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Show Twelve' Die in I Explosion on ' I Steamer 'I Disaster Probably Caucecl by Burst. , M lng of Tank of G.-.c Used With ,H Oil Fuel '.'fl ,'' New York, Jan. 3. Tv.eho men I "'fl aro dead nnd eleven others are miss- ,. M lng ns a result of an explosion that I ' wrecked tho engluo room of the Nor- ' M weglnn oil tank steamer Aztec at a 1 Brooklyn dock today. Seven wcro Injured, three of them bcriously. M Most of the victims were trapped n ,M below decks nnd those who wero not l 'fl lnr.tiuuly killed probably wero, drown- ' eil by the water thnt flooded the en- H fl glue room through a great hole 9 fl blown In tho side nt tho vessel. D M Tho Axtcc had Just left u dry dock fl and thu cause or tho explosion Is tin- 'fl M known, although It Is believed lo 'fl 'fl hnvo been caused by the bursting of M M a tank of 10,000 cubic feet or gas that M M whs used In connection with tho oil M M fuel for tho engines. H H For several hours after the cxpla- H M bIou occurred city firemen worked H ,M despcrate'y, but futllely to recover H M tho bodies of tho vlctlnm. As It was H H almost certain that thoso below at fl H tho tlmo could not havo escaped with HI jH their lives, It was finally decided to HI HJ pump tho ship dry beforo renewing HI HJ attempts to reach tho bodies. ' ' H 1 Most of tho Injured were rescued ! by Cnptaln A. F. Bennett of tho'Uig T Hi Dalzo Iiio which was (.teaming down fl H tho river near the dock at tho tlmo jHJ H of tho explosion. Captain Bennett Hj HJ snld ho sin tho body of a man liurl- flH HJ ed Into tho air, followed by a llamo Hj HJ that shot fifty feet high nnd which 91 HJ was accompanied by a terrific cxplo- ! H slnu. The body fell' Into tho river fll HJ nnd sank Immediately. Cnrtaln Ben- all ! licit nt ouco ordered tho Dnlzcllno uu- H der tho stem of tho Aztec mid took JHJ off eight of tho crew, nil badly In- SI JHJ Jurcd. II iH Tho body of another mnn, a fire- II dHJ man, was b'own onto tho dock ot HJ "Jlflj thu BoHClands, n steamer anchored ! JM about fifty feet away. flH Tho Aztec was under charter of H'rffl the Intcrocean Transport company ot j-sH this city. Tho tanker' recently ar- IfH rived from Franco and went Into dry 8kH dock on December 24nnd was to Mtfl havo sailed for Philadelphia this llfl week to take on n cargo for a return 1fl trip to Franco. liHfl Flro Marshal Brophy, after an In- 'I'HH vestlgatlon said tho explosion was, (I HJ caused by gases pocketed in tho bl - fl ges and crevices about the tanks IflH nnd supports. !H I - fll |