Evening star., 1932-02-04
TANKER BLOWS UP
|. AT PIER, KILLING Z
Four Explosions Wreck Boat
at Marcus Hook, p.
10 Missing, 3 Hurt.

By the Associated Press.
MARCUS HOOK, Pa, February A.
Twelve men were killed, 10 others are
missing, and woman and two men
were injured when four terrific ex-
plosions wrecked the motor tankShip
Bidwell early today.
The explosions occurred at a pier at
the foot OF Market street here. where
the vessel, owned by the Sun OIL Co.
and chartered to the Sinclair Oil Co.,
had removed cargo OF gasoline yes
terday.
Those missing are believed to have
been trapped in the hold of the fire.
swept ship or to have drowned when
they were hurled or leaped overheard to
escape the flames which followed the
blasts.
Six of the dead were found by a
searching party which combed the up
per decks Of the ship. One body was
found in the captains cabin.
Cause of Blasts Unknown.
A statement issued by the Sun Oil Co
said every effort was being made to
check up on all missing persons The
statement added the company had been
unable to ascertain the cause of the eX-
plosion The Bidwell had a crew of 81.
Most of them were asleep and IS were
cleaning hold when the first blast
occurred The tanker came here Mon
day from Smiths Bluff, Tex.
The dead:
Capt. Joseph r. Rivers, Hollis. Long
Island master of the vessel; Edward
Gielow. seaman, Michigan City, Ind;
Edward Russell, seaman. New York;
Leroy Hamilton, seaman, Marietta. Ga;
Stephen Marke. Philadelphia; Robert
A. Nelson, Linwood. Pa; Marion Saraga,
Linwood; Steve Gardner, Chester, Pa,
John Testich. Linwood, and three un-
identified men.
The missing:
T. R. Dreshauer, Baltimore, quar-
termaSter; w. L. Oliver, quartermaster,
Charlotte, NJ c.: Carl Milde, Hamburg
Germany. boatSwain; Grant Plerece,
Elmira, N. Y. quartermaster: Edward
Anderson, Plainfeld, N. j.: John Peter
son. Chester; A. A. McNab, New York,
chief mate; H. Berndston, Wlllmette,
III; A. B. Selcn, Houston, Tex, mess
boy. and Harry C. Ockerman, New
York second mate.
The injured include:
Olaf Rasmussen Bar City, Iowa;
II.
less operator, and Mrs. Joseph Rivers
wife of Capt Rivers.
Joseph Hough, %. San Francisco, an
engineers helper, who had signed ar
ticleS earlier in the day, telling OF his
experience: said Il was sleeping aft
with about 16 others in the engineers
quarters.
Knocked Down by Second Blast.
THE blast threw me out of the bunk
and my head struck bulkhead. l was
unconscious for a few seconds, but when
l regained my senses l scrambled for
the deck. Several other men were going
up the ladder and We were knocked
down by the second blast.
"A sheet of fame almost engulfed the
tanker and l saw men fall down flaming
matches Several of us got into boat
and tried to reach the men We could
hear shouting from the holds. The fire
was too much for u.s."
The Bidwell was built in Baltimore in
1920 and was used to transport fuel
from Texas to the refinerieS at Marcus
Hook
The first explosion was believed to
have occurred in the engine room. All
members of the crew rushed on deck or
to the rescue of those caught in the
blast. The second explosion occurred
Is minutes later and the other two
followed in rapid succession So severe
were the blasts that they were heard
for miles around.
Boats Aid in Rescues.
Sheets of flames shot from different
parts of the ship and the fire could be
seen for a great distance. Fire COM
panies were summoned from many of
the towns along the Delaware River,
but the work of rescue was hampered
by the fire and the fear of more ex-
plosions
Nearby ships sent their small boats
to the rescue and picked up men who
had jumped overheard.
Mrs. Rivers rushed from the CAP
tain'S quarters at the first blast and
was on the bridge when the second ex-
plosion occurred. She was knocked
overheard, reScuerS said and saved
from drowning by men in small boat.
The BidWell soon was mass of
flames and no more rescue work could
be attempted until the fire was placed
under control. The blasts split the
bow and sections of it were blown SO
feet away. Steel plates were ripped
and some of them were found on the
dock.
After the fire was subdued rescue
gangs approached the hold where the
cleaning gang had been at work, but
would not enter it because of the heat.