The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-18
Locomotive Boiler Blows Up in
s. p. Round House.
Most of the Dead Men Were
StrikebreakerS.
ROUND HOUSE CATCHES FIRE
Jacket of Exploding Engine
Drops Between Two Houses.
The Tender Is Hurled Several
Hundred Feet Away.

San Antonio, March 1s.-At least 25
persons were killed in the explosion of
locomotive boiler at the Southern
Pacific roundhouse today. Many wcre
injured.
Most of the dead and injured were
strikebreakers who took the places Of
Southern Pacific shop men who struck
here several months ago. So fearfully
mangled were several of the bodies it
is thought they never can be fully
identified.
Eighteen bodies had been recovered
within two hours after the explosion
and more were being removed. Nearby
stores and buildings were filled with
injured The roundhouse and cooper
shops were wrecked by the explosion
and many men working in them were
hurt by falling walls. The army hog
p1tal staff here was rushed to the yards
and police and Y. M. c. A. workers
were organized into rescue bands >
take out the dead and try to save
the lives of the wounded.
The victims were said to be strike
breakers who have been working in the
South Pacific shops ever since the shop
mems strike began several months
ago. After the explosion rumors in
the downtown section of San Antonio
were that dynamite was the cause bur
investigation at the yards showed no
indication that such rumors had start
ed there. San Antonio mas been prac-
tically free from violence during the
strike.
Engines in the round house were
smashed and the round house caught
fire. The half-ton jacket of the ex-
ploding locomotive boiler dropped be-
tween two houses on Duval street sew
eral blocks distant while the tender was
catapClted several hundred feet and
fxxyiC Cf cd int CI7 0fe 81
A majority of the men who were killed
were from northern and western states,
but much difficulty is being expert
enced in identifying the bodies.
Gathering Up the Dead.
Among the first dead identified
was: Walter Jourdan of San Antonio,
an engineer who was in the cab when
the locomotive exploded. Robert K.
Iipscomb, foreman of the shops was
picked up from his feet, hurled 80
feet and rose, semi-conscious, grasp
ing in his hand the hat of a dead
man.
Inside the machine and blacksmith
shop the greatest loss of life was not
ed. Here 15 or more men were kill
ed, portions of their bodies being
found jammed in crevices in the roof
sides or entangled in machinery A
great portion of the wall fell inwards, |
burying twelve men.
Mrs. B. S. Gillis, e2, in her home |
tally injured when the front end of |
the locomotive crashed into the roof, |
demoliShing three rooms and contin- |
ing through to the ground floor.
In addition to all available medi- |
cal aid relief organizations a squad of |
Third United States cavalry and the |
entire city police force Joined in the
relief work.
Aside from Jourdan the identified
dead are:
]. BURDY. machinist, Pittsburg. |
Pa.
= MANsKER, sR., foreman black
smith shop, san Antonio
BRADY, machinist, address un-
known.
WILLIAM r. BREMER. machinist,
address unknown.
w. o. HEIBLER. airman, address
unknown.
In the copper shop. T A Williams.
the foreman, was knocked under
heavy work bench. the entire struc-
ture p1unging downward over him
but he escaped with burns and
bruises He remained under the de-
bris until half hour after the explo-
sion. Among the shrieks of the injur-
ed after the explosion rose the roar Of
flaming oil from the feed pipe through
which the oil burning locom olives fill
their tenders. This pipe had broken
and ignited. The flow of oil was cut
off.
One of Their Best.
Houston, March 18.-President Fay
Of the Hartman lines in Texas and
in statement today, said
he locomotive which exploded was
one of the best owned by the company
and it had been fully inspected and
pronounced all right on Saturday. 1t
vas used in drawing the fast California
express.