Evening star., 1926-04-12
SURVIVORS DAzED
AFTER SHIP BLAST
CREMATES 25 MEN
Tale of Horror Follows GaSo-
line Explosion in Texas
Harbor.
MANY VICTIMS ASLEEP;
OTHERS BLOWN INTO AIR
so Injufed, 10 Seriously, Some
Jumping Into Water With
Clothing in Flames.

PORT ARTHUR. Tex, April 12.-
The blackened hulk Of the oil tanker
Gulf of Venezuela today rode quietly
on the waters of Port Arthur Bay,
where early yesterday n gasoline ex-
plosion aboard her tore out her vitals
and killed 25 men, climaxing a week
of oil disasters in the Southwest.
The buckled plates, scorched sides
and twisted superstructure of the
tanker tell a mute story of how the
metal of the ship was heated to a
glaring whiteness in two furious
hours, during which the 25 men were
incinerated
Rending the quiet night with a ter
rife detonation while the men slept
in their quarters aft, the explosion,
as sudden as ii vas mysterious, shot
a flame of burning gasoline $50 feet
into the air. The blast took several
members of the crew with it and
left the others imprisoned in shell
of hungry flames.
All Sleeping Crew Die.
None who slept in the quarters of
the crew was saved. but several of
those who were on deck escaped with
toll of injured today stood at 10 still
in the hospital, with two missing.
About 40 men were dismissed from the
hospital after receiving emergency
treatment.
While the flames seemed to envelop
the entire ship. only one of her tanks
was ignited and the gasoline in ad-
joining compartments remained un-
disturbed. though some of her bulk
heads were white hot.
The cause remained undetermined
early today, but 1t was the opinion or
refinery men that the explosion was
due to the overlooking of a compart-
ment, the gasoline coming in contact
with steam pipes. One of the injured
men in the hospital is quoted as say
ing a compartment overfiowed as 1t
was being filed.
i The disaster is the seventh serious
loss to the oil industry in the last
week, including two Oil tank fires in
Texas resulting from lightning. A
tank farm at San Luis Obispo, Calf,
burned with a loss of millions of gal
Ions of oil and two deaths. A similar
fire occurred at Brea, Calf.
Thirty Others Killed
The Dutch tanker Silvanus collided
With lIiC ctCdiIlCl IL W iCCiCi
in the Mississippi River, 40 miles be-
low New Orleans, Thursday, and on
the same day an explosion rocked the
tanker O. T. Waring in a dry dock at
New Orleans. Thirty or more lives
were lost on the latter two ships, and
the damage to the three ships is esti-
mated at more than $4,000, 200.
The Texas tank fires, one at Luling
and the other at Humble, brought a
total loss of about 100000.
A preliminary survey of the Gulf of
Venezuela indicated, according to Off
cials Of the Gulf Refining Co., its
stoned for about 100000 The vessel
was valued at $1,500,000. She was a
former United States Shipping Board
boat. The total loss was 81 1,000,000
A large part of the gasoline cargo. Of
about S5 900 barrels. can be salvaged
it was said.
The ship came to port here Friday
at midnight and was preparing to sail
Sunday for England.
1t was shortly before dawn, while
gasoline still was being pumped into
her compartments, that the explosion
occurred. The blast shook the water
front In a few seconds the ship was
an inferno, and the screams of men
being burned alive could be heard
from the dock to which she was
warped. Those on deck were blown
either into the water or on to the
dock. Two We're seen to go over with
their clothing afire, like flaming
rockets.
Man Driven Through Port.
The force of the explosion appar-
emily drove A. G. Schultz through a
portfolio. A hospital attendant found
him on the dock with a portfolio ring
tight about his body. The attendant
had to file the ring loose from Schultz.
The injured man said he had no rec
objection of what had occurred, and
other survivors are still dazed.
Capt. John F. Charlton of Phila-
delphia was asleep in the officers
quarters forward. He rushed on deck
to find burning oil all about him. AS
he tried to aid the crew his night
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