The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-01-27
TEN MEET DEATH IN
BIG EXPLOSION.
Head Of Company Where Gasoline
Was Being Unloaded Blames
Spontaneous Combustion.

Memphis. Jan. 24-Ten negroes
dead, approximately a score injured.
some probably fatally, and property
damage estimated at 100000 made
up the known toll tonight of an ex-
plosion of Casing Head gasoline await
ing unloading from g tank car to
the plant of the Colyar Reece COM
pany in North Memphis, which let go
this morning with blast that wreck
ed part OF the oil plant, leveled a
block of frame dwellings and shook
the entire north end of the city.
OF the injured two are white per-
sons, L. c. Scott. superintendent of
the Reese plant, and L, G. Wilder,
truck superintendent. Both were
badly burned but physicians stated
tonight they will recover.
Colvad Reese, president of the oil
company, attributed the explosion to
spontaneous combustion due to the
contact of vapor escaping from the
tank car when the metallic cap was
removed preparatory to unloading
the car, came in contact with atmos-
phere. The tank car, which contained
5000 gallons of casing head gaso-
line, produced by the absorption pro-
cess, was shipped here from Kelly
vile, Okla, Mr.. Reese stated, and
was loaded in a low temperature.
When the cap was removed, accord
ing to his theory, the vapor came in
contact with much higher atmospher-
lc conditions here and the explosion
followed.
1t was stated that representa-
tlves of the United States bureau of
explosives and exports from the re-
flnery from which the car was shin
ped will arrive tomorrow to definite
ly determine the cause of blast. When
the explosion let go row of frame
tenement houses along an entire
block were splintered and the occu-
pants blown to the street or caught
under the falling timbers. Most of
those killed outright were badly
mangled while several of the injured
were so badly burned they died soon
after reaching a hospital. When DO
lice and firemen reached the scene
the street and alleys in the vicinity
were Uttered with splintered tim
bers and torn and twisted household
goods, with the dead and injured
caught in the same tangled maze of
wreckage.
Andrew McKintry, the negro who
was removing the dome from the
tank when the explosion occurred,
was hurled several hundred feet
through the air. He was badly
burned and died tonight. McKintry
was quoted as saying that, when he
removed the cap, gas rose to height
Of 90 feet and formed a pail of black
smoke which ignited and exploded.
Almost simultaneously pools of
oil on the ground caught fire eand a
second explosion occurred. One re-
port was that McKintry used a chisel
In attempting to remove the cap
from the car. This, however, has not
been verified. Mr.. Reese stated that
his investigation disproved any the
ory other than that the explosion
was caused by spontaneous combus-
tion.
Beside the damage in the immedi-
ate vicinity window glasses within a
radius of several blocks were shat
tered by the concussion which was
felt a distance of half mile from
the scene.
Two sheds at the plant of the Col
var Reese plant were lifted from
their foundation. Fire which fol-
lowed in the wake of the explosion
completed the work of destruction
The flames were checked. however,
before they spread byond the splin-
tered wreckage.