Evening star., 1927-11-15
BLAST DEATH TOLL
RISES AS RESCUERS
DIG INTO WRECKAGE
23 Known Dead at Pitts
burgh, With $50 Still in
Hospitals.
FOUR PROBES STARTED
INTO TANK EXPLOSION
100 Reported Missing-Damage
Estimated in Millions-Funds
Given for Homeless.
By the Associated Press.

November Io.-Ine
death toll as a result of yesterday s
disastrous gas tank blast on the lower
North Side here mounted today as res
cuers dug their way into the ruins of
homes, factories, warehouses and in
dustrial plants. While few crews Ia
bored throughout the night seeking
to clear away some of the debris, the
real work of recovering bodies did not
begin until daylight.
Digging into the ruins of one struc.
ture the rescuers brought out the
bodies of two unidentified men. maxi
ing the known dead %.
Relief Worker Killed.
One fatal accident occurred in the
district during the morning. Frank
Kuepferle, engaged in moving some
twisted steel. was killed instantly
when some reinforcing steel fell upon
him. Anthony Cayne and John Wise.
also working orr the ruins. were in
jured when struck by steel beams.
Fire department officials believed
that at least seven additional bodies
would be found, six in the wrecked
building of the Pittsburgh Clay Pot
plant and one inside the mass of twist
ed ruins that had been the mammoth
gas reservoir. one hunQfeu peTSoHS
are reported missing.
Firemen. policemen and volunteer
workers engaged in the task of clear
ing the wreckage from the disaster
area of one square mile said 1T would
he at least a week before they had eX-
plored all the ruins.
OF more than 450 injured persons
treated at hospitals, about $50 re-
mained in the Institutions today. some
in critical condition. Many suffered
broken arms and legs. while others
had serious head injuries.
Vreckage Is Blasted.
During the night, the rescuers used
dynamite In an effort to dislodge some
of the RUNS. At daylight. they aban.
doned the explosives, and the slow
work of lifting the wreckage, piece by
piece was resumed The rescuers
were menaced by tottering walls and
hanging timhers and steel beams.
Insurance experts. after inspecting
the devastated district. refused to give
any definite estimates OF the loss, say
ing it would mount into the millions.
A survey showed that some 80 large
commercial houses and 200 homes
were hit hard by the gas blast. The
entire loss was not confined to the
immediate region of the explosion, for
hundreds of windows throughout
Pittsburgh and suburbs were shat
tered.
One case of looting was reported
from the stricken district during the
night. Joseph Jorinski and Frank
Linshu, both residents OF the wrecked
region, were arrested. charged with
entering some of the deserted homes.
Taken before Police Magistrate f. NJ.
tod ha fn1A 10 nf
fense with which you two are charged
merits penalty more severe than a
$50 fine which the law empowers me
to impose for a first offense. There
fore. hold you for court"
Homeless Cared For.
More than 500 laborers, employed
by the Philadelphia Co., parent con-
cern of the Equitable Gas CO., owners
of the tank, were sent into the dis
trict to assist in removing debris and
searching for additional bodies.
Relief agencies, including the Red
Cross, the Salvation Army. Boy
Scouts and others, We're functioning
at full blast today, caring for the
homeless and supplying food and
clothing to those left destitute. The
city council assured the Red Cross
that Pittsburgh would provide temper.
ary funds necessary for the relief
work The council already has ap-
propriated 100000 for this purpose.
Officials of the Clay Pot Co., after
a careful check. today said that of
40 workers who entered the plant
Yesterday, 81 were known to have
escaped and five We're killed. Seventy
one were listed as missing, but the
officials believed most of these escaped.
raced from the scene panic stricken
and failed to report to the company.
The rear end of this plant cayed in
when the blast swept death through
the district. The debris is piled al
the general belief that some bodies
would be found in this wreckage.
-Four Probes Started.
J. c. Allison, expert on gas tanks,
representing the Pennsylvania Public
Service Commission. arrived here to-
day from Harrisburg to investigate
the explosion. lie will be aided in the
inquiry by local representatives of the
commission.
In the meantime, three other probes
were under way. Coroner w. j. Me-
Gregor was investigating for the
county; a committee of the council
for the city and officials of the Equi.
table Gas Co, owners of the tank.
'OBeTtN owners To-Day sought 10
estimate the cost iii dollars N1
responsible official or business man
however, could make a more accurate
guess than that the loss would run
into millions of dollars. The damage
to the gas tank which exploded and
the two beside it is in excess OF
$1,000, 900. All about the tanks, fac
tories and houses. is a twisted mass
of wrecaage Plate glass worth
$50 900 was shattered. some Of 1t sev
eral miles from the scene of destruc
ton.
e is Unknown.
The secret of the blast may res
with the 13 men, employees of the
Eitner-Conley Co., who were at work
cverhauling one of the three tanks
when the explosion occurred. This
entire repair crew was believed 4
have met death.
This tank had been empty for
I Jnths The men were working with
blow torches and it is thought tina
n residue of gas was ignited, result
ing in a minor explosion which ignite.
great quantities Of gas leaking from
rents made by the first blast in th'
other tanks.
Witnesses said a great ball OF fir'
SCARED hundreds of feet into the air
They heard the explosion, and fame:
dropped TO earth. The whole secto.
-, nn Calu,,,n