Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-01
Frequency of Fatal Explosions
Causes Movement for an
Investigation.
KEROSENE UNUSUALLY
HIGHLY C9MBUSTIBLE
Fruit Men Pleased With Crop Out
look-Brothers Race to Altar.
Mission School Burns.

WINCHESTER, Va, February %, 1914.
Several members of the Winchester
common council have declared their in
fention of demanding an investigation Of
the coal oil that is being sold in this
city and vicinity, which. it is alleged. has
been found to contain marked traces Of
gasoline and naphtha, and which is
blamed by many people for the fatal ex-
plosions occurring here and In neighbor-
ing towns during the past two weeks. No
blame has been placed on local wholesale
dealers. AS matter Of fact. the dealers
are as much in favor Of an investigation
as are the people themselves. 1t is
thought the oil may have been put
through the refining process too rapidly.
and that all of the gasoline was not ex-
tracted from the Oil. The fact that peo-
pie have for many years been using oil
with which to hasten the kindling Of
tires in kitchen stoves without fatalities
is argued as strong point tending to
show that the oil now being used Is Of a
highly combustible nature. Not only has
II exploded when the match Is applied In
stoves. but many people have reported
that the light in their oil lamps sputters.
Since the afternoon of February IL no
less than ten persons living in Winchester
and in Frederick, Clarke and Shenan-
doah counties of Virginia and Berkeley
county of West Virginia have been burn
ed to death. all, with the exception of
one. from oil explosions.
About fifteen others who were badly
burned during the numerous fires will, 1t
is thought, recover, although many are
still a serious condition.
Lifts Smallpox Ban.
With no new cases of smallpox develop
ing within the past five days and those
which have been recently discovered I'M
der strict quarantine. the Strasburg au-
thorities have decided not to extend the
time limit for public gatherings to be
closed, and today for the first time in two
weeks the people of that section were
permitted to congregate in the theaters,
poolrooms and other places Of amuse-
ment Churches will be reopened to-
morrow morning and school duties will
be resumed Monday.
Although the zero weather of the middle
part of the week was hard on many poor
people. the fruit men of this section Of
the state are more than pleased with the
outlook, and they are predicting bumper
crops of all kinds of fruits this summer
and fall. They say that If they can get
through February without much warm
weather-which causes the buds to swell
prematurely-it is a safe bet that crops
will be big. Thermometers here and In
Frederick county registered as low as six
degrees below zero Wednesday morning.
that being the lowest in many years.
DIR. William G. Erwing Of Washington
was one of the principal speakers at the
dlarterly meeting Of the Shenandoah
Valley Medical Society. held on Wednes-
day at Front Royal. for the first time in
tiiat town. and the visiting doctors were
handsomely entertained by the Warren
comfy physicians and surgeons DR..
Erwing read an interesting paper on
Diagnosis and the Treatment of Joint
Fractures, which was generally dis
nr- Jor oh 49, a r
lett, president of the Virginia Medical
Society. spoke on the organization of
local societies and .complimented the
Shenandoah valley society upon Its SPLEEN
After the meeting the doctors drove in
sleighs to the governments renlount sta
ton near Front Royal.
Plan Memorial Window.
A large memorial window is about to
be ordered for the Presbyterian Church
at Charles Town. W. Va, in memory of
the late Rev. DR.. Abner c. Hopkins
who was pastor of that church more than
forty-fve years.
William BevilI Stalnaker, son of the
late Mr.. and Mrs. W. B. Stalnaker of
Alabama and now of Tito county. Mon
tana, and Miss Margaret Cabell Moore,
daughter of A. Moore, jr., Virginia
lawyer, We're married Tuesday evening
Berryville. and the wedding was followed
by a reception and dance at the home of
the brides parents. The young couple
viii live at Choteau, Mont. The bride
is sister of DIR. Cabell Moore of Wash
ington. A number of Washington and
oRckville people attended the wedding.
Grover c. Carper and George w.
Carper, brothers, made a race for the
matrimonial altar here a few days ago,
and the former led by a only length,
wedding Miss Rosa May Carpenter. while
George took unto himself Miss Margaret
Virginia Wisecarver. The brothers are
prosperous young farmers
About $500 damage was done several
nights ago by the destruction by fire of
the mission school of st. James p. E.
Church, of which Rev. w. Roy Mason is
rector, seven miles east of Elkton, Va,
and an investigation is being made with
the hope of placing the blame. It Is be-
lieved the mission building was set afire
by enemies of the church living in the
Blue Ridge mountains oS Greene and
Rockingham counties. Several teachers
and some of the pupils narrowly escaped
being burned to death, and nothing was
saved except two trunks. 1t was the only
school in that section and had been do
ing a good work among the mountain
people. The building which was practi-
cally new. had been erected on the site
of former structure which was burned
five years ago 1t is expected the mission
will be rebuilt.