1960 — Oct 4, Explosion, Tennessee Eastman Chemical, Aniline Plant, Kingsport, TN — 15
–16 Archives of the City of Kingsport. “Tennessee Eastman Explosion, October 4, 1960.” 10-2-2010
–16 Lodal. “Distant Replay: What Can Re-Investigation of a 40-Year Old Incident Tell You?
–15 Blanchard tally of fatalities from newspaper accounts below.[1]
–15 Khan and Abbasi. “Major Accidents in Process Industries…” LPPI Journal, V. 12, 1999.
–15 Kingsport News, TN. “Byington, Cox Die of Injuries in TEC Blast.” 10-11-1960, p. 1.
–15 Kingsport Times, TN. “Five of Injured Still at HVCH.” 11-3-1960, p. 3.
–15 Kingsport Times-News, TN (Mary Kiss). “The Day Kingsport Wept.” 10-5-1975, 4B.[2]
–15 National Fire Protection Association. 1984 Fire Almanac. 1983, p. 139.
–15 NFPA. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1960.” NFPA Quarterly, 54/3, January 1961, p. 264.
–15 NFPA. “Table II – List of Large Fires by Occupancies.” Quarterly, 54/4, Apr 1961, p. 397.
Narrative Information
Archives of the City of Kingsport: “Fifty years ago on October 4, 1960 an explosion rocked the Tennessee Eastman Company plant. The explosion was centered in the aniline division of the plant. The blast was felt all around the city and even buildings downtown, which are over a mile away, were damaged. Sixteen people were killed as a result of the explosion and 200 more were injured….
“The sudden unexpected explosion at the Tennessee Eastman Aniline Plant in October, 1960, brought horrific death and destruction to the huge Kingsport industrial complex. Following the shattering blast, nearby storage tanks of chemicals exploded as well, adding to the growing piles of rubble and debris that heaped up, burying bodies and body parts in a desolate scene of destruction. Flames spread, and multiple drums of stored material exploded as the heat reached them. Nothing like this had ever happened at the forty year old facility, where more than twelve thousand employees earned their livings.”
One of the comments notes that one of the victims was a relative – Jess Ray Shell Jr. (Archives of the City of Kingsport. “Tennessee Eastman Explosion, October 4, 1960.” 10-2-2010.)
Lodal: “On October 4, 1960, Eastman Chemical Company suffered the worst accident in its 83-year history, when an aniline manufacturing facility exploded. 16 people were killed, and more than 400 injured as a result of the blast.” (Lodal, Senior Tech. Assoc., Eastman Chemical., 2004.)
NFPA: “Tennessee Eastman Company, Kingsport, Tenn., Oct. 4, 4:45 P.M., 15 Killed, All Adults.
“A remotely controlled aniline process on the company’s grounds was destroyed by a detonation resulting from a hitherto unknown chemical reaction. The process equipment contained nitric acid, mononitro-benzene and water which detonated in the equipment Fifteen men were killed and over 60 persons injured.” (National Fire Protection Assoc. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1960.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Assoc., Vol. 54, No. 3, January 1961, p. 264.)
Newspapers
Oct 5: “An earth-jarring explosion at Tennessee Eastman Company late yesterday afternoon left 11 known dead and more than 60 injured. At midnight nine of the dead had been identified. Two others were unidentified. TEC ‘listed the following dead:
Bernard Arnold, 50, 249 Dee Lee Rd.
Manze Powers, 50, Jonesboro.
John Squibb, 44, Telford, Tenn., Rural Route 4.
- O. Repass, 51, Hilton, Va., Rural Route 1.
Jimmy W. Sanders, 27, Blountville, Rural Route 3.
Andrew J. Chadwell, 29, South Holston Hills Rd.
Arthur H. Stevens, 44, Indian Springs, Rural Route 1.
Cornelius Y. Depew, 36, Church Hill, Rural Route 3.
Carl Cochran, 53, Fall Branch.
“The blast occurred at 4:45 p.m. in the aniline plant at TEC and was followed by a fire. The fire
was brought under control at 8 o’clock and was declared “out” an hour later.
“The plant where the accident occurred is in the organic chemicals division of the Eastman works.
“Most of the injured suffered cuts from flying glass. Hundreds of panes of glass were blown from windows in all areas of the 400-acre plant….47 were admitted to the hospital….
“The building in which the blast occurred was built 18 months ago….There are more than 160 buildings at Tennessee Eastman which is Tennessee’s largest industrial plant.
“This is the most serious accident ever to occur at the plant in its 40-year history. The second most serious was April 3, 1953, when four were killed and three injured in an explosion in the research laboratory.
“The blast jarred downtown Kingsport and was felt as far away as Johnson City. Many homes in the residential area near the plant were damaged….” (Kingsport News, TN (Ellis Binkley). “Blast Kills 11. 60 Others Hurt at Eastman.” 10-5-1960, p. 1.)
Oct 6: “The bodies of two men earlier reported missing were found and identified yesterday afternoon, Tennessee Eastman Company announced. The men, who along with 11 others, were killed in an explosion at the plant late Tuesday afternoon were:
Usif Haney, 45, Preston Woods.
Jess Ray Shell, 36, 431 Wilma St.
“Two other bodies were identified yesterday morning. .They were:
James W. Sage, Jr., 23, Indian Springs.
