The farmer and mechanic., 1911-04-11
It WAS GASOLENE
IN THE KEROSENE
CareIessness Ends Lives
of Two Young Women
ERROR At THE DRUG STORE

state Oil Chemist LockEart Com
nletcs Investigation Caused by
Tragedy Near Olive Branch In
Union County, and Finds That
There Was Fifteen Per Cent Of
Iasnp Which Exploded.
Exploded.
CareIessness in handling kerosene
oil and gasoline in the same store
with the result that kerosene and gas
oline were mixed in the same barrei
or tank, is now found to have been
the cause OF the terrible tragedy on
the night of March Esd, near OlVe
Branch. in Union county. At that
time two young women, Miss Oracle
Baucom and Miss Wilma Davis were
so severely burned by the explosion
Of kerosene lamp that both died the
next morning, and another young
woman. Miss Lou Baucom, was badly
burned.
The account Of the disaster was
read by DR.. L. Il. Lockhart the State
Oil Chemist, and he at once took
steps to investigate the matter. Under
his direction one Of the oil inspectors
visited Olive Branch, secured SAM
piles OF the oil and the brass fixtures
Of the lamp which exploded. The Oil
was at once brought to Raleigh, and
a test Of it was made, this revealing
that what Lad been sold as kerosene
oil contained fifteen per cent Of gaso-
line, and was dangerous in the ex-
IRENE.
Before DR.. IIockhart made the test
he tried some Of the oil with a gas
jet flame. and there was a quick ex-
plosion. When he used the flash test
he found this to be at about &C de-
grees. whereas, the North Carolina
standard REQUIRES that the fash test
bo not below loo degrees. He had
previously examined the lamp burned
and wick, and found that it was IN
working order. and that the trouble
was not from it. The oil was classi-
fed as Diamond White oil Of the
Standard Oil Company, with fifteen
per cent OF gasoline added to it.
Then Or. I4ockhart had an exami-
nation begun, which has just ended.
II was found that the oil sold to Mr..
{. A. PTitchard, at whose home the
explosion occurred, had been bought
from the New Salem Cooperative
Mercantile Company at Olive Branch,
and that it had been purchased by
that company from the Marshville
Drug Company. which in turn had Sc
Of the Standard Oil Company. Ex-
animation of the records showed that
the oil in the tanks at Monroe had
been found to pass the test. and fur
Eher examination showed that the
Kerosene oil had been mixed with
gasoline at the store of the Marsh
Vile Drug Company.
At that store there was much un-
certainty as to how there could have
been any mixture of the kerosene and
chat an automobile had stopped at the
drug store to get gasoline, and that
after the tank had been filled and the
supposed gasoline used that the auto
choked down. The machine was
brought back and the oil was emp
tied into a barrel. gasoline being
obtained from another receipt
acle. What became Of the oil re-
turned, not exceeding ten gallons. no
one seems to know. or has there
been any explanation as to whether
Lihe small amount OF gasoline that was
sn the automobile tank could have
added fifteen per cent OF gasoline to
the kerosene oil sold.
On the second night after the dis
aster at Mr.. Pritchard's. second
lamp nearly exploded. and this add
ed to the anxiety in the neighbor-
strack Of all oil sold froEa the store
at Olive Branch, obtained samples
and had the oil poured out to do this
Fifty gallons found at the Marshvillt
ground. and warning given concern
ing the danger of letting kerosene
and gasoline mixed be used for lamp
purposes.
The explosion at Mr.. G.. A. Pritch-
ards house, near Olive Branch, which
Is some seventeen miles from Marsh
EisRe. took place while party was
being given there. Miss Oracle Bau.
CON- Miss Wilma Davis and Miss LOT
1saucom had gone into a bedroom tt
Fix their hair. Miss Oracle Baucon
picked up the kerosene lamp, a glas.
pie. from the dresser. using botf
BANDS. and started to move it. a
-Dnce there was an explosion, Mis-:
.f4racie Baucom and Miss Wilma Dav;.
being covered with the burning oil