Evening star., 1946-10-04
I Die, 140 Hurt
In Pennsylvania
Refinery Blast
Marcus Hook Fire
Extinguished After
Seven-Hour Fight
BY the Assoeioted Press

MARCUS HOOK, Pa, Oct. 4.
Seven persons were killed and
upward of 140 others injured by
fire and thunderous explosions
which roared through a unit Of
the Sun Oil Co.'S $13,000.000
aviation gasoline refinery seven
hours before subsiding early to-
day.
Vice President Arthur e. Pew, jr,
estimated damage to the worlds
largest alkylation plant at $500, 900.
He said "a packing gland which
failed, caused gas to escape and
fash" touching off the series Of
explosions felt 20 miles away in
Philadelphia.
Boiling up in huge clouds Of
smoke lit by darting tongues Of
flames, the fire swept unchecked
for four hours after the first blast
at 6:10 pm. yesterday. It was then
brought under control, but was not
extinguished until early today.
125-Foot Tower Collapses.
Many of the injured were volun-
teer firemen. The heaviest casualty
tool occurred when flames, racing
out of pump room, reached a 125-
foot fractionating tower. It went
up with a roar, the shock rocking
the countryside for miles.
All of the deaths occurred in hos.
pitals here and In nearby Chester.
Pa. Many others of the SO ad-
mitted to hospitals were reported in
critical condition.
The dead:
Michael Burke, 80, Chester, fore
man in the section where the blast
occurred.
Dewitt Haynie, Woodlyn, Pa, car
penter.
Woodburn M. James. At, Claymont,
Del, mechanic.
Glenn Jones, 80, Linwood, Pa,
operator.
William Gallagher, 48, Twin Oaks,
Pa, mechanic.
Griffith Davis, 43, Chester.
William Ward, 20, Linwood, Pa.
Auto Injuries Policeman.
| An eighth man, Leland Bailey,
49-year-old ships cock, died dur
ing the blaze, but a company spokes-
man said investigation disclosed he
slipped into the Delaware River
while boarding ship and drowned.
The spokesman discounted first re-
ports that Mr.. Bailey had been blown
overheard by the blast which oc-
CURED half mile from the vessel.
Joseph Risso, 50, Marcus Hook
policeman, was reported in critical
condition after he was struck by an
automobile while directing traffic
after the fire.
Meanwhile, tankers loading and
unloading gasoline at the company's
wharves along the Delaware River
quickly pulled away to escape flying
sparks.
Fire Visible 80 Miles.
Shortly after the initial blast
shook this Delaware River industrial
community of 1000, all available fire.
fighting equipment was summoned
from nearby cities.
The fire was visible for 80 miles
and residents of Wilmington, Is
miles south of here, said the explo-
sion shook homes in that section.
George Ruth, one of the workmen
injured. said he was blown across q
room by the initial blast.
Another of the injured, Nelson
King of Wilmington, general FORE
man of the plant unit, said when
the explosion occurred the cracking
tower simply disintegrated. That
blew apart the small building I
was in"
"a ball of fire just seemed to roll
around and hit and ignite every
building" he added.
Shortly afterward, another ex-
plosion knocked down firemen and
spectators.
Ambulances rushed the injured to
Chester and Wilmington, where hos
pital facilities were taxed to handle
the victims. Emergency cots were
set up in the Railways and blood
plasma was rushed from nearby
blood banks to supplement hospital