Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-25
STILL EXPLODES,
WRECKS WINERY,
MAINS 4 MEN
TERRIFIC SHOCK DEM0LISHES
BUILDING
LABoRERS HORRIBLY BURNED,
ONE MAY DIE
Curiosity of Small Boy Causes Acei-
dent That Probably VIII Cost
Life of EmpIoye of F.
Bessolo
THE INJURED

John CavalIero of 527 Macy street, eyes,
hands, arms, face, neck. chest, sides and
back terribly burned. Flesh from waist up
literally cooked. Probably will die.
G. Ferrero, aged 22, Roma hotel. Ord and
Alameda streets, face, neck, hands, arms
and chest horribly bllstered. Eyebrows and
hair singed. Will recover
G. Paggi, aged 4s, living at 27s North
Avenue Twenty-seven, slightly burned about
left ear and neck.
John Bessolo, aged 1S, 527 Macy street,
slightly burned about foreheadI eyebrows
and hair singed.
With a roar that shook the buildings
within a radius of several blocks and
sent residents scurrying to the streets
to ascertain the cause, large still at
the winery of F. Bessolo at 1OO9-1011
North Alameda street exploded yester-
day afternoon at A o'clock, scattered
burning liquor. over the four workmers
employed at the place, wrecked the
machinery, blew off the roof and de-
molished the walls and fence surround
ing the plant. That the men were not
instantly killed and others seriously IN
jured is considered marvellous.
| GdVdll6TO ana pSTTGIO WGI0 WOAhAho
near the still which contained the
| LIQUOR in process of distillation. Bes-
solo, son of the proprietor of the place
| and brother-in-law of Cavallero, was
| on top of the tanks and Paggt was
working short distance from Ferrero
when the explosion occurred. The gas
| from the liquid became ignited and the
explosion resulted. The blazing vapor
was forced through the clothing OF
CavalIero and Ferrero, and while their
| garments were badly scorched their
bodies were literally cooked. Bessolo
was hurled from the top of the appara-
tus and fell on the floor out of danger
and Paggi was barely scorched by the
| flames Paggi rushed to the aid OF the
others, and thinking to alleviate the
sufferings of Cavallero carried him to
the street and rolled him in a ditch.
Boy Caused Accident
small boy tampering with a pipe
leading to the distilling apparatus
caused the accident. This lad was
watching the men at work and decided
to experiment with the shut-off on the
pipe.
He had no sooner turned the device
before the explosion occurred. When
he saw the damage he had caused he
fed.
The four men were rushed to the re-
ceiving hospital, where Police Surgeons
Wiley. Bonynge and Wright dressed
their injuries. Cavallero and Ferrerc
were suffering intense agony and were
swathed In oiled dressings from the
waist to the top of their heads. Small
holes were cut in the wrappings &c
enable the men to breathe.
Cavallero, who is the son-tn-law oil
the owner of the distillery is the most
seriously injured. His eyeballs are
burned, and If he RECEIVERS he may lose
his eyesight. Although his clothing
was intact and consisted of undercloth-
ing, overalls and top shirt. the blazing
gas penetrated the fabric and blistered
him in a horrible manner.
! Ferrero's burns are on the same part
of his body as those of Cavallero, but
are not so severe. He will recover, sur
geons say.
The injuries sustained by the other
two workmen were of so slight nature
that the men did not have them
! dressed.
Cavallero and Ferrero were removed
to the French hospital late yesterday
afternoon and Paggi and young Bessoio
went to their respective homes.
The fire department responded TO the
alarm and the flames caused by the ex-
plosion were quickly subdued.
The machinery was damaged to the
extent of $3.50. The loss on the building
| will total $500, while the loss OF stock
due to the flames will reach $1,000. The
damage is covered by insurance.
Ferdinando Bessolo, the proprietor of
the distillery, was not in the plant at
the time of the explosion.