New Britain herald., 1926-04-12
GASOLINE EXPLOSION KILLS 25 MEN AND WRECKS SHIP AT PORT ARTHUR Flames Shoot 150 Feet Into Air AS Terrific Blast Traps
 Sleeping Sailors Below Decks

Port Arthur, Texas, April 12 P-- Tho blackened hulk of tho oil tanker Gulf of Venezuela today rode quietly on the waters of Port Arthur bay, where early yesterday a gaso- line explosion aboard her tore out her vitals and killed 20 men, climax ing a week of oil disasters in the southwest,
 Tho buckled plates, scorched sides and twisted superstructuro of tho tanker tell a mute story of how the metal of the ship was heated to q glaring whiteness in two furious hours, during which the 25 men were inclnerated.
 Rendlng the quiet night with n terrific detopation while the men slept in their quarters after, the eX- plosion, as sudden as 1t was mystcri- ous, shot flame of burning gasoline l5O feet into the air. The blast took several members Of the crew with it and left the others imprisoned in q shell of hungry flame.
 None who slept in the quarters of the crew escaped, but several of those who were on deck were saved with more or less serious injuries. The toll Of injured today stood at 10 Tn the hospital, with two missing. About 50 men were dismissed from the hospital after receiving emer- gency treatment.
 While the flames seemed to en- vclop the. entire ship only one of her tanks was ignited and the gasoline in adjoining compartments remained undisturbed, though some of her bulk heads were white hot.
 Cause Not Known
 The cause early today remained undetermined. but it was the opin- ion of refinery mon that the eXplo- sion was due to the overflowing of Il compartment. the gasoline coming in contact with steam pipes. One Of the injured men in the hospital is quoted as saying compartment flowed as it was being filled.
 The disaster is the seventh serious loss to the oil industry in the last week, including two oil fires in Texas resulting from lightning. A tank farm at San Luis Obispo, Calf, burned with loss of millions of gal Ions of oil and two d9aths. A similar fire occurred at Drea, Calf. The Dutch tanker Slvanus collided with the steamer Thomas H. Wheeler in the Mississippi river, 40 miles below New Orleans Thursday and on the samo day an explosion rocked the Tanker o. T. Waring in dry dock at New Orleans. Thirty or more lives were lost on the latter two ships, and the damage to the three ships is estimated at more than s. 000,000.
 Loss Is Heavy
 The Texas tank fires, one at Luling and the other at Humble, brought q total loss of about $300,000.
 A preliminary survey of the gulf of Venezuela indicated, according to officials of the gulf Refining com- pany, it's owner. that she could he re- commissioned for about $300,000. The vessel was valued at $1,500,0o She was q former United States ship. ping board boat. A large part of the gasoline cargo of about 5000 bar rcls can be salvarcd it was said.
 Blows Up at Dawn
 The ship came to port here Friday at midnight and was preparing to sail Sunday for England,
 II was shortly before dawn--while gasoline still was being pumped into her compartments-tha the cNplo- sion 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 either blown into the water or onto