Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-10
Men we're Melting Kettle Of
Tar which Exploded lnd
Burned New Building
Oerner Had Charge Of New
Plant Of OH Company Being
Installed Here
Inquest Over His Remains
Held Tomorrow After Offl.
Cials Arrive From Fargo


One man burned to death, another
badly scorched and three others es-
Gaping with singed hair and clothes,
was the fate Of five men In the new
barn Of the Standard Oil company
which was destroyed by fire At Tenth
and Front streets about 10:30 this
morning.
The man who lost his life was T. 4.
Derner, who came here recently from
Fargo, and has been acting In the
capacity Of superintendent about the
new buildings which are being con-
structed for the company.
DETAILS or T4E TRAGEDY.
Four carpenters, w. o. White, Fred
and Gilbert MeIand and Tom hunter
were working on the interior Of the
barn, which was being finished. The
building 10 a brick structure about
1924. In one corner Was stove on
which can Of tar was being heated
for the purpose Of completing the
roof. Oerner had entered the build
ing and was near the stove when the
tar began boiling over. Fred Meiand
attempted to remove the can.
FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Just at the moment when Meland
attempted to remove the can, II ex-
ploded, throwing tar over his clothes,
but fortunately not burning him or i0-
hitting his clothes. The fire was be
tween all the men and the only door,
and they were driven into the further
corner Of the building. There were
no windows except one before each
stall which were small and At an ele-
walton Of about six feet. The men
were terror stricken. Seeing no hope
but to reach the door through the
flame Fred and Gilbert Meland and
Tom Hunter made a rush and sue
ceeded in geeting out. White smash.
ed window as the boys opened the
door and the draft brought deIuge
Of flame upon him. Fortunately he
succeeded in forcing his way through
the small window. Derner was less
fortunate and is supposed to have
been overcome by smoke and flame.
However, he had reached the last stall
evidently attempting to get through
the window which White had escaped
through.
DERNER MISSING.
The fire department was promptly
on hand, but it was fully 20 or 80
minutes before the flames and smoke
could be sufficiently subdued in order
that a search could be made for the
missing man. .DiIioent search reveal
ed that he was not In the crowd, and
gradually it became more certain that
he had rerished. Finally with liant
erns the firemen searched the prem.
ises, finding Derner's body face down
ward amid the depris and water In
the last stall, buried to 4 crisp. 4
blanket was taken 70 the scene and
covered the remains until Coroner
Field arrived when they were remoW
ed to the undertaking rooms.
OTHER MEN INJURED.
w. D. White, who boards At 4ts
Second street, was burned, though II
is not known how badly. His face
was badly blackened with smoke; his
hair, eyebrows and eyeiashes sinsed,
and through the excitement he had
not stopped to see how he felt. The
Meland Brothers and Hunter escaped
with signed hair, but no burns.
DERNER's SON AT FARGO.
Mr.. Derner i Imam about fifty
years Of age, WidoWer and had three
children, 4 boy fiftesn years 81 ase
going to school In Fargo, and two
airIs living with their nrandparento e