Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-18

Chicago, Nov. 1s.--Twenty-two gas
tanks in big railroad gas charging
station at Seventy-third street ana
South Chicago avenue, exploded today.
This afternoon eight dead bodies of
employees had been removed from the
ruins and it is said that about ten
more employees are missing.
Tho tanks were of q style used in
railroad cars for lighting purposes, and
the fire spread among the property Of
the Peoples Gas and Coke Company
and threatened to reach the large stor-
age tanks Of that company Policemen
were sent about for mile radius warn
ing persons to move from their homes.
TO prevent the explosion Of the gas
in the mammoth tanks, Superintendent
Wells ordered the waste valves opened
and sool, the tanks were discharging
gas into the air. This was a danger
GUS undertaking, but prevented a
larger destruction of the property.
exploding had been reduced to u min
lluuUlt SILACl 4hlSlIiSCl LluSIShSS VIVA
several assistants entered the grounds
and shut off the supply pipes from the
ruined buildings to the large tanks.
The cauae of the explosion Is unknown
but it Is thought 1t was the result
Of q search for leaks by employees.
Chicago, Nov. 1S.--Many lives are
believed to have been lost and aum-
ber Of nlen injured In the explosion of
five small purifying tanks leased by the
Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company
ut Seventy fourth and South Chicago
avenue today. 1t is reported the build
Ing containing the tanks and twenty
worknen collapsed, crushing the men
to death.
Eight bodies have been removed from
the ruins.
As soon as possible the police com-
ple.ely surrounded the property. but
kept at distance which insured safe
ty. Firemen for q time were forced to
throw water on the fire from a, blocks
distance, momentarily expecting to be
hurled to the earth by the explosion OF
the big tanks. The flames We're shoot
Ing hundreds of feet in the air. accom-
panied by clouds Of black smoke from
the burning gas. Great masses OF
bricks and iron from the burning tanks
were thrown into the air by the expio-
sions. The buildings along Greenwood
avenue within a block Of the place
were so severely shaken they will no
longer he fit for occupancy. two
story building at Seventy-thfrd street
and Greenwood avenue was completely
wrecked. The property occupied for
gas manufacturing is several blocks in
length. About a hundred men were
employed in the district.
One Of the victims was blown thru
q wall one hundred feet away from
the building in which he was at work.
He was fearfully crushed, but may live.
He said: IT was working about one
OF the gas tanks when the first explo-
sion occurred. believe one of the
tanks in the row east of us blew up.
The ground trembled and seemed to
heave upward, when suddenly there
was rip and roar and don't remem-
ber what occurred after that until
came to the street hundred feet away.
/ know there were forty men in the
place, and don't believe many of
them escaped"
Chicas,o, Nov. 1S.--A workman after
the disaster expressed the belief that
forty Of his companions had lost their
lives.
Chicago, Nov. 1S.-Feair that two big
tanks holding millions cf feet Of gas
may explode, prevents any one ven-
turing near the ruins of the collapsed
building. which contains the victims.