Show lS is Die Die in hi Monticello Blast Est v f c- c 4 i t d la YARD NEXT DOOR to the cafe in tn Monticello was Uttered littered with debris from the ex explosion ex- ex which shook the community Monday evening killing 15 injuring 25 and completely demolishing the building which was filled during daring the dinner rush hour Photo toy by Cal Beaber Cortez Sentinel Score Injured in Worst Tragedy In History of Southeastern Utah Lariat Cafe Packed to Capacity for Dinner Demolished Monday as Explosion Occurs Monticello was the scene of unheard of tragedy Monday evening as an explosion occurred at the Lariat cafe during the dinner rush hour shortly after 7 pm p.m. killing 15 persons and Injuring some 25 others many seriously and completely demolishing the year-old year tInder cinder block building This was thought to be the most serious accident ever everto everto everto to occur In Southeastern Utah and left the small town in a state of shock Within a matter of minutes townspeople arrived on the scene and started the he long hour-long Job of pulling victims from the wreckage Help was summoned from surrounding communities and within the hour doctors and nurses along with ambulances and airplanes arrived in Monticello to begin the work that would take the entire night The explosion apparently caused by gas as scattered parts of the building for hundreds of feet and was h heard ard for miles around d Mon- Mon Deb Debris ls was scattered over a large area arfa and windows knocked from houses along t the e estr str street et The dead and Injured were taken taken tak en to the San Juan county hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital where emergency operations were immediately set up by the medical staffs of several Southeastern Southeastern Southeastern South South- eastern Utah and Southwestern I Colorado towns Identification of the dead was started and a temporary temporary temporary tem tem- mortuary was set up In Inthe inthe the church A large group of stood hospital people stood by at the a hospital during the night ready to lend assistance Assistance As as- assistance as- as In any way Many were were used for blood transfusions as as a supply of plasma was very limited early In n the evening Later plasma plas- plas ma na was flown In from surroundIng surround- surround Ing ng areas Ambulances and sta- sta wagons stood by to transport I seriously injured to the air strip a few miles north of Monticello where a group of planes furnished furnish furnish- ed id d by owners in the area waited for or flight to hospitals ls of Or Grand nd Junction function Cortez Durango and hd Salt Lake City Ambulances some some summoned from far off towns kept up a steady stream coming comingo to o and from the San Juan county town own The explosion was was' cal caused sed by y an accumulation of pro in the cafe basement officials ls stated Otto A. A chairman of ot the S State Industrial IndUS Commission ion said he was absolutely absolutely absolutely ely certain of t this Is f following an ari investigation a and n d semi-formal semi hearing Taking part In iri ni the Inspection Inspection In Inspection In- In w we were e r 1 e Mr George Jackson state mine inspector Inspector In Inspector In- In Wilford Robinson S State t Public Service Service- e Commission en len engineer engineer and F F. Bennion Redd San SanJuan an Juan loan County Attorney j Testimony showed that the main valve from a propane tank was definitely turned off when hen Utah Service Company workmen connected up the new natural gas gaa line Une the morning of the blast Evidence Evi dence dense showed that the main valire valve val- val valve ve ire on the bottle g gas s system was turned on after the Uie natural gas lines were opened Mr Wi W iesley sley stated that the workmen would have had off oft the propane system before entering the buildIngs buildIng's buildings building's buildIngs buildIng's build- build Ings Ing's basement to connect the new natural gas system which was being put In to use for tor the First time along Its route from rom the San Juan basin to the Pacific Northwest st In Monticello The report showed that a buildIng buildIng buildIng build- build Ing next to the demolished cafe was connected to the propane tank and that the occupants were able to draw hot water Monday showing that the valve was open Evidently when the valve was turned back on Mr said the propane gas began pouring in through the disconnected lines inthe in inthe inthe the basement It built up there until such time as it apparently contacted either the pilot light or ora ora ora a burner of an oven upstairs which touched off the explosion open officials stated r The dead ranged through aU all ages and ami were from all parts of the country many of them ahem tourists on their vacations The The list of dead ad injured can be found on Page 10 15 Die Continued from Page Palte 1 Dead Theadore S. S Smith Franklin Ky a truck driver for Pacific Intermountain Intermountain In- In Express out of Salt Lake City Edna Dove Creek Colorado Colora Colora- do an employee of the Cafe afe Beryl Deryl Adams and her daughter Nancy ancy Adams both of Monticello l. l lo 10 o. o Robert S S. S Bales and his son Larry 12 Newcastle Ind William M M. Harvey Houston Texas Mr and Mrs Rex L L. Miller and anda a daughter Jackie Miller Deer Deer- Deerfield field Kansas Roy W. W Grisson Pueblo Colon Colo rado Lynn Curnett 1 I Winslow Arl Ari- zona H. H S. S Monticello Joseph no address given en Injured In San Juan county hospital 1 In Monticello Norman Lewison 16 and hi his father Dr Mathew Lewison 48 Chicago Paul P Pul ul R R. Wing 18 Salt Sal Lake City Burnetta Ann Peterson Peter Peter- son 16 Monticello Joseph Dunn 52 Durango Max Martin 24 Delano Delanoi De De- lano lanoi Calif Russell Anderson American Fork Utah county In St Marys Mary's hospital Grand Gian Junction Colorado Jerry Ann Adams Betty Reese Lenora Wilkins Erma Ransdell proprietor of ot the cafe Hugh Acton Acton Ac Ac- ton all of Monticello and Gerald Miller Deerfield Kansas At the Valley hospital Cortez Colorado Mildred lewIson Chicago liden Helen Hel lid en Bales and a year old son Bruce Newcastle Indiana Wilma Wilma Wilma Wil Wil- ma MacPherson At Mercy hospital Durango Colorado Elizabeth Harvey Houston Tex Tex- as Leo Houck Monticello and Boyd Durham Ariz Several other people were Injured ed in the blast but after receIving receiving receiving ing medical attention at the SanJuan San SanJuan SanJuan Juan county hospital were re re- re- re leased |