The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-01-13
A !! Shocking Accident
AcetyIine Explosion Kills
Thomas Lund


horror over the whole community
occurred at the city gas plant on Friday
by which one life was lost.
The city of Pembina his for several
years been supplied with acetyline gas
from a central plant for Illuminating
purposes, made from carbide. The
plant is situated near the center of the
city and the gas is piped to the various
dwellings, business houses and streets.
The making of the gas with carbide
process is very simple. All that is
necessary to make acetyline gas is *to
apply water to carbide, which is sub
stance formed by the fusing of coal and
lime at intense electric heat. In the
city plant gas was made by immersing
basket containing carbide into tank
of water and the resulting gas then
passed through Il pipe into a gasometer
which is inverted over and into large
tank of water In the city plant this
gasometer is an iron tank about IL feet
across and about the same in helgl +
When empty it sinks so that the top %
nearly level with the water ''seaf in
which it il immersed. When the car.
b,de is placed in the water the gas
forms immediately in quantity and fills
and lifts the gasometer so that when
we'll filled its top is eight to ten feet
above the surface of the water seal.
For several days the city has bean
going without gas light as the supply Of
carbide was delayed in transit. 2
Some repairs being necessary to 4
part Of the apparatus which purifss The
gas after it is made after leaving .the
gasometer. which necessitsted sos1e
soldering, Thomas Luud and |WllliSan
Hart were sent 10 do tho welit.
The pipes coaasoted with The 'epso'
meter wsre Disconnected AND g he
gssometer. was dswn nearly 70 The
surface oftAe water, 90 the. nea -
posed tkat ~ do gas has bess -
chazsd tttsn she inside, sspecisll ~
tho plpe tsaiiiug ialto tho sasesnstl i y
beea epea ~ soue time. &
uisis whefe TIE fstal errse se1
Aoety3iseR Rss 10 very nearly q Ake allll
weight SsSsmmon sir. Homes 1e1e. i
ltstle - Sa1aasace any insess d
esstien Sf thssWo slemsatA ~ Iss,
! Isas psgao,stiesllv ~ s,ssat q J n -,
t - shssupesids'or vice y ~ ssSa3
! u the anstsF did not 60 Asel 4
tho sursace .o9 tho. wstes II No
ptied .nsssssarily it left : xep Apscs
,Sor.gasto remain and which da 70
.mainiindSa SanitSl unless It ws1s News
out'bya sosced css,ent d sjr or som,
sxch 1nethsd.
Tho twp'men were weskiag iclsse 10
l>sethsr:and at the suseeasn ~ Ar
1nud they.changed plaoes.t ths wsri
lt$hey were doing and 10 ~ than Z
minute afterwards tho explosion ;seeur
red. Blythe change a pesitisp dr
Lund wasain front Of tho .snd of ths
pipe and therefore received the full
force of tho discharge opon thu pipe
while Mr.Hart vas at the ssiae anc
while thrown along tbe sslde ~ thu
.building and stunned for a,shott psFiot
was not seriously hurt. - 4soon,ss b.
discovered. consciousness heoalleilsts Mr.
lLund butreceived no asss,er and hunt
ling rouna n the smoke and dust saw
dim lying partly in the watsr,on tap o
,the gasome,ter. He YES dragging ou
3dr. Lund Who was uncoosrious, ,wher
Aessrs Baikin and Tbonpson whoxers
|,olose by aud hesrd the eAplosion ane
feit the coasussion, came in.Aad assistec
|,ts take Mr.. Lund out iato eifresh air
M. Lund was immediately taken tosthe
.onlce Of Dr.. Harris and His injuries
found to t's vsry serious oaasistipg in
pant in a bralnn leg and 6stIEsn thigh
bone with probable internal injury.
The accident secured . tilne bsf,re
two.o'clock in the afternnon an Friday
and Mr.. Lund died at $50 ulthout tse
Governing consciousness. Strange ii,
say M. Hart rxnepi TOT tho ShQek wis
nj hurt at. all. The expk.iea hurst
the top OF tue g@,s.peter aud Alresd ou
tue si.ia+ OF the bsiltlng several sas..hes.
hut the glass IN t one windsv Was
nut hrsik-l
The gasolin.. torcl wnirh h4ds.t ii .
fir. was sn.lnd ~ l.,ssI,t.y wD,ra it xa~
lift ny Mr.. LuAd in,aer aiis ..lfninl.
pal. ri.Ig ',s.t r,rFl., y 10 Mss lrs.r
l. lsa,ls * 5.s:ff ns.t utSl( .i,itl hasa
n ,ass,t th sss4 f.Ni iiitas3tJ go uiii
ID III 10 thg.};Sa -a.sss lft q. ;
Is ii sh.Sl,f 4, bt8,,sii. :sis q.
55 M, L3nsls Was NIB ahr oldsr
.uf s.Sfurkue,, am. se;l,ir riea' al ins,ir
arc /, whn.bss.~ he was dsFenda4t 4t-,,n has
3.iai j labor for support will tla u don;
siderable benefit to his ta@ily In t,Hs
tine q trouble. lls lsevst 4 Difs. and
g4hssl young ehildIsa ~ elll = gisl pe|
aAaa r. soesaIIllI DI1e = q sll1Il \.