The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-14

Fireman E. L. Robinson, Hurt in the
Explosion.
Next was A. T. Potts. who fell and
covered his face with his hand and
prevented his injuries being more seri-
Gus in this way. Then came the rest
of the men although they know moth
ing about how the others reached the
surface.
Flesh Dropped OF.
The sufferings of the men as they
were given first add treatment can not
be described or realized Bits of their
flesh dropped to the floor as they wait
ed their turn at treatment. Yet there
were few cries of pain. Occasionally
one of them would give way for a mo-
11ent but in another his shoulders We're
thrown back and the wall or sob as
the case might be was choked back.
And then would come the pleading for
something to stop the awful burning.
c. E. Fenson. his face distorted with
pain and the awful burns he suffered,
was the first to be removed to the hos
pital His hands and legs We're jerking
when he was placed on the stretcher.
'Oh, God" he cried. Il just can't
stand this much logger"
Others begged that relatives should
not be told as they feared the news
would be too much for their loved ones.
Jake Dice wanted to go back in the
cistern and get his coat.
.sIt has the city tinebook in it, he
explained to Fa thOSe VINO denled naHi
permission to go.
The one man who said nothing but
moved about as If asleep, is the man
who is declared by at least one mem
Der of the party to be responsible for
the accident. That was Street Com
missioner Snyder.
Suffered Great Pain.
He did not speak nor utter a
sound as a result of the awful pain
which he must have suffered.
Physicians would lead him to chair
and under their orders he would sit
down. The moment they left him.
however, he was. on his feet. moving
aimlessly around the room. But he
did not speak.
Fensen is declared to have told physi-
clans that Mr. Snyder struck a match
just before the explosion. He could not
be seen by a reporter after he was re-
moved to the hospital and would not
talk of the cause of the accident be-
fore he was removed from the tenn
porary hospital on West Seventh street
Fireman Robinson. however says ne
saw Snyder strike the match and tried
to cry out to him of the danger when
the crash came
"I thought he would know better
said Robinson as he sat in DIR. Pow
ellis office Il saw him light the match
and started to yell at him. But it was
too late. 1 dropped into the water the
next moment and hit it about the time
the fire hit me. Snyder knew We nau
had trouble with that cistern and ne
should have known better. know II
wasn't a pick striking fire. l saw Sny-
der light the match to light his cigar.
Robinson Injured in Same Cistern.
Robinson was injured a week ago by
an explosion in the same cistern He
had a fireman's lantern and was on the
ground just over the cisterr. when the
explosion occurred. At that time he
oh 10 head and face.
but not seriously.
When the explosion occurred, Mr.. W..
H. Paul, a salesman at the Robinson
Marshall store on the corner, was at
the front door. He ran around the cor
ner, and saw one man trying to CLIMB
out of the hole. Before Mr.. Paul reach
ed the spot, this first man had crawled
out. Mr.. Paul and Mr.. L. Candy haul
ed out the other men as fast as they
came within reach of the manhole, and
they were taken into the office of H. A.
Heath, only few steps away In help
| ing the injured men, Mr.. Candy was
| slightly burned.
In speaking of the accident Mr.. Paul
said:
THE men were so badly singed that
did not recognize them One man was
so badly scorched that the skin on his
wrists slipped while I was pulling hlm
out. The blaze which came out OF the
manhole Immediately after explosion
to me that all the men were not killed
instantly
Mr.. Candy said: "After the men
| had been taken into Heath's office,
Jake Dice told me that he thought
| the explosion was caused by spark
| from a pick. The others didn't seem
to know, and offered no theories. |
do not think any of the men breathed
| enough flame to injure them internal
| ly, as they were all able to talk"
| Ambulanees from Penwells, She'll
abarger's and St. Francis hospital
| took charge of the explosion victims
as soon as they had been given tenn
porary aid by physicians. and removed
them to Bethesda hospital by order of
Mayor Green. All of them were able
to walk to the ambulances. Charles
| Winburn, the oldest city employee.
was the last man taken to the hos
! pital. He was in great pain, and was
given medicine to deaden the pain.
| His head, neck, face and hands-ev-
cry portion of his body not covered
| by clothing, were burned.
Robinson Plunged in Water.
st didn't expect to get out of there
alive,'' said "Rox" Robinson. the fire.