The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-09-29
SCORE Of FIRES
BY EXPLOSION
At Ardmore oklahoma,
Monday Afternoon.
OVER FIFTY PERSONS KILLED
Two Blocks Raced In Thriv.
ing City of Oklahoma
Great Loss.
FORMER KExTrcHANs THERE

Ardmore. Okla, Sept. 27.-l
spark from a workmsn's hamme
ignited a tank car of gasoline hers
late to-day and from the ruins o.
many buildings. razed by the result
ing explosion and the fires which
followed thirty-five bodies had been
recovered late tonight. The prop
erty loss is estimated at $500. 200
Fifty persons are believed to have
been crushed or burned to death
while pinned under the debris Of
stores, wholesale houses and the
Ardmore 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
it was feared the bodies of many
girls and women shoppers and en-
ployes would be found.
A score Of fires caused by the
flaming liquid which was thrown for
blocks when the car. which contain
ed ESQ barrels of gasoline. exploded
were gotten under control after two
hours work by the small local fire
department, aided by every able
bodied man in the city and assisting
the injured. The city was placed un.
der martial law Immediately.
The explosion wrecked an entire
block of buildings in the heart of
town. The car, owned by the Atch-
ison, Topeka e. Santa Fe. was stand
ing near the railroad station. Along
Main street, from the station to the
Wilmington Hotel. every building
was demolished and on the opposite
side OF the street the plant of Swift
& Company, a two-story rooming
house and cafe and other business
buildings were RACED. Over the
ruins OF these buildings and for
blocks around the flaming gasoline
was thrown. starting scores of fires.
AS the terror-stricken population
poured into the streets a black pail
OF smoke settled over the ruins, |
hampering the work of rescuers and
fire fighters.
Despite the difficulty of reaching
the victims through the jumbled I
mass of brick and timber that block /
ed the streets, more than 200 injur- /
ed We're taken from the ruins. 1t j
was feared some of them would die.
The shock of the explosion. which
had broken every window in town,
also severed all telegraph and wire
communication. and it was several
hours before outside aid could be
obtained.
While some of the dead had not
been identified at midnight it was
believed all were townspeople and
that the guests of the Wilmington
and Love hotels and rooming houses
which were destroyed escaped.
Among the heroes of the disaster
was c. S. Neil, a railway telegraph
operator. who. although suffering
from fractured leg and wrenched
back. managed to piece together
some broken wires and send out the
first news of the disaster and a call
for aid.
Because of the destruction of
many poles carrying electric light
wires the town was in darkness to-
night.
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 twelve
blocks of the business district bear
evidence Of the explosion. Practic-
ally every window in the city was
shattered by it's force. {
Two workmen were busy repair
ng the tank at 1880 o'clock this af- I
ernoon. Suddenly one OF them
struck IT with a hammer. A spark Z
rom the blow ignited fumes escap-
ng through a small leak. There {
vas terrific explosion followed by
many smaller ones.
The workmen were blown to
'ieces. The shock shattered the !
Ardmore railroad station used b, $
he Santa Fe. Frisco and Rock Is I
and railroads. and the Rock Island
reieht station and scores of other I
quickly took fire from the 4
wing liquid Il
Austria will recall Dumba