The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-29
ACETYLENE GAS PLANT
DOES MISCHIEF
AT HAMLINTON
The Home of q. l.. Simons, a Mer-
chant, Badly Wrecked.

AS if almost by, an act of Provi-
dence all of the members of the fam
lily escaped injury though the wreck
ing of the house was nearly com
plete, and it is in such shape that the
we'll planned Christmas festivities
will have to be held elsewhere.
That their lives were spared, how
ever, is the one best thing that they
will have to be thankful for at the
holiday season.
The force of the explosion was so
great that the house was lifted from
the foundation, floors twisted in all
sorts of shapes, and one side of the
building completely torn from the
main structure.
In the cellar of the building, which
is a large modern home, Mr.. Simons
had installed an acetylene gas plant
of fifty-light capacity. The presump-
tion is that the automatic shut-off did
not work and that after the tank had
filled to its capacity the gas kept on
generating until the cellar was fill
ed. Then, it is believed, the fur
mace ignited the gas and the explos-
ion followed.
The plant had been freshly charg-
ed during the afternoon, so there was
plenty of gas for terrific crash.
Viewing the wreckage leads one
to wonder how the family escaped
death. At the time of the explosion
Mr.. Simons was next door in his
store. The explosion was SO great
that the windows in the store build
ing, which is fifteen or twenty feet
away from the house, were shattered
and the roar, together with the
breaking of glass, attracted Mr.. Sim
ons' attention. Just few minutes
previous his daughter Claire, aged 15
years, had telephoned to her father
that the lights had gone out and that
there was something wrong with the
plant. He told her not to bother
with it for few minutes and that
he would look into the matter. Be-
fore he had time to make an invest1-
CATION the explosion occurred. 1t
would appear that he was mighty
fortunate in not being in too great a
hurry, for had he started for the eel
lar when his daughter telephoned
it is hundred to one that he would
have been caught-by the force of the
explosion in the cellar.
The telephone which Miss Claire
used is on the wall directly above the
gas plant. That she didn't loiter
about the room many seconds after
telephoning to her father is also an
other piece of good fortune for the
explosion lifted the floor where she
had been standing and shattered
things considerably in that part of
the house.
After telephoning to her father she
left the room and went to the porch
in the rear of the house, where her
mother had gone for some reason
lust a minute or so before. They
were both somewhat out of the zone
of the crash and escaped without a
scratch.
Mrs. Sanford Williams, Mrs. ST.
mons mother, had just few minutes
before left the dining room to retire
and she was spared from injury by
being on the second floor of the build
ing. Not five minutes before she had
climbed the stairs which after the ex-
plosion were found to be heaved
loose and the bannister even torn
away from its fastenings.
Two children, Donald, aged y
years, and Clay, aged 6 years, were
in bed on the second floor when the
explosion occurred. The room they
occupied was but little damaged, and
while the force of the explosion help
ed them out of bed without much russ
they were not in the least hurt and
they came bouncing down the rickety
stairs in jig shape with eyes as big
as saucers and hair standing straight
There was still another most for
tunate feature in connection with the
: time that the explosion occurred
There had been Christmas tree doings
in the Methodist church at Hamlin'
ton and the people from the country
side all turned out to enjoy the fes
: tivities. They got through with the
celebration early and everything ha6
lust about been wound up for the
night, in fact, many of them had ad
journed to Simons' store for the fina
good night chat, merry Christmas
: Fluctuations and also to make the las
/ purchases before the day OF all day
of the winter season, when bang wen
the gas.
Flames shot out from the house
3 following the explosion, and thel
t everybody got busy. They worked IN
5 dividually and in groupes but the!
: worked effectually and the fact tina
y there were so many willing hand
about the place at exactly the righ
: time saved the wrecked home from
d falling prey to the flames. After !
hard tussle the fire was extinguished
Z While during all the excitemen
: there was much rushing about to Sc
IL all noses could be counted, atte
: the fire had been put out there was
}. more systematic search made Dy al
/, hands and 1t was found to the Joy o
:. everybody that all answered to rol
e call and that nobody had been eve
a hurt inst a little,