The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-09-28
FIFTY ARE KILLED,
zoo ARE INJURED
Gasoline Tank Car Explodes
in Heart of ArdmOre.
Oklahoma.
MANY FIRES ARE STARTED.
Windows in City Shattercd--NIain
Street Business Houses DAM
aSed-Deeds of Hcroism.

Ardmore, Okla, Sept. 27.-A
spark from a workman's hammer
ignited tank car of gasoline here
late today and from the ruins of two
city blocks razed by the resulting
explosion and the fires which follow
ed, 81 bodies had been recovered late
tonight. The property loss is esti-
mated at 100000.
Fifty persons are believed to have
been crushed or burned to death
while pinned under the debris of
stores. wholesale houses and the Ard :
more railroad station. Search
among the ruins was proceeding
methodically tonight. the workers
centering their efforts on the mass
OF lumber and bricks which had been
a department store and where il wa,
feared the bodies Of many girls and
women shoppers and employees would
be found.
A score of fires caused by the
flaming liquid which was thrown for
blocks when the car which contained
ESQ barrels OF gasoline exploded were
gotten under control after two hours
work by the small local fire DEPART
ment, assisted by other persons not
assisting the injured. The city was
placed under martial law imme-
diately.
AT 3 O'Clock the fires were under
contrG Sand the city was under mar
tial law. Private homes were imme-
dlately thrown open to the injured
and scores of men were working To-
night in the smoldering ruins along
Main street In search for additional
victims.
Not a building on Main street es-
capped damage, either as a result of
the force of the explosion or OF the
fires following.
All school buildings, business
houses and residences within -
blocks of the business district. bear
evidence of the explosion and prac-
tically every window in the city was
shattered by its force
Two workmen were busy repairing
the tank at 2:30 O'Clock this after
nocn. Suddenly one OF them struck
IL with hammer. spark from
the blow ignited fumes escaping
through small leak. There was a
terrihc explosion followed by many
smaller ones. The workmen were
blown to pieces. The shock shat
tered the Ardmore railroa dstation
used by the Santa re, Frisco and
Rock Island railroads and the Rock
island freight station and scores of
other buildings quickly took fire
from the flying liquid.
The flames spread rapidly until
All OF Main street appeared roar
ing furnace. Thirty freight cars in
the Santa Fee railroad wards waro
destroyed. The pail of smoke hang
ing over the whole city prevented
rescuers from doing effective work
The roof of the Whittingtop Hotel
was ploWh OH by the force or the
first explosion. but III guests wera
believed to have saved their lives
At the store OF Maddin d Co. scores
of girls were working and it was
feared tonight some OF them lost
their lives
Deeds OF heroism were MANY, \
woman waiting at the railroad sta
/ tion with baby in her arms and =
four-year-old child at her side
dashed three blocks with her double
| burden her own clothing blazing az
she ran. Passers-by smothered tne
! fiames with their bare hands. The
mother was taken to the hospitaI
dangerously burned. The children
were not seriously injured.
For five hours after the exnIosio,,
Ardmore was cut off completely from
the outside world. Telephone and
telegraph communication was sever-
ed by the wrecking of poles in the
downtown district.
I Gold for.