The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-11-24
KILLED IN Gas EXPLOSION
81 Least Eight Men Lost Tho.r
Lives at Chicago.
BIG TANKS BLOW UP.
twenty-five Explosions Start Confagra-
ton Which Battles the Fire
Department.

Chicago, H., Nov. 1S.-Twenty two
gas tanks in the big railroad gas charging
station, at Seventy third street and South
Chicago avenue. exploded today. This
afternoon five dead bodies of employees
had been removed from the ruins and it
was said that about ten more employees
were missing. Many were injured by the
explosion.
The tanks were of the style attached
to railroad cars for lighting purposes.
Eleven Of the tanks exploded III rapid
succession and were followed at short
intervals by the other tanks. The fire
spread among property of the Peoples
Gas Light u Coke company, and threat
ened to reach the large storage tanks of
the company. Policemen We're sent about
for Il mile radius warning persons to
move from their homes.
Gas Let Out of Tanks.
To prevent the explosion of the
gas in the mammoth tanks, Supt.
Ralph Wells ordered the waste pipes
opened. These pipes run outside Of the
plant and in short time the big tanks
We're diSchargins the gas into the air.
This was dangerous undertaking, but 1t
was CHANGED, and, proving successful
prevented larger destruction Of prop
erty.
Across South Chicago avenue, d-
rcctly opposite the gas storage
building, was large coal shed
stored with coal, used IN the
manufacture of the gas. The huge coal
pile was ignited and in Il few moments
was beyond control
When the danger Of the large tanks
exploding had been reduced TO MIMI
mum, Chief Engineer EustaCc, with sew
Al
shut off the supply pipes from the ruined
buildings to tie large tanks lie SAID It
was almost miraculous that the fire had
not entered the larger tanks.
Couldn't Get Near Fire.
The iremcn for time were forced TO
throw water on the fire from Il block dis
tant, momentarlly expecting TO he hurried
to the earth by the explosion of the big
tanks. The flames were shooting hun
dreds of feet into the air, accompanied
by clouds of black smoke from the burn
ing g8s. Great masses Of bricks and
iron from the bursting tanks were
thrown into the air by explosions.
Buildings along Greenwood avenue,
within a block of the place, were 50 Sc
ycrcly shaken that many will no longer
be fit for occupancy. \ twU-story build
ing at Seyenty-thiGd street and Green
wood avenue was totally wrecked.
The property at South Chicago avenue
and Seyeuty-fourth street, occupied for
gas manufacturing and storage, IS sew
cral block in length. About 100 men are
employed in the district. There are Il
number of brick buildings on the grounds,
which are bounded 10y South Chicago
avenue on the north and the Pittsburg,
Fort Wayne and Chicago and the Lake
Shore Il Michigan Southern railroads on
the south. Rcaide the tanks and gas
houses are railroad tracks on which
scores Of sleeping ears and other cars
equipped with the gas tank apparatus
are run to be charged with gas.
Blown Through Wall.
One Of the victims was blown through
a wall and 100 feet away from the
building in which he was at work. He
was fearfully crushed, but may live. He
said:
Il was working about one of the gas
tanks when the first explosion occurred.
| believe one of the tanks in the row
east of us blew up. The ground trembled
and seemed to heave upward, when sud
denly there was Il rip and roar and |
don't remember what occurred after that
until / came to in the street, about 100
feet away. | knew there were forty
men in the place and | don't believe
many of them escaped.
Searching for Leak.
The explosion may have been caused
by search for leaks III supply tanks
made by one of the employees.
"All | can see," said Supt. Ralph
Wells. "is that one of the men went into
the storage rooms wnere the gas tanks
which are charged have been stored and
that the man carried lighted torch. or
course. a leak in one tank would cause
an explosion and the employe would be
killed"
The cause of the rapid explosions,
numbering up to twenty, was the pres
ence Of twenty-five small tanks in the
storage building. These tanks were
each stored with $3.50 pounds to the
cubic inch of powerful gas. The tanks
were used to place beneath sleeping cas-
and other railroad cars, and will supply
one ear with light for six months. The
twenty-five tanks had been charged and
wore in readiness for attaching to cnrs.