San Diego, California, USA
1927 - BLAST RAZES PLANT, 5 HURT. ACETYLENE WORKS WRECKED; FIREMEN, BOUND FOR SCENE, HURT IN CRASH.

San Diego, Aug. 8. - (AP) - Five persons are in hospitals as the result of an explosion of acetylene gas that wrecked the plant of the Pacific Acetylene company at Thirtieth and Main Streets and a collision between a fire engine and an automobile as the firemen were answering the alarm.

The explosion, resulting from unknown causes, demolished the gas plant, doing damage estimated at $36,000. So great was the force of the blast that a nine inch brick wall was thrown out, pieces of the roof were hurled 100 feet into the air, and windows in nearby houses were shattered. RAYMOND HOLST, an employee of the plant and his 10-year-old son, HALTON, were standing in the rear of the building when the explosion came, the former sustaining severe lacerations and burns about the body and the latter having his arm torn off.

Responding to the alarm of fire that followed the blast, squad company No. 1 collided with a roadster at Twelfth and Market Streets. H. B. HALEY, fire engineer, received concussion of the brain and possible internal injuries, while H. T. CARD, driver of the car sustained abrasions and lacerations, and ROSALIE MELANEY, who was riding with him, is suffering from concussion of the brain and possible broken back. Several others of the nine firemen riding on the truck received minor injuries.

Oakland Tribune
Oakland, California
August 8, 1927

Visit San Diego, California, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.