Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1874 — A GASOLINE HORROR. [ARTICLE]

A GASOLINE HORROR.

A Knlttiug-Mill, Filled with Operatives, Blown Up by n. Gasoline Explosion—Nine Women Burned to Death, and Many Others I* Jured. A terrible gasoline explosion occurred on the 20th of January in the manufacturing establishment known as the Green Mountain Knitting Mills, of Bennington, Vt., which very nearly caused the destruction of the entire building, and sent nine poor creatures unheralded to their graves. The building was a massive brick structure, employing seventyfive hands. There was a large “L” in the rear in which was placed the boiler -used to heat the building and to supply steam for an engine when tlie water-wheel did not furnish suffic.ientpowcr. To light the works, a portable gas apparatus was used, by means of which the vaporization of gasoline was made to serve as an illuminating agent. The nay the event here spoken of occurred, it was discovered that the pipes containing the gasoline were leaking, and a man was set to work repairing them. During this operation the vapor of gasoline was allowed to escape and fill the room, and a portion escaped into the “L” containing 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 side-walls which fell outward, and when the roof fell it dropped upon the heads of the employes, crushing them to the ground and imprisoning them beneath 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 burned 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, a 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 tbe fact that the remains found were supposed to be those of the persons who worked at the benches where these remains were found.” It was a terrible affair, and the moral conveyed by it is sufficiently clear to be patent to the commonest comprehension. Alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, and the thousand and «ne burning fluids and compounds sold for illuminating purposes, will explode if the vapor arising from them be not kept away from Are, no mat ter 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, a vast amount of suffering saved, and readers of newspapers be spared such harrowing details as are here recited.