Pensacola, FL Turpentine Company Explosion, Jan 1926

12 MEN KILLED BY EXPLOSION AT PENSACOLA, FLA.

MILLION DOLLAR TURPENTINE PLANT BURNING -- OTHERS MAY DIE FROM INJURIES.

Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 2. -- (AP) --With the known death toll at 12 and 10 injured in hospitals, five workmen missing, firemen continued tonight to battle flames which resulted today when a fire retort at the Newport Tar and Turpentine Company exploded. The expectation was that the bodies of the missing would be recovered from the ruins.

Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 2. -- (AP) -- Ten men were killed and nine seriously injured in an explosion at the plant of the Newport Tar and Turpentine Company here today. Six additional workers at the plant had not been accounted for late today.
The explosion occurred in one of the fire retors of the plant, wrecking the building. The resultant fire spread to other buildings of the company, a million dollar plant.
Turpentine products on the premises caught fire and spread rapidly. The fire still was burning late this afternoon and fire officials said it would be impossible to remove some of the bodies before late tonight.
The explosion occurred little more than an hour after the plant opened up for operation this morning. Firemen said they had seen three bodies behind a barrier of flames on one of the buildings.
Many of those killed were badly mutilated by the explosion and burned beyond recognition in the fire.
The known dead are:
WARREN ELDRIDGE, Bay Minette, Alabama.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE, Bay Minette, Alabama.
D. M. BAGGETT, Pensacola.
G. CARTER, negro, Pensacola.
R. M. HAMMACK, Pensacola.
R. L. CALHOUN, negro, Pensacola.
WALTER H. WATSON, Peterson Station.
CHARLES HUNTER, negro, Pensacola.
S. E. FAULK, Pensacola.
FRANK MORAN, negro, Pensacola.
J. A. STOCKMAN, negro, Pensacola.
ROBERT H. WHITCOMB, Pensacola.
The injured are:
M. B. DANIELS.
TOM PAYNE.
W. J. JONES.
CHARLES HAMMACK.
C. D. ADCOCK.
All the above seriously injured.
DILLARD LOWE.
CHARLES ALLISON.
PETER ANDERSON, negro.
All the above severely but not dangerously injured.
All available doctors were called to assist in attending the injured, who were rushed to hospitals.
The cause of the explosion has not been determined. Firemen were still at work Saturday night attempting to ascertain if there were more bodies in the burning plant.

The Morning News Review South Carolina 1926-01-03
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!