Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-19
GAS EXPLOSION
With Four Dead and Two
Dying at Chicago.
Twenty two Tanks in Railroad
Gas Charging Station Go Off.
Heavy Oamag@Search for the Miss.
ing Men Going On.

Chicago. Nov. 1S.-Twenty-two gas
tanks in the big railroad gas charging
station at 13rd street and South Chica-
go avenue. exploded. today. This af-
ternoon. four bodies of employees had
been removed from the ruins and it was
said more employees were missing.
The tanks wer of the style attached
TO railroad cars for lighting purposes.
Eleven Of the tanks exploded in rapid
succession and were followed at short
intervals by other tanks. The fire
SPREAD among the property of the Peo-
pies Gas & Coke Co.. and threatened
to reach the large storage tanks of that
| company. Policemen were sent about
for a mile in radius warning persons to
move from their homes.
To prevent the explosion Of the gas
iii the mammoth tanks, Supt Ralph
Wells ordered the waste pipes opened
These pipes ran outside of the plant
and in short time the big tanks were
discharging the gas into the air. This
was a dangerous undertaking. but Il
was CHANGED and proving successful
prevented a larger destruction Of prop.
erty.
Across South Chicago avenue. direct
ly opposite the gas storage building
was a large coal shed stored with coal
used III the manufacture of gas. Huge
coal pile was ignited and in a few min
uteS the blaze there was beyond con-
tro!
When the danger of the larger tanks
exploding had been reduced to a min
inum, Chief Engineer Eustace. with
several engineers, entered and shut OF
the supply pipes from the ruined build
ings to the large tanks. He said it was
almost miraculous that the fire had not
entered the larger tanks
The explosions We're so forceful that
for a radius Of half a mile windows
were broken and walls of buildings
thrown out of plumb. For fear that the
! explosions of the two big tanks which
hold millions of feet of gas no one
Woull venture near the ruins Of the
plant. Calls were sent for patrol wag-
ons and ambulances to every station
on the south Side and q general alarm
Of fire was sent in. At the first explo-
sions many Of the men employed in the
plant fled to the street. These escaped
with slight injuries. Persons living in
the vicinity deserted their homes and
store keepers left their stores, all flee
ing with what valuables they could
seize.
Fire lines were thrown about the
property of the gas company to keep
the crowd back. For time the fire.
men threw water on the fire from a
distance Of a block fearing other tanks
would explode Flames were Shoot
ing hundreds of feet into the air, ac
companie6 by clouds of black smoke
from the burning gas. Masses Of
brick and iron from the bursting tanks
were thrown into the air by explosions.
Buildings within block Of the place
were so severely shaken that many
will no longer be fit for occupancy. A
two-story building at Seventy third
tally wrecked.
One Of the victims was blown
through a wall and 100 feet away from
the building in which he was at work.
lie was fearfully crushed but may live.
He said:
Il was working about one OF the gas
tanks when the first explosion occurred.
east of us blew up. The ground trem-
baSu ScclIti ~ nedNe upWBTu WHEN
there was a rip and roar and
] don't remember what occurred after
that until came to in the street about
100 feet away. | know there were 40
men in the place and ! don't believe
many OF them escaped
The explosion may have occurred
through search for leaks in supply
tanks made by one Of the employees.
The cause Of the rapid explosions
up TO 20. was the presence
81 - small tanks In the storage build
ing. These tanks were charged with
gas under pressure Of 225o pounds
to the cubic inch. The tanks are used
to place beneath sleeping cars and 9TH
er railway cars.