The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-09-28

Investigation of Monday Horror at Ardmore Reveals Fact
That There Were Two Explosions, First Gasoline Tank
and Second Dynamite Stored in Freight House
Latter Caused Most of Distant Damage

ARDMORE Okla Sept g. The death list asa
result Of yesterdays gasoline and ensuing dynamite
explosion here was brought up to tity-iVc this
afternoon when the bodies OF a man and two small
children were found on the former site Of the Atch-
sen, Topeka & Santa Fe railway freight depot Oi
the dead thrty-sx are white and nineteen negroes.
ARDMoRE okla, Sept 28-As result Of the terrific gasoline
explosion yesterday daybreak today Admore city
ta desoaon and ruin 1t was believed death list would reach
fifty, The property damage estimated at something
over 81 100000
explosion which Ardmore very foundations
Monday afternoon when containing 5000 gallons
of gasoline exploded For radius of direction
freight passenger depots destruction
wreckage and debris
There injured of these probably
fatally The dead o'clock this morning stood forty
with missing OF this number twentyOne negroes
Indian Mexican while missing negroes The
Others white
Leahy Tank Car the Cause
assigned ignition of the gasoline
Railroad men, including swichEcn who the yard at
the time siding account
Of being bad order The leaking gasoline such
that pool of the petroleum had formed the ground
under the When swtcmcu refused the further
Inspector called
Ira Woods aged about 80 the ear inspector according to the story
Of those who him. mounted the uuscwed the cap and
peered in, just he did this, the gasoline became gnIcd and
Woods the and every loose piece Of material within hundred
yards hurled through the Six hours later mangd aud
nutaed body found than hundred feet from the scene
II beyond identity except that finger carried ring on
which Woods initials engraved
Two Explosions Gasoline and Dynamite
First reports that there explosions confirmed early
today quantity dynamite freight was set
off by the of the gasoline explosion This second cpo
within second after the first The greatest damage
Me city was done from the carthshoc of the explosion The fires
vi Vi thr fire
will not reach the amount done by the earts vibrations Fire
consumed the Santa Fc freight depot the twooy building of c
Pennington Grocery company with $4,000 stock factory
and few frame buildings nearby by the dynamite explosion
+ there nearly Of buildings demolished
Property Damage
The following buildings damaged lrrepuably or parly
Wilmington hotel four sorcs almost complete loss.
Swift and company building two stories complete loss
Werner building one story top blown off and walls caycd n
Appolus building story top blown off and walls rlyrd
Madden building story top blown off and walls cuycd
Il Canton cafe, two stories. partial wreck
On the side Of the track a number of cheaper buildings
and wosoy wooden structures part of which occupied
Making fifteen negroes oo,ho their death Search Of the
funed buildings proceeded all night aud continued morning
the wrecks of these buildings that other bodies expected
found special police force of % extra men, maintained order
Il throughout the night
There scarcely mbrohcn plate glass window in Ardmorc
Two banks whose shattered shock remained
open all night under heavy guard Broken glass the sidewalks
/ and streets.
Walter Ramsey vice president Of the Guaranty bank Of Okla
homa Cy received word from hs brother the long distance
phone late Monday night that Ardmore total darkness aud
mat there was hdeous chorus Of goan going up every
nohhed building His mother who sitting the porch
blocks away at the time Of the explosion blown the yard
4 oral yards, not injured, a few bruises
H. walker vice president of the Irdc,ucu State bank here
Formerly an Admorc lawyer called the phone Monday
night to down once as one Of his large store ng hnl
1 been partially demolished Mr. Walker left at once
Judge Willard r Bcakmoc commissioner in the state s,propo
court called his father Mr. W H. Bcakmorc and found tina, none
them were hurt but the entire interior the home ud been
crushed every mante mirror and dish in the home having been
1 wrecked
IT, Sturgeon received direct word that the entire new front Of
the Ardmorc National bank had been blown This is the pn of
L which former Governor Cucc is president
Lon Frame former chairman of the board of affairs received
&word that the w Frame Drug company owned y his brother
Wv. B. Frame, had been severely damaged
Al late hour Monday night Stanley r. Bruce general ogput far