The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-20
OIL CUSTER THAT BROUGHT WEALTH
 SPELLS TRAGEDY
Families Standing Around With Smiles on Their Faces Suddenly Engulf- ed in Flames and Many Died

Mt. Pleasant, Mich, July 2O.-
 UP) ).-Cappers and oil fire experts perts from Oklahoma may be rush. ed here by airplane to combat the flaming, roaring pillar of fire and oil, Struble No. l, which already has taken nine lives and may exact a death toll of 15.
 All victims died in hospitals Sun- day and to-day.
 The flames which resulted in the first major disaster in Michigan's oil fields, and turned the Strublt No. 1, Michigan's biggest gusher into a deadly torch were started by a carelessly dropped cigaret Satur- day---as hundreds who were to profit from the rich strike stood about in wonderment at their new riches to be.
 To-day seething streams of fire were creeping dangerously near q 50, O,OOO- gallon storage tank and workers battled all night to pre- vent a new confiagration.
 The tragedy occurred just aftef the well was "shot" and "came in with a flow of nearly 5000 barrels a day. News of the big gusher spread TdDIuIN uIIu '"h'S from nearby towns to see 1t.
 The crowd grouped closely abou, the spouting oil. unmindful Of streams of oil which poured from the well mouth and were being hastily collected in storage tanks Close around the mouth stood the men who had drilled and shot the well, exulting, with their fam flies, in their success.
 Suddenly the surrounding area was enveloped in a flash or hre The air, heavily laden with ex- plosive gas, became flame.
 Those nearest the center of the blast--one of the open storage tanks-fell writhing and screaming on the ground. Others, their cloth ing afiame, ran screamng into the outer crowd, spreading fire to new victims.
 Streams of blazing liquid ran among the trees of the nearby tim Der and ignited tank after tank of stored oil. Pools of waste exploded with a. roar.
 It appeared as if the gusher had turned upon tis creators with vengeance. :,
 The men who Drought 1t in' were grouped with their families close about the danger area. Among those scared by the first bias were the well owner. Walter Lee Me Lanahan and his wife; F.. J. Guy general superintendent of the Roosevelt Refining company ano his wife; Guys son. Robert. ant his 1S-year-old bride; Thoma. Lamb, 2s, drIller of the well. ant Mrs. Yamb; and John Melvin, oi field superintendent, and his 13' year-old daughter.
 George Kelly. owner of the farm on which the strike" was made saw his visions of sudden wealtf turn to tragedy. His wife was SC seriously burned she was not ex pected to live, and he is in a seri ous condition.
 The crowd, pIunging in a panic tt escape the fiery blast. recovered 1t senses soon enough to prevent fur ther tragedy. Many heroes, only few of them known, raced iron points of safety into the flames tt drag back scared victims.
 Charles Vopsey, pipe line super intendent of the well company. rar into the flames repeatedly guiding trapped victims to safety.
 J. E. Fitzgerald. former profes sor of geology at Ohio State univer sity, directed the rescue work unti he fell unconscious from burns.
 Two lives were lost when thu flames trapped young Mrs. Rober Guy, IS, about to become a mother An operation failed to save thu child.