Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-03
More Bodies Expected to Be
Recovered From Ruins of
Turpentine Factory.
EXPLOSION COMES HOUR
AFTER PLANT OPENS
Tars Thrown on Every Side and
Aids in Rapid Spread
of Flames.
BY the Associated Press


PENSACOLA, Fla. January .
With the known death toll at IL. 10
injured in hospitals and five workmen
missing, firemen continued tonight to
battle flames which resulted today
when fire retort at the Newport Tar
and Turpentine Co. exploded, with the
expectation that the bodies of the
missing would be recovered from the
ruins
Fire officials estimated the damage
to the property now stands at 100000.
The blast, which came a little more
than an hour after the plant opened
today, demolished one unit of the large
plant in which - men were working
Flames which spread in the resinous
premises soon engufed other units.
Some of those who were injured were
believed to have been standing near
the unit which exploded and were
caught before they could flee to safety
Blown for $50 Feet.
One man was blown through the
top of the building and fell $50 feet
from the scene. His body was picked
up badly manGled.
One report said that the explosion
may have resulted from gas on the
cupola floor of the two-story struc-
ture- 1t was in this building that
turpentine, rosin and pine tar were
extracted from wood
The plant comprised 10 separate
buildings and was located just beyond
the city limits of Pensacola
$50 Workmen i'm Building.
One hundred and fifty men were
employed in the building where the
explosion occurred.
The dead are: Warren Eldridge.
Bay Minette. Ala; D. NJ. Baggett,
Walter Watson, II. NJ. Hammac.
r. l.. Calhoun. G. Carter. Charles
Hunter. S. @. Faux. Frank Moran,
negro. and Robert Whitcomb, Pensa-
cola; an unidentified negro.
Every available ambulance in the
city was pressed into service when the
explosion occurred. All flre-fighting
facilities were rushed to the scene to
check the rapidly spreading flames.
Tar from the retort was hurled in
all directions by the explosion, CON
tributing to the rapid spread OF the
fire.
Hit by Molten Rosin
One man, NJ. B. Daniels. who was
standing near the retort building
when the explosion occurred. was seri-
ously injured when a molten mass of
burning roSin struck the back of his
neck
j. ri. Mccormack. vice president and
general manager of the company, in
statement tonight said he was sit
ting in his office at the time of the
explosion and heard two reports. the
first was loud and the second muffled.
Immediately following the explosions,
the entire retort building was wrapped
in flames.
1T is difficult to estimate the
amount of the damage" Mr.. McCor-
mack said, but roughly speaking /
should say that the damage amounts
to 100000.
The explosion occurred in the re-
tort building. The retort is 20 feet in
diameter and feet deep. l am not
in position to give out the cause of
the accident as it may have been
caused by two or three things"
So hot were the flames the rein
forced glass in the windows of the
structure melted and hung like icicles
from the steel window SaShes. Huge
steel glrders S large as mans waist
were twisted and bent by the intense
heat.
Automobiles belonging to EMPLOYEES
of the company, which were parked
$50 yards from the retort. were demol-
ished. The tires were blown off and
in some instances the glass in the
windshields had been melted