Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-03-19
TANK ExPLoDEs AND ENVELOPES MANY
SlGHTSEERS.
SCORE OR MORE KILLED
BLAZING STUFF is THROWN OVER THE
VICTIMS
PRESENTS AWFUL SIGHT
Try TO Escape. But Fall Dead In Their Tracks
Twenty two Dead and Probably
Forty-flve Injured

Olean, n. Y, March ia report
from the scene of disaster at o'clock
tuesday morning says twenty-five
bodies have been taken from the
wreckage. Some of them are burned
beyond recognition-only trunks and
skulls remaining. The last estimate
or the casualties places the number
OF dead at twenty-five, and the in
1ured at fortyhve. Some of the in
ljured will die.
Clean, N. Y, March IA score
or more people were killed and a large
number were injured 10y an explosion
OF Oil near here Monday night. A
freight train on the Erie, made up.
principally of oil tank cars, filled
with oil, broke in two near this city
at 8 O'Clock. Two sections of the
train came together with 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 this
city for the scene of the fire. While
they were lined up along the. tracks
a terrific explosion occurred. The
flames communicated quickly with
the other tank cars and a second and
third explosion followed each other
in rapid succession. Sheets Of flame
shot out in all directions. Scores of
persons were caught within the zonei
of the fire and enveloped in flames.
Men and boys ran screaming down.
the tracks with their clothing mass
of flames. Others fell where they
stood, overcome by the awful heat.
Just how many were killed is not
known, as many of the bodies were
incinerated.
Sydney Fish, a prominent business
man, returned from the scene Of the
fire at midnight. He said:
81 was attracted to the scene Of
the fire between $50 and 10 o'clock.
When l was within a quarter Of a
mile Of the wrecked train there was
terrific explosion. Flames shot out
wards and upwards for great dis
tance. l saw several persons who
started to run away drop on the rail
way tracks and they never moved
again. Others who had been stand
in close to the wreckage were hurled
through the air for hundreds of feet.
The scene was awful. Half dozen
young boys ran down the tracks with
their clothing on fire, They reSem-
bled human torches. | could hear
their agoniZcd screams distinctly
from where ! 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, some of them I'M
conscious, Others dead. | do not
know how many were killed, but L
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.
At midnight the first of the in
jured arrived at the hospital They
were four young boys Their injuries
were frightful. Great patches Of flesh
were burned off and hung in shreds
from their bodies.
1t will be difficult to ascertain the
names OF great many of the dead
tonight, as their bodies were burned
to ashes in the intense heat. A can
vasS Is being made Of the city as rap
idly as possible to find out the names
OF those missing. There is great ex
element in the city and the streets
are thronged with people.
Large crowds gathered at the hos
pital and the faces of the injured
were anXiously scanned as they were
borne into the building on StIetchers.
Heart rending scenes were witnessed
when one OF the poor, bliStered bodies
was recognized by father or a moth
er or brother and it was with diff
Guilty that persons were restrained
from invading the operating room.
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 more or less seriously
injured. Some Of them will die. 1t !
Is out Of the question to identify any
Of the bodies recovered.