The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-20
ACCOUNT OF
 EXPLOSION lN
 WIRELESS STATION

CORDOVA. Oct l5.-An explosion at tke navy wireless station at White shed at o'clock last night resulting
 ln five men being burned and SS000 loss to the building and instruments. Those injured were:
 Dave Berry. a civilian member of the working party from the collier Prometheus. was SO badly burned about the face. hands and legs. chat his condition Is critical.
 A. J. Holton. gunner ot the U. S. Navy. severely burned about Che face and arms.
 M. S. schaikowsld, machinisl of the redio force, burned about the hands and face.
 George OHara. Of the local station, burned about the face.
 John Gnlls, in charge of the sla. hon hands burned
 Messrs. Giilis, Barry and 0'Hara were adjusting and testing the new instruments recently installed In the arc room. including a 8O-kilowat set, when the alcohol supply was ignited, by a back.fire. and terrific explos- ion occurred blowing out the end of the tank. which contained twenty-five gallons of alcohol. and penetrating to the operating rooms.
 The arc room was a mass of flames and its occupants escaped with their lives by Jumping through window to the outside of the building Mr. Barry. however, got the full force of the explosion in the face and when he made his exit he resembled Q ball of fire. Mir. O'Hara escaped with slight burns on the face and hands NIT. Gnlis had his back burned at the time and was fortunate enough not to sustain any serious burns, but the flames slnged the back of his head
 Messrs. Holton and Schajowski were in an adjoining room. at a switch board when the explosion occurred, and It's force blew out Che glass par tition and these men were enveloped in a mass of flames
 The interior of the entire building, which is f0x60 feet was soon afire and for a time it looked as though nothing could prevent the destruction of the entire plant The fire apparat- us was quickly brought into play and lhe flames confined to the new addl. ton of the plant, and preventing its spread to the main building and the power house. Considerable credit is due Messrs. Upschurch. O'Hara, Field CT and Esposlto for saving the main building and the heroic work in pre- venting the flames from spreading.
 The burns of the injured men were dressed by Mrs Gillis with olive oll. and telephone calls were sent to Cordova for a physician and D nurse. In the meantime the crew at the station used about fifty gal Ions of engine oil in the attempt to relieve the sufferings of those who were burned. There was no available boat in the local harbor last night, to make the trip to the wireless station and word was dispatched to the pow pr plant and the launch "Bili Bailey brought to the ocean dock Dr. W. W. Council and Mrs. Heating. a nurse, were taken aboard and Geo Dooley oloted them to Che wireless station. ! The tide was extremely low and slow leadway was made, but the party fi- lally reached Whiteshed and every hing possible was done to make the unfortunate men comfortable This Barry. Holton and Schaiow- ski were brought to town and taken .o the railroad company hospital. where they are receiving tho best of care When the injured men reached ! .he local dock the section hands had in readiness for them and hey were tenderly lifted into an auto ruck and conveyed to the railroad itation. Here @ hand ear was usedl .o take them directly to the hospital !
 While it is impossible to tell the exact damage to the instruments and machinery it is estimated that the oss will amount to SS.OOO. The force started in the morning to set the na- 7al station in commission again and messages are being received .his afternoon.