Notes |
- Roseville Record Aug 8 1930. One woman is dead, another possibly fatally injured and a man badly burned as result of an explosion Thursday morning at 8:45 o'clock at the warren pumping station in the Warner subdivision, Warren. Mrs. Augusta Bittner, 51, wife of Joseph Bittner, retired farmer, died Thursday afternoon of burns..... Mrs. E. Gillette, sister-in-law of Mrs. Bittner, suffered a burned hand in helping to tear the flaming clothes from Mrs. Bittner. This was the fifth explosion of the kind in Warren township within the past year..... Mrs. Bittner and Mrs. Mertz went to the pump house, a short distance from their homes, to see why they were getting no water. They stood in the doorway while Schulte, the operator, threw the switch to start the pump. A spark ignited natural gas which seeps from wells through the Warren township area. It is believe that just before throwing the switch Schulte may have turned a valve to release air from the pressure tank on the pump, and that this tank contained a large supply of gas which had seeped in from the well. The main force of the blast was nearer the women than Schulte. With clothing aflame, they ran screaming from the pump house toward Mrs. Bittner's home. John Metro, who lives nearby, heard the blast and screams, then saw the women running. He ran after them as did Mrs. Gillette, and succeeded in tearing off their clothing. Dr. R. A. Norris was called and after first aid treatment, the victims were rushed to St. Joseph's hospital in Mount Clemens ....Mrs. Bittner has a son, Arthur, 28, of Warren
|