- D. Mullins, 39, 401 Chadwell Rd.
“….Last night there were still 40 in the hospital. Of these two were listed as critical. They are: J. D. Byington and Carl Cox. Miss Eva Maddux was listed as in poor condition….” (Kingsport News, TN. “All TEC Blast Victims Identified. Death Toll Set at 13.” 10-6-1960, p. 1.)
Oct 11: “Two deaths yesterday brought the total of fatally injured in an explosion at Tennessee Eastman Company on Oct. 4, to 15. Both of the two latest victims had been on the critical list at Holston Valley Community Hospital since the accident. They were:
- D. Byington, 50, Church Hill, Rural Route 1.
Carl Cox, 59, Jonesboro, Rural Route 7.
“Byington died at the hospital early yesterday afternoon and Cox died at 9:50 last night.
“….At least 37 remain in area hospitals and clinics….” (Kingsport News, TN. “Byington, Cox Die of Injuries in TEC Blast.” 10-11-1960, p. 1.)
Nov 3: “The list of persons hospitalized by last month’s tragic explosion at Tennessee Eastman Company today was reduced to five. There were 15 killed, and more than 200 injured in the earth-jarring blast Oct. 4, at the company’s aniline plant. More than 55 of the injured were admitted to area hospitals. Those remaining at Holston Valley Community Hospital are Lucian Blalock,[3] William Bostic,[4] Clarence Byers,[5] William Evans[6] and Uva Maddux[7]. All except Byers are listed in “good condition.” He is “fairly good.” The cause of the $5.5 million explosion and fire has not been determined.” (Kingsport Times, TN. “Five of Injured still at HVCH.” 11-3-1960, 3.)
Sources
Archives of the City of Kingsport. “Tennessee Eastman Explosion, October 4, 1960.” 10-2-2010. Accessed 10-31-2014: http://kingsportarchives.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/tennessee-eastman-explosion-october-4-1960/
Crestleaf.com. “Clarence Byers.” Accessed 11-1-2014: http://crestleaf.com/p/50baa1a0651a69e4d435e403/clarence-byers
Crestleaf.com. “William Bostic.” Accessed at: http://crestleaf.com/p/50baa1bd651a69e4d43c31b3/william-bostic
Douglas Riverview. “Mr. William Andrew Evans.” 6-7-2012. Accessed 11-1-2014 at: http://douglass-riverviewobituaries.blogspot.com/2012/06/mr-william-andrew-evans.html
Kingsport News. “All TEC Blast Victims Identified. Death Toll Set at 13.” 10-6-1960, p. 1. At:
http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=56366466&sterm=eastman+kingsport
Kingsport News, TN (Ellis Binkley). “Blast Kills 11. 60 Others Hurt at Eastman.” 10-5-1960, p1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=56366460&sterm=eastman+kingsport
Kingsport News, TN. “Byington, Cox Die of Injuries in TEC Blast.” 10-11-1960, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=58093358&sterm=eastman+kingsport
Kingsport Times, TN. “Deaths and Funerals…Flanders H. Maddux.” 1-8-1969, p. 10. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=63599530&sterm=kingsport+uva+maddux
Kingsport Times, TN. “Five of Injured Still at HVCH.” 11-3-1960, p. 3. Accessed 11-1-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=58093562&sterm=kingsport+tennessee
Kingsport Times-News, TN (Mary Kiss). “The Day Kingsport Wept.” 10-5-1975, 4B. Accessed 10-31-2014 at: http://kingsportarchives.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/day-kpt-wept-3-12.jpg
Lodal, Peter. “Distant Replay: What Can Re-Investigation of a 40-Year Old Incident Tell You? (Abstract)” The 38th Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 26-29, 2004. Accessed at: http://www.chem.mtu.edu/org/aiches&h/pdf/LPS-04ABSTRACTS.pdf
National Fire Protection Association. 1984 Fire Almanac. 1983, p. 139.
National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss of Life Fires of 1960.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 54, No. 3, January 1961, p. 264.
National Fire Protection Association. “Table II – List of Large Fires by Occupancies.” Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 4, April 1961, p. 397.
[1] As one can see there are two sources noted herein which have the death toll at 16. However, our tally of named individual deaths totals 15, which is the figure noted in the local press approximately a month afterwards. In addition, we have been able to establish that the five individuals named as still in the hospital thirty-days after the event, survived for years afterwards.
[2] 11 initial deaths, 2 missing and presumed dead, and two injury deaths one week later.
[3] Alive in 1963. Kingsport News. “New Officials Take Office in 5 Towns.” 9-7-1963, p. 13.
[4] Died Dec 1980 in Kingsport. (Crestleaf.com. “William Bostic.”_
[5] Died March 1979 in Kingsport. (Crestleaf.com. “Clarence Byers.”)
[6] Died 6-5-2012. Obituary noted Mr. Evans retired from Tennessee Eastman at the time of the explosion in 1960.” (Douglas Riverview. “Mr. William Andrew Evans.” 6-7-2012.)
[7] She was still alive in 1969 when she was listed as a surviving daughter of Flanders Hobbs Maddux, who died Jan 7, 1969 in Kingsport. (Kingsport Times, TN. “Deaths and Funerals…Flanders H. Maddux.” 1-8-1969, p. 10.)