Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-11
TWO MEN KILLED, TWO
/. INJURED WHEN GAS
/. EXPLODES ON TANKER
Wilmington Men Just Returned
From Long Voyage on
Damaged Boat.
SHOCK FELT IN THIS CITY

An explosion, believed 20 have been
caused by gas In the tanker j. n.
Pew, under repairs at the Sun Ship
building yard at Chester, killed two
worlkmen. injured two others, wreck
ed tho vessel amidship with loss ca
timated Mt nearly $500 900 and threw
Chester and this city into n state Of
excitement early today.
The dead arc George Hunter and
Harry Schley. both Of Chester. The
injured are Forest Reese and Joseph
Cohen. also OF Chester. Torches which
the workmen were using to burn off
the heads of rivets inside the crude
oil tanks is believed 10 have exploded
heavy gas. Six tanks blew up I'm auch
| n manner that there were two distinct
explosions In quick succession Twenty
members Of the crew Of the Pew were
asleep In their quarters and not one
was injured. Fire, which followed tho
explosion. was extingulshed after n
hard fight.
| Fragments OF steel and other deb.
| ris flew over the heads Of 800 work
men In another part Of the yard and
struck buildings i'm the vicinity of tn,
shlpyard, breaking tho glass I'm man,
windows. The explosion occurred al
i40 o'clock and startled the resident,
Of the city. Hundreds of persons nea-
the shipyard rushed 20 the streets be
lieving disaster had occurred.
The tanker Pawnee, lying near III,
Pew was slightly damaged The Pow
is practically wreck amidshlp Plate
and bars were twisted by the force q
the explosion and the Jagged frag
ments made n maze uf tho once order
ly deck
The Pew was built two years ago n
tho Sun Shipyard az cost Of ebo,I
s2OO0,oo0, aud is owned by the SUI
oil Co, refining corporation. O
Marcus Hook. Pa. affiliated with IN
shipbuildlng company. The vessel ha,
just returned from Texas. bringini
crude oil To Marcus Hook, and wen
into dry dock last night for repairs
Tho report OF the blast was hea
distinctly by many residents of thj
city. especially those living in tn
northern sections. Ciaymont. HnIl-
OAK and all through Bra ndywine hun
dred. The cause of tho blast wa
not known until later in the morn
ing
Tho steamer J. ~. Pew arrived
this port last Monday afternoon wit
cargo OF $4,000 barrels of oil. O
board M guests OF the company q
tho trip UP from Panama whei
they Ind made tour OF tho can,
were three well-known Wilmingto n
residents. Joseph III. Mratin, publish,
OF the Sunday Star: Or. NJ. I. Samu
and G. i. .IIearn. the latter the hea
OF the Hearn oil Co. Of this city. The
sailed from Colon. having made III
trip south on the Chester Sun. n ri,
ter ship of the ]. ". Pews
One Of the members of the loc,
, party when informed this morning ,
the explosion stated that such acc
l dents are likely to happen almoi
. any time on board these oil carryin
vessels. After the tanks are ercptie
3 tho gas accumulates and live stear
In pumped into them to drive this gt
out. lie supposed all the gas had NJ
been gotten from the tank.
He stated that on thu voyage up II
coast with the cargo of infiarlmab
s material under decks smoking on q
r deck of the ship is forbidden. but Il
r. permitted in the cabin and mess qua
. tcrs.