Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-02
TANK EXPLOSION
CONTINUED from PAGE One)

table Shattered windows. roofs
that leaked in the rain of tonight
| and, in some cases, walls that COL
lapsed with the concuSsion, caused
! half a hundred families to vacate
their homes and accept the hospital
! itN of welfare organizations or
| friends. over their abandoned
| household belongings, members of the
state conStabulary and police kept
guard, while four companies of Ma
tional Guardsmen were held under
arms in readiness for any emergency.
The known dead are:
Henry w. Egnor. bystander,
killed by falling walls.
Stanley NJ. Travinski. a passerby,
also struck down by debris.
Frank A. Coleman, an employe of
the gas works, who was in the build
ing.
The injured were struck down
over wide area. In Office build
ings. city hall. the court house,
banks and other places within
radius of two miles. persons were
hurt. those near the scene by wreck
age from the explosion proper, those
farther distant by crashing glass,
fallen ceilings or dislodgcd objects.
Several automobiles that were in the
vicinity when the explosion came
were under bombhardmcnt that
maze occupants unconscious and loft
the cars partly buried in wreckaSc.
The citN'S famous civic group of
buildings. the tall tower OF the Campo
nile flanked by the city hall and the au-
ditorium. which arc about quarter of
mile cast of the scene of the explosion.
were shaken almost windowlcSs. Me-
moral hall, more to the south, did not
have whole pane of glass left. The
Springfield Institution for Savings, a
snowy structure. was wrecked when the
glass roof cavcd i'll. The court house
was shaken but less severely dam
aged
Main street and the business thor
oughfares tonight looked as if they had
been under wartime bombardmcnt.
Wooden walls marked the places where
plat glass windows had been in every
block. or broken panes told the same
story of far-flung damage.
Worlimen are removing Wreckagc as
rapidly as possible in the hope of cx-
Treating any who may still be buried
beneath the brick.
A formal precept calling the four To-
cal companies of the National Guard
to duty was issued by the mayor late
this afternoon. The four companies of
militia stationed hero were ordered to
report to their armores here to be held
in reserve for patrol duty. Members
of the state constabulary stationed at
northampton were ordered to proceed
here for duty at once.
Mercy hospital reported II injured
persons under treatment there. The
number at the Springfield hospital was
said to be about 90. The Mayaset Club.
near the gas plant, was converted into
temporary hospital and a number of
persons were treated there.
The main line tracks of the New
York. New Haven &, Hartford Railroad
were chokcd with wreckage. The road
bed. which runs close to the plant, was
under debris for several hours, and
switching engines were called on to
clear 1t up. One engine was fastened
to piece of the roof Of the gas tank
and pulled itaway from the tracks.
Explanat ton of the EXPLOSION was
lacking. Officially. the gas light COM
pany SAID the cause was undetermined
Workmen insisted they saw no fire or
light before the blast. A. S. Hall,
works manager. said he was seeking an
explanation of the ignition in the cleo
trical apparatus.
Estimates of the loss tonight ran
from 100000 to- S1.000.OO0. with indi-
cations that it would be nearer the for
mer figure. Of the half hundred in
Jured who were treated at hospitals,
seven were considered in a serious
condition.
state Detective D. J. Manning said
early this (Friday) morning that in
Vestlgators for the state department
or public safety have determined the
cause of the. explosion. Their report
Will not be made public until it is
sent to Boston today.