The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-31
Ralph R. Harrub, Third Victim Of
Explosions Dies From Burns
And Injuries
dEAD or UTILITIES BODY
BEGINS AN INVESTIGATION
Mysterious Origin Of Accident
Not Due To Short Cir
cult Of Wires

Ralph R. Harrub, the third victim
of Thursdays explosion of tank o
distillate at the Standard Oil Compa
ny's plant at Iwilei, died at Queen,
Hospital at half.past one O'Clock YES
terday afternoon. This brings the dealt
total TO three.
Services For sehieber
The funeral of Harrub will take Mac,
at hah-past th- We O'clock this after
noon from Williams undertaking par
tors, the interment being mt Nnuanr
cemetery. The Rev. John W. Wadmar
Will conduct the funeral services.
The funeral services for Anton Schie
Der, another of the victims. probabI,
will be held at three o clock tomorrow
afternoon from the Masonic TAmpIe
ne Is survived by widow and chill,
living at Oahu Place. His fatbar
who lives on Kauai, has been notifie,
OF ms son 8 death, and is expected tC
arrive in Honolulu tomorrow morning
The funeral services probably viii be
conducted by Hawaiian Lodge No. q
OF Masons and the interment win be
In the Nuuanu cemetery. Arranep
ments for the funeral of Carl Eiricr
the third victim has not been made
He is survived by a widow. who. n
present is living at the Seaside Hotel
The inquest on the three bodies will
be held next Tuesday afternoon at half
past two O'Clock.
Investigation Is Begun
Charles r. Forbes, superintendent
pubic works and chairman of the pub
lie utilities commission, has started A,
investigation into the circumstances
surrounding Thursdav's disaster. From
his investigations Mr.. Forbes will ar
range data for use by the public utili
ties commission. one of the victims
Harrub, having been an employe of tho
Hawaiian Electric Company. The in
vestigatiofr VIII be Of double nature
as Forbes, as superintendent Of publ,
works, has the control of all explos
ives in the territory.
The cause Of the accident still re
mains mystery as far as the Stand
ard Oil Company is concerned. Angus
tus- 8. Prescott, district sales manage,
of the company, stated Yesterday thai
those in charge OF the local Office o.
the company would make a thorough
Investigate
Doubts Suark Story
James +. Fenwick. assistant manaor'
of the Hawa ian, Electric Companv
said yesterday that the accident was
in no way connected with the lightin~
or power system of the Standard Oil
Company, for which the electric compa
ny furnished the current. The frr
foam apparatus was not, he said con
nected up by the Hawaiian Electri
Co., the apparatus being supplied
with drv batteries owned and onerate6
by the Standard OIL Comranv. He doef
not SEQ how spark possibly could have
caused the explosion, as all wires arc
in COnduits, making a short circuit i'm
possible.
The services of the Hawaiian Flee
trio Company were requisitioned be
cause the wiring system which onernt
ed the fire foam apparatus needed ad
iustmPnt.
Eourted THnk to Death
Mr.. Fenwick further stated that i"c
before the accident the three men v'h"
Oo"t their lives, and a helper of Har
rub. descended from the tank, thei,
work being finished. to see that all or
plus material was slowed in waitin'
automobile. For some .inexpli"Rble rea
SOn the three men went back 10 ~
ton of the tank ara there met ther'
death. The helper, fortunately, re
maincd below.