An explosion of gasoline at the texaco oil station at about 10:30 Saturday morning resulted in the injury of three and the periling of the east side of Washington Street, which is made up of frame buildings from the Texaco station south to the H.H. Waite building occupied by M. DeMarco.
The injured are Kenneth Sipple, 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Sipple, who live east of the city, Ralph Thede, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. P.H. Thede, and Orris Peterson, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lou Peterson and the attendant at the station. The accident occurred in a small room about 6 x 9 feet located in the southeast corner of the station in which a hot water heater, the air compressor, the greasing macine, some supplies and a drum of high test gasoline were kept.
The cause of the explosion is still a mystery. Weather conditions were right for it, the gorund being water soaked and the air heavy. John Sipple and his son had driven in to the station and Peterson was preparing to grease the front wheels of the Sipple Car. Roland Clark came at that moment, bringing a gasoline pressure tank to be filled and Orris stopped his work to fill it. He had drawn one gallon and put it in the pressure tank when the explosion came. The peculiar feature of the accident is that the receptacle that exploded was a five-gallon gasoline can which is believed to have been empty. Neither the pressure tank nor the 50-gallon high test gasoline drum, which contained about eight gallons, exploded.
Kenneth Sipple, who was standing in the doorway was thrown about 15 feet back to the ground south of the platform. He wsa evidently struck in the face and chest by the exploding gasoline can. He suffered a skull fracture which exposed the brain tissues, his face was a mass of cuts and bruises, his hair was singed and badly burned. Ralph Thede was standing outside the doorway and a few feet to the north. He was thrown from his feet and regaining his feet, wandered across the street to the Standard Oil Co. station and then started across Washington Street, when he was taken to the office of Dr. I. Vandermyde. Shortly after this Sipple was carried to the doctor's office and Peterson was able to walk to the office.
The efficience of Dr. Vandermyde and his assistant is to be commended. They started to work at once to relieve the suffering and with the assistance of the two dentists, Drs. W.F. Tyler and G.W. Nelson, hurried examinations were made and everything possible done for the patients before they were taken to the Sterling hospital. Sipple's condition was the most serious, he having suffered a fracture of the skull which exposed the brain tissues, severe burns and a great many cuts on his face. He was taken to the hospital in the F.L. Dudley ambulance. Thede was burned about the face and his hair singed and a bad cut over the left eye required eight stitches. He was taken to the hospital by his father. Peterson's condition was the least serious being confined to burns from the flaming gasoline. His hair was singed and he was badly burned about the face and houlders. He was taken to the hospital by his brother Claire.
The room was a solid mass of flames which sot out of the doorway and several feet into the air. Three of the windows in the McNamara garage about 100 feet east of the service station were also blown out. The explosion was a dull thud and jarred the whole city.
Fire chief John Drummet, who was at the Ford garage when the explosion occurred, and Robert Roman, who was coming from the alley toward the service station, were the first on the scene. The fire department responded in a very few minutes and soon had a stream of Foamite playing on the flames through the doorway and held it in submission until the hose was in action. The 50 gallon gas drum fortunately did not explode, although a subsequent examination showed that the top of the drum bulged from the heat. The only logical explanation of the failure of the drum to explode was that the gas was being forced from it through the valve by the pressure inside which prevented the flames from getting inside the drum. Had this exploded it is very probably that the station would have been demolished and the H.H. Waite building occupied by Roland Clark's choclate shop on the ground floor with living rooms on the second floor occupied by the Perry Upton family would have caught fire.
This is a frame building separated by about four feet from the Texaco station. Joining this is the Fullerton Tire Store which is also frame and the whole east side of Washington street south to the H.H. Waite building occupied by M. DeMarco, is filled in with frame buildings, Paxson Sisters Variety, Frank Lynds, Dale Wheat, the Ora Richards building and Sommers Song Shop, all would have furnished fuel for a disastrous fire. The room was a total wreck, all appliances in it being ruined. The lath was burned through to the outer room. The injured boys are all doing nicely and it is now established that the eyes of none of them were injured. No hopes were entertained for Kenneth Saturday but he rallied and when and operation was performed Monday forenoon he came through it in good shape.
