The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-11
GUSH[R WROUGHT
TALE OF TRAGEDY
Death List Grows In the
Texas Oil Disaster
LAKE FLUID FLAME
Huge Fire Can Be Seen Fifty
Miles; Names of Known
" Dead
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch


, Corsicana, Tex, May 10-Thir-
teen identified bodies, three skele-
tons smouldering in a lake of burn
ing oil about 800 feet in circumfer
ence, and possibly a score of other
fated to be uncovered momentarily
tell a tale of tragedy wrought by
the explosion OF the giant gusher of
the J. X. Hughes Development com
pany (McKie Number one welD, yes
terday. w
The fire can be seen for fifty miles,
reports here indicate. The black
smoke clouds extended eleven miles,
from the scene Of the fire.
The knswn Dead
The producer, which came In late
Tuesday, flowing, $4,000 barrels OF
pipe line oil, is yertible funeral
pyres Charred, twisted, mangled
bodies remain while the well burns,
consuming the complete How, and
two million feet of gas as when II
first ignited. The known dead are:
w. A. Hicks, Workman, Texas,
head drilled for the development
S. p. Allan. Corsicana, field super
intendent for the company.
M q. Turner, Norris Miss.
Ban, Phillips, thirty five, kerens'
Texas.
James Phillips, thirty two, Kerens.
Max Meisner. Kerens.
j. G. Cook, thirty, Kerens.
{. Trayis Overs, thirty. Kerens.
~ rae K ooper. Corsicana
Fred Craig. Corsicana.
p. p. Sheek. Dallas.
f. c. Cooper. Ccrsicana.
Emmett Byrd, Corsicana-
Three unidentified skeletons.
Two Died Last Night
Owens and Byrd died last night al
a hospital here. Mrs. Byrd, wife oil
the latter. also lost her brother, +.
C. Cooper. in the disaster. !.
When the blast came, sixteen, II
is known, of the fifty odd men IN
the two crews and connecting gang
were sucked into the sheet or fame.
Ellis Hammel, drilling contractor;
T. w. Ouinlan; Scott and James
Meeks. scout for the humble OIL
COMPANY. with others aided in res
cue work. Quinlan, gassed overseas,
endangered his health by inha1fng
smoke while aiding in rescue work
About 500 people, watching the work
of the drilling crew, gave accounts
OF the fiareup, none being certain
how the FIRE started. All testified to
the huge volume OF smoke which
arose, filled and hid the OIL soaked
derrick.
Some OF the workmen were hurled
to the ground. Others vainly crept
away from the spread OF the fire..
Deaths impossible To Ascertain
L. G. Cook, head driller OF one oil
the crews was seen to dash away
and lump into some water nearby
He died on the way to the hospital
Six of the bodies are being held
here. Three skeletons, underlined
are smouldering in a lake OF OIL sur
rounding the we'll, which caught nre
from the gas fame coming from the
well. The woods for 200 yards
around are burned to stumps.
Some Of the crew winch was re-
lieving the day crew at the well mad
lust come from Mexico. Other mem :
hers of this and a roustabout crew
working in the vicinity OF the Wei
were reported missing and the per
sonnet list makes 1t Impossible 70
ascertain just how many are qea1'
missing and unaccounted Tor, y. n
Hughes, of the development com
pany. said.
Steam 70 GbtVt8uou 1880
steam will be used today TO ex-
tinguish the flames, company onf-
Gals announced. Boilers and fire
fighting apparatus were sent 70 tne
scene. although little danger OF the
Are spreading is likely as the well
is mile and a quarter southwest OF
Powell, the center Of the field. and
ahont mile from the Burke discoy-
er.v we'll in this field which is on the
lease adjoining the Hughes MCKEE
lease.
Oil field workers this morning ire
ouently worked their way near the
Are in hopes of recovering the DO :
dies OF some comrade but CUISINES OF
flame reaching many feet and the
Intense heat drove them on.
The groups venturing every now
and then near the pool OF yellowish
LIQUID fire are not Without q FEW
women, drawn close with stricken
faces. peering wide eyed. only to re-
treat with covered faces and excia-
nations OF horror.