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N0KFQ > TODAY 18.03.08 08:00l 46 Lines 2233 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 15493_N0KFQ
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Subj: Today in History - Mar 18
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Sent: 080317/1603Z @:N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA #:15493 [Branson] FBB7.00i $:15493_N
From: N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
To : TODAY@ALLUS
March 18, 1937
Natural gas explosion kills schoolchildren in Texas
Nearly 300 students in Texas are killed by an explosion of
natural gas at their school on this day in 1937.
The Consolidated School of New London, Texas, sat in the middle
of a large oil and natural gas field. The area was dominated by
10,000 oil derricks, 11 of which stood right on school grounds.
The school was newly built in the 1930s for close to $1 million
and, from its inception, bought natural gas from Union Gas to
supply its energy needs. The school’s natural gas bill averaged
about $300 a month. Eventually, officials at Consolidated School
were persuaded to save money by tapping into the "wet"-gas lines
operated by Parade Oil Company that ran near the school. Wet gas
is a type of waste gas that is less stable and has more
impurities than typical natural gas. At the time, it was not
completely uncommon for consumers living near oil fields to use
this gas.
At 3:05 p.m. on March 18, a Thursday afternoon, the 694 students
and 40 teachers in attendance at the Consolidated School were
looking forward to the final bell, which was to ring in 10
minutes. Instead, a huge and powerful explosion, which literally
blew the roof off of the building, leveled the school. The blast
was felt by people 40 miles away and killed most victims
instantly. People rushed to the scene to pull out survivors;
hundreds of injured students were hauled from the rubble.
Miraculously, some students walked away unharmed; 10 of these
were found under a large bookcase that shielded them from the
falling building. First-aid stations were established in the
nearby towns of Tyler, Overton, Kilgore and Henderson to tend to
the wounded. Reportedly, a blackboard at the destroyed school was
found that read, "Oil and natural gas are East Texas’ greatest
natural gifts. Without them, this school would not be here and
none of us would be learning our lessons."
The exact cause of the spark that ignited the gas was never
found, although it is now known that the gas could have been
ignited by static electricity. As a result of this incident, wet
gas was required to be burned at the site rather than piped away.
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