Year: 1874




tives, Blown Up by Gasoline E1pio-


siOn-Nine Women burned TO Death,


and Many Others IDJured.


terrible gasoline explosion occurred on
the Goth of January in the manufacturing
establishment known as the Green Mountain
Knitting Mills, of Bennington, Vt, which
very nearly caused the destruction of the en-
tire building, and sent nine poor creatures
unheralded to their graves. The building was
a massive brick structure, employing seventy
five hands. There was large "L" in the rear
In which was placed the boiler used to heat
the building and to supply steam for an en-
gine when the water-wheel did not furnish
sufficient power. To light the works, portable
gas apparatus was used by means of which
the vaporization of gasoline was made TO serve
as an Illuminating agent. The day the event
here spoken of occurred, it was discovered
that the pipes containing the gasoline were
leaking, and man was set to work repairing
them. During this operation the vapor of
gasoline was allowed to escape and fill the
room, and portion escaped into the ''L" con-
tainlng the boiler. It is well known that the
vapor of gasoline, or any volatile substance,
mixed with atmospheric air in certain
proportions, will explode on coming in
contact with fire, and this is just
what happened in this instance. The vapor
mixed with air came in contact with the fires
under the boiler and an explosion followed
which in an instant shattered the portion of
that building permeated by the gas, which was
nearly the whole structure in this instance
The roof was lifted from the sidewalks which
fell outward, and when the roof fell it drop
ped upon the heads of the employees, crushing
them TO the ground and imprisoning them be.
meath the ruins. In an instant the whole
building was wrapped in flames, leaving those
who attempted to put out the fire powerless
to render aid to the poor creatures who were
imprisoned there, and they were rapidly burn
ed TO death.


A local account says: "The screams were
horrible to hear, and their agonizing cries for
help were enough to put energy and courage
into the nerves of every man, but all efforts
were fruitless, and the unfortunate women
perished miserably. After considerable time
had been spent in subduing the flames,
search was made among the ruins, and the
charred remains of nine bodies were recovered.
In every instance there was no possibility of
recognition directly, and the only guide to the
names of the killed was the fact that the re-
mains found were supposed to be those of the
persons who worked at the benches where
these remains were found"


1t was terrible affair, and the moral con-
veyed by it 10 sufficiently clear to be patent to
the commonest comprehension. Alcohol,
gasoline, kerosene, and the thousand and one
burning fluids and compounds sold for illumi-
mating purposes, will explode if the vapor
arising from them be not kept away from fire,
no matter what their vendors may say to the
contrary. If those whose necessities compel
their use would only remember this fact, and
act accordingly, the death-rate of the country
would be very sensibly diminished, vast
amount of suffering saved, and readers of
newspapers be spared such narrowing details
as are here recited