Evening star., 1928-04-14
SO KNOWN DEAD
AS BLAST WRECKS
OZARK DANCE HALL
Debris of TWo-Story Building
Searched for 18 Missing
After Explosion and Fire.
ONLY NINE IDENTIFIED:
MANY FOUND IN STREETS
Gasoline Storage Tank Under
Structure Believed Cause.
Militia Called Out.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
WESTPLAINS, Mo, April 14.-Death
stalked into this little Ozark City and
turned dance hall with its merry
making throng into a holocaust.
With 36 known dead, rescue workers
today were tearing away the debris
where laughter changed TO shrieks of
terror as an explosion wrecked the
building late last night. seeking 15 per-
sons missing and thought to have per-
ished beneath falling walls
Sixteen injured are in hospitals many
in a serious condition. The cause Of
the explosion has not been determined.
It is believed that those listed as missing
may be included among the unidentified
dead.
Fire Follows Blast.
Fire followed almost Immediately and
destroyed three buildings before it was
brought under control by volunteer
bucket brigades assisting the Fire De-
partment. Property loss was estimated
between 100000 and sl50,000. The
dead:
Paul Evans. IT.
Maj. Robert Mullins, l40th Infantry,
Missouri National Guard.
Mr.. and Mrs r. c. Martin.
Mrs Kitty Mcfarland, undertaken.
Charles Fisher. student, Ava, Mo.
Mrs. Carl Mullins
John Bates, son of Rev. J. r. ~.
Bates, pastor of First Methodist Church.
j. w. Weiser. head Of Weiser Motor
Co.. in whose building the explosion
occurred
Twenty-three unidentified bodies are
IN two undertaking establishments.
Many OF the injured were picked I'D
on the streets lar from the scene Of the
blast. H. c. Allen, merchant, was blown
90 feet and found with both legs broken
and an arm torn off
The intense heat of the fire and total
darkness, caused when the power plant
was damaged. hindered rescuers Soon
after the explosion the walls of the
building collapsed.
Gasoline Tank Believed Cause.
The dance vas being held on the
second floor OF a two-story building.
The ground floor vas a garage and
motor car Salesroom. Officers today
are investigating report that a large
gasoline storage tank. thought 10 have
been under the building. was the cause
OF the blast.
Several score persons had lust left
a moving picture theater located IN
the same block. and many of them
knowing their friends and relatives
were attending the dance, made fran
TIC efforts TO enter the wrecked and
burning structure
Out-of-town residents who attended
the dance were not included in the list
OF missing. but it was believed that
many from surrounding towns would be
aniong the victims.
A rain early in the evening had re-
dUced attendance at the dance, which
was weekly affair The injured were
picked up in the streets or were taken
from the windows Of the upper story as
the flames licked their way through the
tottering walls
WeStplainS, the county seat Of Howell
County. is located about 20 miles from
the Arkansas line.
National GuardSmen from the loca!
unit were called cut TO assist in the
rescue work and preserve order.
Mere Than SO on Floor.
Thirty 20 forty couples were dancing
when the blast came. Among the ner-
rynlakerS were many OF the prominent
young men and women Of the city.
AT II so o'clock the dance was at itS
height, The three-piece orchestra was
nearing Home. Sweet Home" Miss
DimpleS Martin. at the piano, was
pounding out the strains OF a popular
melody--nobody remembers the name,
At that moment WeiSer. owner Of the
building opened the back door OF the
garage on the floor below. A nlosoriSt
had called him from his home 20 supply
some gasoline, As the garage door Swuag
open there was the thunder Of q ter
rife explosion
The floor OF the dance hall above wGS
lifted almost 10 the ceiling. A moment
OF terrible silence followed, Then the
floor crashed in fragments into a raging
gaSoline-fed furnace below, Into IL went
the forms Of a score of persons,
Some Blawn Through Windows.
Some were blown through the VIII
dowS and survived Three or four were
able % crawl away from the flames 90
safety, Others were blown free of the
ruins 90 the street below cut and man
sled, burned and bleeding
The pianist vas believed 81 have been
killed Instantly Bail Allen. the tguM-
bone player who was sitting next 70 her,
was blown through window and lived
AAlS t4AfAQ NtSht1NI Ot k{aS O4NIiS>iSA Is
believed also to have persisted
The blast awaSe sleeping farmers for
radius ot 5 miles and the leaping
flames guided them to the <~vae " the
disaster
An explosion of gasoline in the sa-
rage Is generally blamed for the ga
taStruphe, WeIScr was found not far
from the wrcekage, his haad holdinS
Ihe doorSnoo OF The shattered garage
Nobody knows what happened IL the
moteftSt
The common belief is that weiSer
lighted = match and tgalted The faG,nsS
Nf gasoline.
The missing include,
Rcn jolly, 6S
Mrs, Mary Adatr,
Mrs, Francis ngago.
Mrs, Wallace Rogers, Plea@ngcn
Kans
Mrs, Robert Murphy. SpgingnelA Mo.
Lev Reed, West Plains.
Miss Dimple Martin, daughter os MT
and Mrs, II q, Martin. who tlere
Killed
Clinton ClemmonS.
Miss Ruth Fisher,
otto keslett
Marvin Hiu
Evelyn Conkn. Kansas City, Mo,
Mr.. and Mrs. EScQ Riley,
Miss Icy RtSaer, ThayeF. Mo
hayd Garner, Mammoth springs. Ara.
Charles Murk. 10,
Carson MeCselland
~4~-s~s--r=~
Programs-Page 50 +,