Indianapolis, Indiana
Prestolite Gas Pumping Station Explosion
June 6, 1908
FOUR HEAVY EXPLOSIONS
Shake the City of Indianapolis This Morning.
PRESTOLITE GASE PUMPING STATION
Lets Go for the Third Time This Year.
The Reports of Four Explosions Following Each
Other Quickly and Are Heard All Over the City –
Entire Fire Department Is Called Out, but Water
Is Not Thrown for Fear of Making Deadly Gasses.
Indianapolis, Ind., June 6. – Eleven
persons were hurt, several seriously when the
Prestolite gas pumping station, adjacent to St.
Vincent’s hospital, blew up today, wrecking one
side of the hospital and demolishing a
fire-house next door. The injured were members
of the fire department, who were caught in the
wreck of the engine-house.
There were four distinct explosions when the
pumping plant blew up. The plant was completely
demolished and the debris took fire. The iron
roof of the pumping plant was blown against one
side of the St. Vincent’s hospital and
demolished a portion of the hospital. There were
100 patients in the hospital at the time and
several deaths as the result of the shock are
feared.
A large gas tank was hurled high in the air and
came down on the engine-house next door to the
hospital wrecking the building. It was here the
firemen were caught.
The injured are: LIEUTENANT FOULLOIS, of the
fire department; WILLIAM STEINHAUS, of the fire
department; OTTO HOFFMEISTER, employe at the
factory; JOHN VAN GARDEN, employe at factory;
WILLIAM HUTCHINSON, ALBRINK HURST, patient in
hospital, NELLIE CONNELL, employe of St.
Vincent’s; LIZZIE RYAN, employe of St.
Vincent’s; JACOB DEMMERL, employe of St.
Vincent’s; SISTER CEPHAS, of hospital staff;
LENA DAWLER, hospital employee.
The explosion broke windows and shook buildings
all over the city. Every window in St. Vincent’s
hospital was broken.
This is the third explosion at this plant in a
year. Today’s explosion was the worst of the
three.
The Marion Daily Star, Marion, OH 6 Jun
1908
Transcribed by
Loraine Jordan. Thank you, Loraine!
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