Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-03-13
OIL TANKS EXPLODE
MORE THAN TWENTY PERSONS
PERISH BY FIRE NEAR
= CLEAN, N. Y.
Train Made Up Of Oil Tank Cars
Breaks in Two and the Sections Col.
Tide Later With Terrific Force-Fire
Immediately Starts and the Victims
Were Spectators Who Had Gath.
cred to View the Wreck.

Clean. N. Y. March 10.-More than
twenty people were killed and large
number were injured by an explosion
of oil near here at night. A freight
train on the Erie made up principally
of oil tank cars filled with oil broke in
two near this city at about 9 o'clock
The two sections of the train came to-
gether with crash and one of the oil
tanks was demolished. Fire started
almost instantly and the sky was
lighter up for miles. A large crowd of
people left this city for the scene.
While they were lined up along the
tracks terrific explosion occurred.
The flames communicated quickly with
the other tank cars and 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 fine and enveloped in flames.
Men and boys ran screaming down
the tracks with their clothing g mass
of flames. Others fell where they
stood, overcome by the heat. Just
how many were killed is not known,
as many of the bodies were moderated.
The number of dead is known to be
at least eighteen and some estimates
place it as high as twenty-five. Over
two score were seriously burned Some
of them will die. 1t is out Of the
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: 81 was
attracted to the scene of the fire be-
tween $3.50 and 10 o'clock. When |
was within a quarter of mile of the
wrecked train there was a terrific ex-
plosion. Flames shot outward and
upward for a 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.
Hall dozen young boys ran down the
tracks with their clothing on fire.
They resembled human torches. I
could hear their agonized screams dis
tinctly from where I stood. They ran
some distance down the track and then
threw themselves to the ground, grow
cling in the bitches in their frantic
efforts to extinguish the fames Then
they lay still, some of them uncon-
scious, others dead. I do not know
| how many were killed, but I counted
| twenty bodies before I came away"
Word was sent at once to Clean 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 the injured
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.
It will be difficult 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 and the streets are thronged
with people.
Large crowds gathered at the hos
pitfalls and the faces of the injured
were anxiously scanned as they were
borne into the building on stretchers.
Heartrending scenes were witnessed
when one Of the blistered bodies was
recognized by father or mother or
brother, and it was with difficulty that
persons were restrained from invad.
ing the operating room.
The latest estimate of the casualties
! places the number of dead at twenty
two, and the injured at forty-five.
| Many of the injured will die.
| A late report from the scene of the
accident says twenty-five bodies have
been taken from the wreckage. Some
of them are burned beyond recogni.
ton, only the trunks and skulls re-
naming.
SIX PERISH BY FIRE.
Calamity in a Small West Virginia
| AsMs.