The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-17
CHURCH DEACONESS
FATALLY INJURED
Bolt of the PaciydermS
Caused By Explosion
of Oil Tank
CBy Associated Press1

Riverside, Cal, April 17-As a re
suit of a fire which started Yesterday
afternoon at the STANDARD oil com
panys storage tanks herd OF ele,
plants were stampeded l.. Worslev
lies at the city hospital fatally burned
and Miss Ella n. Gibbs, church
deaconness. is dead. A sullen boom
which was heard at 1880 O'Clock mark
ed the explosion of the large oil tank.
Worsley was driver OF the deliv-
cry wagon from which the fire was
communicated to the tanks and was
hurled many yards from the spot and
was picked up with his clothes ablaze.
The flames spread Immediately to the
tauks whien instantly became a my5ss
of fire.
A circus, three blocks distant, was
about to open for the afternoon per-
Torrance. The explosion and the fire
caused the showmen to lower the
tents after dispensing the crowd which
had assembled. The herd OF elephants
became uncontrollablc and they dash
ed To the east side OF town knocking
down fences outhouses and despOiling
orchards that lay in their path.
Many persons narrowly escaped the
infuriated animals In a short time
however all but The largest of the
elephants We're rounded up. The leader
OF The herd then changed his course
and rushed TO the center of the city,
one mile distant He entered the
court of the Glenwood hotel one Of
I che famous hostelries OF he coast.
Miss Gibbs was in the yard in front
of The house The elephant pinned
1 her against the house between his
tusks threw her TO the ground and
trampled upon her, crushing her chest
so she died at 10 o'clock last night.
| The animal then proceeded to the
doorway, the guests rushing panic
lstricken indoors ID. p Chapman. a
guest of the house. attempted to
swerve the animal from the court. He
was knocked down and had several
ribs broken and his head injured.
/ The animal burst i'm the door walk
ed through the barber shop and ont
on the main street, crossed the street
crushed through the heavy plate glass
IN store. before being rounded up AT
down town public stable, the ele-
phant trampled on another man AMI
seriously gored him with his tuslSs.
One of the keepers attempted TO sub
due the animals but was hurled over
Ia high fence, sustaining painful in
liuries Not until four other elephants
were brought TO the stable was the
huge beast gotten under control and
taken to the circus grounds.
BY this ti,ne the entire tovn was in
an uproar The women of the east
side were afraid to venture into the
streets fearing that the herd had not
been captured
The fire at the oil tanks continued
4 throughout the afternoon and 60,0oL
gallons Of oil we're consumed, includ-
ling the contenta Of the exploded tanks,
and much case goods Two large
tanks contoining a high grade. non-ex-
iplosive oil, escaped the flames.
The oil loss was $1,000 and the loss
on the building Is $4,000.
Miss Ella Gibbs. who died at 9.4J
last night was a deaconnesg in First
congregational church OF this city
BEFORE coiang here about three years
iago she hsd been a promilent worker
/ ia the slums of Chicago. Since her
arrival in Riverside she had been fn
Ing mi5sion '.ork among the Chinese
and iapan ase population and also as
sisted persons who arrived here pen
nilesa.