Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-09-28
How Many Are Buried Un der Ruins of Wrecked
 Buildings Yet Unknown.
BURNING LIQUID
 STARTS MANY FIRES
Flint Spark Causes Explosion 0i Oi! in Gar Standing Near santa Te Sta- tion, Demolishing Dozens of
 Downtown Structures.

Ardmore, Ckla., Sept. 27.-Between
 25 and 90 persons were killed, and
 at least 200 injured, most of them
 dangerously. this afternoon by the
 explosion of 250-barrel tank car of
 gasoline, standing near the Santa Fe freight office in the business district The tremendous force of the eXplO- sion shook down many buildings. and threw burning gasoline in every di- rection. A few minutes later the whole town was at the mercy of a score of fires.
 At 6:30 tonight the fires were un-
 der control and the city was placed
 under martial law.
 A spark from a hammer ignited gas fumes from small leak and caused the explosion. Two workmen were | busy on .he tank at the time. Both | were killed.
 Some of the Dead. Among the dead are Charles R. Smith, former member of the police ofrce, who was standing on iMain' street near the explosions and who was killed by falling stones. | M. E. Atkins, a drayman, who was standing almost three blocks from 1 tho explosion.
 A. G. Gild, fruit peddler, who l was driving across the Santa Fe tracks near the explosion. His horse was killed and his wagon blown to pieces. .~. +l
 An Indian sitting on wagon east of the Love hotel. His team and wag- on were crushed when the east side of the building fell.
 Immediately after the explosion, homes were thrown open to the ln- jured. and scores of men began
 searching in the ruins for victims. The Santa Fe freight station was 1 wrecked and burned to the ground. The Unione passenger station is al- most total wreck. The express of fee is partly wrecked.
 From the Santa Fe freight station to the Wilmington hotel every build ing. including the Pennington whole sale grocery house, is wrecked. The east side of the Wilmington hotel 1 was wrecked from the top story to the first floor.
 On the opposite side of the street l lHC WIGChdSC WdS dllllOoC elho ''NN' Swift &, company's branch was
 wrecked and burned. The two-story rooming house oyer the Canton cafe
 was wrecked, and restaurant also demolished.
 Shorty Tyford was killed there, and an unidentified dead man was I taken from the ruins. The bodies of several negroes were also taken out
 of these ruins.
 l Forty Girls in Wrecked Building. Ladd & Davidson's wholesale house
 was also wrecked. Mrs. Clara David
 son was badly hurt, and a bookkeep-
 CT, Raymond Mccoy, injured. 1 sDeWitt's cigar store was wrecked.
 Forty girls were employed there, but no deaths were reported. | A two-story building occupied by negroes as a pool hall and roomlng house was demolished. It was stated That 20 negroes were penned in the
 place. l The Hartman hotel was demolish- led; and it was reported that several
 persons were in the buildlng.a Res- cuers are at work there.
 l. Hundreds were cut by flying glass Autos hurried through the streets hauling the injured. to homes ana hospitals. ju4 Y w
 Many Missing. 'gF 1 The tank car of gasoline belonged
 to the Ardmore Refinery company. I and young man from the refinery was trying to. stop a leak that had been reported from the santa Fe. Whether the boy escaped is not ] known. 4
 Almost every family had at least
 one member away sfrom home ana l men and womens are searching TOT l the missing ones. 4~oa 1 Telephone poles were: twisted ,> III l two by the concussion. The town IS l in darkness tonightS seb Ea1 s2a Truly, An lOM Family. s