1968 — Jan 10, Natural Gas Explosion Demolishes two adjoining Homes, Reading, PA– 9

— 9 Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Nine are Dead in Blast at Reading.” 1-10-1968, 1.
— 9 Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA. “Blast kills nine in Reading.” 1-11-1968, 1.
— 9 Simpson’s Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA. “Escaping Gas Blamed for Blast.” 1-20-1968, 2.

Narrative Information

Jan 10, United Press International: “Reading, Pa. (UPI) — Nine persons, including a woman who sank screaming into debris, died early today in an explosion and fire that suddenly reduced two homes to an “unbelievable” pile of rubble. It took firemen more than 11 hours to pull the nine bodies, all charred beyond recognition, from the wreckage of what had been the three-story twin home of Frank M. Stanislaw and Robert Geiser.

‘The victims from the blast which occurred shortly before midnight Tuesday [Jan 9] included five children and Geiser’s mother, Ethel, 64, who slipped away from the outstretched hands of rescuers as the building tumbled down on her. The other victims were Geiser, 34, his wife, Shirley, 31, his three children, Robert, 15, Bonnie, 5, and Karen, 3.

“Those in the adjoining home were Stanislaw’s wife, Vay about 40, his son, Robert, 18, and a daughter, Linda, 13.

“Stanislaw, who had taken his auto to a garage after returning from work, was not at home when the blast occurred….

“Edgar M: Reidel Jr., one of several neighbors who tried to rescue the elder Mrs. Geiser as she reached out in desperation from the rubble, said those in the homes “never stood a chance.” Ronald Bennett, 40, another neighbor, said they found Mrs. Geiser in the back portion of the ruins, screaming as the rubble fell around her. “We almost had her,” Bennett said. “We were so close to getting her out. A couple more minutes and we would have had her. But then everything just started caving in.”

“State police Fire Marshal Michael Teresenko, heading a four-man detail investigating the blast, said “gas is the probable cause’.” (Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Nine are Dead in Blast at Reading.” 1-10-1968, 1.)

Jan 11, Associated Press: “Reading, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania and Reading officials said Wednesday they will investigate an explosion that killed nine persons and demolished two houses. A gas company spokesman said Reading workmen digging in the street to repair a water main had hit a gas line shortly before the explosion….

“Neighbors said the explosion rocked the neighborhood and the screams of children could be heard above the roar of the flames. Neighbors also said they saw the form of a woman on a bed on the upper floors as they were collapsing into the debris. She cried for help, but they couldn’t reach her….

“….Two water department workers were digging for a broken water main in the street near the Reading tragedy and were still in the excavation when the explosion occurred….The Reading Gas Division of United Gas Improvement co. said workers digging for the water main with a back hoe hooked a ¾ inch gas line. The gas company said the men tapped a foot long section of the pipe, but did not notify the gas company. The water department did not identify the workers. The company said a dispatcher was receiving a telephone call complaining about a gas odor in the neighborhood when the houses blew up.” (Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA. “Blast kills nine in Reading.” 1-11-1968, 1.)

Jan 20, UPI: “Reading, Pa. (UPI) – A Public Utility Commission investigator said Friday his findings showed that a service line had been separated on a gas main near two homes demolished in an explosion that killed nine persons Jan. 10. Wilbur L. Zedaker, a PUC gas engineer who investigated the explosion, said observations indicated that the pipe separation was caused by a city water bureau backhoe which hit the line during a water main repair job. He said his inquiry established “reasonable evidence that gas leakage from the three-quarter inch service line in front of the destroyed homes was caused by the pipe separation.” “An excavation of the gas main after the explosion disclosed that the line was separated from the service clamp on the main and apparently permitted escaping gas to flow through cinders and loose fill that followed the services line to the basement at 49 Carroll street;” he said.

“Zedaker said it could not be determined how the gas fumes were ignited. He said the water bureau men started working in the street at 8:30 p.m. [Jan 9] and the blast occurred at 12:40 a.m. [Jan 10].” (Simpson’s Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA. “Escaping Gas Blamed for Blast.” 1-20-1968, p. 2.)

Sources

Lebanon Daily News, PA. “Nine are Dead in Blast at Reading.” 1-10-1968, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=106893312

Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA. “Blast kills nine in Reading.” 1-11-1968, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=87412338

Simpson’s Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA. “Escaping Gas Blamed for Blast.” 1-20-1968, 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=88679951