San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-12
20 LOSE LIVES
AS OIL SHIP
EXPLODES
Blaekensd Hulk Of Tanker
Tells Mute Story Of
Texas Tragedy.

IoItI ARTHUR, April l2.-FJ-
The blaekened hulk of the tanker Gulf
of Venezuela today rode quietly on
the waters Of Port Arthur bay where
early yesterday a gasoline explosion
tore out her vitals and killed 20
men, climazing a week of unprecedent-
ed oil disasters.
Her buckled plates, scorched sides
and twisted super-structure told mute
ly the story of the white heat that
in two furious hours turned the %
human bodies TO cinders.
Rending the quiet night with a
terrifying defamation while the men
slept in their quarters. the explosion
shot a flame of burning gasoline $50
feet into the air and held the trapped
TRAPPED MEN PERISH.
None of those who slept escaped,
but number on deck were saved with
more or less serious injuries. The
toll of injured today stood at ten
in the hospital, with two missing.
About 30 men were dismissed from
the hospital after receiving emergency
treatment.
The explosion tore up the steel
superstructure over the crews berths
and rolled it back fifteen feet.
While the flames rolled forth only
one of the ships tanks was ignited
and the gasoline in adjoining compart-
ments remained undisturbed, though
the walls were white hot.
PREPARE FOR TRIP.
The Gulf of Venezuela was owned
by the Gulf Refining company.
The ship came to port here Friday
at midnight and was preparing TO
sail Sunday for England.
The force of the explosion apparent
~ drove A. G. Schultz through a port
hole. A hospital attendant found him
on the dock with port hole ring
tightly about his body. The attend
ant had to file the ring loose before
he could remove Schultz. The injured
man said he had no recollection OF
what had occurred.
Captain John +. Charlton Of Phil
adelphia, 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
clothing famed up and he had TO leap
from the burning ship to save him
self.
Two men, Frank Tyler of Port Ar.
thur, and Charles A. Koser of Col
linwood, n. j., died in the hospital.
The other % were so badly burned
that Identification thus far has been
impossible.
The fire was brought under con-
troll by streams of chemicals from the
Gulf Company's chemical engine.
Disasters to the oil industry in the
West and the Southwest in the last
five days have cost 81 lives and ap-
proximately $15,000,000. They are as
follows:
April Fire caused by lightning
burned thousands of gallons of gaso-
line at the Union Oil Company of
California oil tank farm at San Luis
Obispo. Extinguished after three
days with loss of two lives and up
wards of $7,000,00O.
$4,000 LOSS.
April 9-Lightning struck a tank
on the farm of the same company at
Bres, causing loss of $3,O00,000,
April 9-An explosion aboard the
Standard Oil tanker o. 7. Waring at
New Orleans, killed five.
April 9-Fire at the Magnolia Pc
troleum COmpany's tank farm at Luz
ling. caused a loss Of 100000.
April 9-The Standard Oil tanker
Thomas II. Wheeler and the Dutch
steamer Silvanus, collided in the Low
err Mississippi river near New Or
leans. Twenty-Five dead. The loss TO
the o. T. Waring, Thomas II. Wheel
er and the Silvanus is estimated ut
$3,O00,000.
April 1.-THE Port Arthur disas-
ter, loss S1.000.000.