Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-12-03
GAS TANK BURSTS,
ONE MAN IS DEAD
APPLYING TORCH TO RECEPTACLE
DURING FILLING PROCESS RE-
SUITS IN ACCIDENT.
INJURED TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.
Force of Blast Throws Walls Into Heap
of Ruins-Neighborh Feels
Defamation.
FIRE DEPARTMENT IS CALLED

/ MILWAUKEE, Wis, Nov. %, 1907
| George Odenbrett, 419 Broadway, part
owner of the Gas Tank Recharge COM
! pany, 961 North Water street, and a
members of the firm Of Bates Odenbrett,
/ DOB broadway, dealers in automobiles,
| died in the Lakeside hospital at no
: o'colck today. His death followed inju-
4 ries sustained in an explosion that COM
| pletely demolished the recharging plant
! on North Water street
Mr.. Odenbrett was within the building
ST the time Of the blowing up of an
| acttylene tank. He was fearfully crushed
and bruised. Immediately thereafter he
was picked up, in semi-conscious condi-
ton, from among the smoking ruins of
the building. He was rushed to the
: Lakeside hospital in an automobile. In
spite of desperate efforts of physicians,
he failed to recover. He sank steadily
and died at ITO o'clock.
Greek at Emergency.
The plant of the Gas Tank Recharginr
company was reduced to a heap of ruins,
scattered bricks and crushed metal.
plOyed by Mr.. Odenbrett was taken to
the Emergency hospital. He was seri-
Ously injured. A third man, whose name
could not be ascertained, was thrown
fully 40 feet when the west wall of the
building was blown out with terrific
force. He recovered, however, and was
but slightly injured. He was taken to
! hospital or his home by bystanders
Were Filling Tank
The explosion took place while Mr..
Odenbrett assisted by Christoples, was
| filling a tank with acetylene gas. re-
port made by the fire department was
! that Mr.. Odenbrett was applying a
torch to the tank which was being filled,
| and the explosion followed 1t is said
Odenbrett heated but one side of the
tank with a gasoline blow torch and the
safety valve in the tank failed to work.
Building Ruin.
The building, situated almost J;,actIv
under the Holton street viaduct. was =
one-story brick, about 3Ox15 fee1, It
was completely demolished in an instant
The report was heard for several blocks
IN the neighborhOod. The fire depart-
ment was called to the scene, but there
was no blaze. The ruin was the result
OF the terrific force of the explosion
alone 1t was difficult to believe that
the pile of bricks marked the site of a
building.
Three Men in Building.
Three, men were at work in the build
ing at the time of the explosion One of
them was thrown more than forty feet.
with the west wall. He was hurled out
ward, with mass of brick and wreck
age. he was, however not seriously in
Jured. he appeared dazed for a mo-
ment; tnen regalned his feet, and imme
dlately thereafter returned to the scene
Of the accident. He later managed to
open a desk whose lower half had been
blown off. and secured from it valuable
paper and probably money. Immediately
thereafter he was hurried to a hospital
by bystanderS.
The other two victims were crushed
against the walls. 1t seemed that the
lesser force of the explosion at the point
they occupied, did them additional harm
The walls, instead of being blown COM
pletely out, as was the west wall, were
merely crushed and fell in. The victims
We're evidently crushed under them
The structure was owned by Mr.
Odenbrett and John Heber, Mr.. Oden-
brett is allied with the automobile firm
of Bates & Odenbrett.
The arrival Of the fire department,
Immediately after the explosion, probably
prevented spread of flames Mineral
substances used in the manufacture of
the gas were covered with earth The
application Of water was impossible, due
to chemical combinations
Horseshoer Escapes Injury.
The shock of the exploding tank shool,
not only the viaduct but equally all adj
joining buildings. George Duenklin. in
his horse shoeing shop, fully 800 feet
south of the wrecked recharging plant.
was hurled from his feet A horse tied
to one wall of the shop, was thrown
across the building. Only the merest
chance saved Mr.. Duenklin from being
trampled under the frantic animals
hoofs.
Victims Not Known.
Once the victims had been moved
from the scene. none seemed to know
who they were nor just how the accident
had occurred. The recharge plant was
erected late IN July and has been occ;l-
pied for only about two months.
The loss is estimated at about $4,000
The building was of entire brick con-
struction, one story high, containing two
rooms.
Mr.. Odenbrett is said to be in pre-
and may not recover.
Car Windows Smashed.
A street car, passing on the Holton
street viaduct, was Jared from the track
Every window in the car was smashed.
Its passengers were thrown into a panic.
However, the car was able to proceed
shortly after the explosion
On Saturday night Onsted Tornisdian,