young boys. Their in
jures were frightful. Great patches of
flesh were burned off and hung in
shrcds from their bodies.
1t will be difficult to ascertain the
names of q great many of the dead, to-
night, as their dodies were burned to
ashes in the intense heat. A canvas is
being made of the city as rapidly as
possible to find out the names of the
persons VINO are missing. As the miss
ing persons turn up, if they do, their
names will be eliminated and in the end
a complete list of those who lost their
lives will be secured.
Large crowds gathered at the hos
pital and the faces of the injured We're
anXiously scanned as they We're borne
into the building on strerchers. Heart
rending scenes were witnessed when
one of the poor, blistered bodies was a
father or q mother or q brother and
it was with difficulty that the people