Las Vegas optic., 1912-03-18
TWENTY FIVE LOST LIVES
ALL WERE EMPLOYEES OF THE
COMPANY ENGAGED IN
THEIR DAILY DUTIES
ROUNDHOUSE REDUCEDTORUIN
1T WAS BELIEVED AT FIRST THAT
STRIKERS HAD DYNAMITED
THE BUILDING.

San Antonio, Tex, March 1S.-At
least 27 persons were killed in the
explosion of locomotive boiler at the
Southern Pacific round house today.
Eighteen bodies had been recovered
within two hours after the explosion
and more were being removed. Near
by stores and buildings were filled
with injured. The round house and
copper shops were wrecked by the
explosion and many men working in
them were hurt by falling walls.
The army hospital staff here was
rushed to the yards and police ambu-
lances and Y, M, c. A. workers were
organized into rescue bands to take
out the dead and to try and save the
lives Of the wounded. The victims
were said to be strike breakers who
have been working in the Southern
Pacific shops ever SINCE the shop
mems strike began several months
ago. After the explosion rumors in
The downtown section of San Anto-
MO were that dynamite was the cause
but investigation at rne yards showed
no indications that such rumors had
started there
San Antonio has yeen practically
free from violence during the strike.
Engines in the round house were
smashed and the roundhouse caught
fire. The half-ton jacket of the ex-
plodiDg locomotive boiler dropped be-
tween two houses on Duval street
several blocks distant, while the ten
der was catapulted several hundred
yards and twisted into a shapeless
massof steel A majority of the men
killed were from northern and west
ern states, but much difficulty is be-
ing experienced in identifying the
bodies
Among the first dead identified
was: Walter Jourdan, of San Anto-
nio. an engineer who was In the cab
when the locomotive exploded. Rob
ert K. Lpscomb, foreman Of the shops
was picked up from his feet, hurled
80 feet and rose, semi-conscious,
grasping in his hand the hat of a
dead man.
Inside the machine and blacksmith
shops the greatest loss of life was
noted. Here fifteen or more men
were killed, portions Of their bodies
being found jammed in crevices in
the roof and sides or entangled in the
machinery. A great portion of the
wall fell inwards, burying twelve
men.
Mrs. N. S. Gillis, aged So, in her
home seven blocks away, was prob
ably fatally injured when the front
end Of the locomotive crashed into
the roof, demolishing three rooms and
continuing through to the ground
floor. In addition to all available
medical aid relief organizations, a
squad of Third United States cavalry
and the city's entire police force
Joined In the relief work. Aside from
Jourdan. the identified dead are:
J. 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, afr man, address
unknown.
In the copper shop, 7. A. Williams,
the foreman, was knocked under a
heavy work bench, the entire struc-
ture plunging down over him. but he
escaped with burns and bruises. He
remained under the debris until hall
an hour after the explosion.
Among the shrieks Of the injured
after the explosion arose the roar Of