Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-11-18 | Page 1 | Gas Tank on Ship Set off by Torch Was Cause of Accident, Belief

I Gas Tank on Ship Set Off 1 by Torch Was Cause of Accident Belief i Workers' Workers Wives Attempt 1 to Storm Shipyard BALTIMORE Md Nov 18 AP APA 1 A A terrific explosion tore the steamer Jacob Luckenbach t to pieces today killing one ona man Injuring in injuring in- in 1 juring five others and blowing at least one man overboard The explosion occurred on the r t first deck of tho vessel where here workmen work work- men were said to have been engaged with an acetylene torch near a fuel i tank Every ambulance in the city was summoned to the yards of of the the of Union Shipbuilding company at at I Fairfield on the southern edge of J town where the ship had hd put In for repairs Thirty five men were at work on board the vessel and police had reports of ot a large number of ot In In- In J S Witnesses told of ot seeing pieces tion of the ship falling in every ery WENT ON ROCKS Harry Hughes an of the shipbuilding concern was t the te e first 1 to reach the wreckage I heard a terrific terrific blast blast and ran raIl outside outside outside-he he said I saw pieces of f the ship falling in every ery direction II I went vent t to the aid of the injured men but I dont don't know how many i there were The Luckenbach was as art an burn oil in ing freighter which went on th tb the the- rocks rock near neal Co Cota Rica Costa ta Rica sometime ago and vas towed here iere for p- p pi Flora ir 1 aM i n n a hospital ope oP r where lie lie- awaited He-awaited awaited treatment for foi- his injuries Raymond Rarmond Carson said sad the blast shook the ship like Uke a terrier shakes a a. a rat l From rom the way that boat rocked I dont don't see how any of us got away Carson said l 1 Like the explosion in last Monday 1 when more than a 1 score of persons were killed acetylene acetylene acety acety- I I lene torch and gas bas tank were be believed be- be t the time cause of today's blast 1 I was working an acet acetylene lene torch preparing to cut loose some stuff said Carson j when something happened I 1 dont don't know what it was There was a a. abig abig big roar and I was was' thrown t to td the deck i 5 WORKERS THROWN Whatever er It was it cut ut loose Joose down in the bunkers me J I The dead man was identified as 8 1 I SImonsen of this this- ctt city a n. lugger and crane men man First examination at Baltimore hospital revealed that Carson had a a. a broken neck All AH of the injured were vere thrown from twenty to thirty feet by the tho blast The awning deck of ot the freighter a piece of at steel IS 19 by 12 feet wa was hurled to tho deck of the ste steamer mer Columbia nearby The Luckenbach was rated at atC C 70 tons fons and was built at Sparrows Sparrows Sparrows Spar Spar- rows Point Md in 1910 Workmen on board the Columbia were vere showered with wreckage but none received serious Injury Scarce Scarcely had echoes of uC the blast J died away when frightened fled women whose men were at t work in the shipbuilding plant at at- Continued on page 10 Terrific Explosion Kills dills 1 Injures 5 Nitro Plant Burns Continued from page 1 1 tempted to storm pier and dock and allay aUay fears as as' to the safety of loved ones Reserves disgorging from patrol after patrol were WE're thrown about the place and arid no one was admitted The fireboat Torrent two engine companies companies companies com com- and four salvage organizations organizations organizations were sent to the scene VESSEL VESSE SHATTERED First examination indicated that the explosion had occurred toward the b bow bv v and between the second and third decks By Dy the time the detonation accompanying the explosion explosion explosion ex ex- was heard the vessel had been shattered Wreckage was wa'S strewn all allover over the I shipyard with the hulk remaining in dock List of ot dead and injured Simonsen lugger Wiled killed Unidentified workman missing Raymond Carson probable broken broken bro bro- ken Icen neck and other injuries Michael Jolle Jolie deep gashes head and and- body George Durr Michael Joseph all aU suffering from I cuts and bruises