Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-01-29
10 KILLED.; 20 lNJUKf1D WHEN
CAR OF GASOLINE ExilAODES.

Property Damage OF Approximately
100000 Resulted in Blow-Up Occur.
ring at Plant of Colyar Reese Com.
- pany Early Yesterday Morning.
Memphis. Tom, January 24.-Ten
Negroes dead, approximately a score
injured, some probably fatally and
property damage estimated at $20O,O 900
made up the known toll tonight OF an
explosion of easing head" gasoline
awaiting unloading from Il tank car to
the plant Of the Colyar Reese Com.
pany III North Memphis, which let 20
this morning, with a blast that wreck
Ell part of the oil plant, levclcd a
block of frame dwellings, and shook
the entire north end OF the city.
or the injured two are white Der
soLs-L. G. Scott, superintendent of
the Reese plant, and l.. C. Wilder,
truck superintendent Both were bad
~ burned but physicians stated to
night they will recover.
Coiyar Reese. president of the oil
company, attributed tho cxposion to
spontaneous combustion due to the
contact Of vapor escaping from the
aahk car when the metallic cap, rempy
cd preparatory to unloading the car,
came IN contact with the atmosphere.
The tank which contained 5000 gal
ions OF casing head gasoline, produced
by the absorption process, was shippcd
hore from Kelleysville, Okla, Mr.,
Reese stated. and was loaded in n low
temperature. When the cap was r..
moved, according to this theory, tho
Fapor came lin contact with much high
or atmospheric conditions here and the
explosion followed.
IL was suited that representatives
Oh the United States Bureau or Elk
piosiVcs and experts from the rerinc:,
from which the car was shipped will
arrive tomorrow to definitely deter.
mine the cause OF the blast.
when the explosion let 60 n POW
OIL frame tenement houses along n
block were splintercd and the occu.
pants blown to Tho street or coueht
uhoef inc falling timbcrs. Most o..
nose Killed outright were badly nun.
biea' while several Of the injured were
so badly burned they died soon after
reaching hospital. When police ana
l'rcmch reached the scene the streets
ana ;tlleyS in the vicinity wore litter
6" WIN Splintcrcd timbers and torn
an" twlsed household goods, with the
oead ana injured caught in the tonrI.
Ell mass OF wrcckagc.
Andrew Mckinley, colored. who 20
moved the dome from the tank car
Whch the explosion occurred wns
n'rted several hundred feet hroueh
tnc alr. lie was badly burned nnd
o'ea tonight. MCKINLEY was quoted as
Saying lhat when he removed the can
GUS rose TO height of twenty feet
"na formed pail of black smoke
when ignited and eXpodcd Almost 81
unanimously. pools OF oil on tho
ground caught fire and a second nx
poison occurred. Ono report was that
mckinley used a chisel in otton,n+s
s' w. ueiilo'e dhe cap from the car. This
."e'ei, mas not been verified. Mr..
i ,, stated that his Investigation
olsproved any theory other thnn the
oApioslon was caused by spontaneous
n'osides the damage in the jmmedi.
ate vicinity, window glasses within y
rao,us OF seveal blocks were SKATER.
=" NY Ihe conclusion, which WINS feIt
DISTANCE of half mile from tho
see, soe'e Two sheds at tho plant of Col
1"t reese We're lifted from their foun
oaMohs and fell In heap.
80 t,ro' which followed i'm the wake
or the explosion. completed Tho worb
oi obstruction. Tho flames were
checked however. before dhey sprood
beyond the splintered wreckaee ~
the Inflated dwellings. "