1965 — Nov 24, Natural Gas explosion and fire, Nat. Guard Armory dance, Keokuk, IA– 21

— 21  Gaudet, R. E. “Chicago Tavern Fire,” NFPA Fire, Vol. 60. No. 2, March 1966, pp. 24-25.

— 21  Muscatine Journal, IA. “Death Toll from Blast Rises to 21.” 12-20-1965, p. 14.

— 21  National Fire Protection Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).

— 21  Sets in Order, Official Mag. of Square Dancing. “Report from Keokuk.” March 1966, 23.

 

Narrative Information

 

Gaudet: “At 9:30 pm on November 24, 1965, a natural gas explosion extensively damaged the Iowa National Guard Armory in Keokuk, Iowa. The blast and ensuing fire killed seven persons outright, and 14 others died from injuries during the following weeks.

 

“The Armory

 

“The 100-foot-square building had poured concrete floors and basement walls. The walls above grade were hollow concrete block. Most of the partitions were con­crete block, and the roof was plank on wood trusses. The basement, which extended under only about one-third of the building, contained a boiler room, a rifle range, a classroom, and a storage room. The large drill floor in the first story was surrounded on three sides by classrooms, a locker room, and storage rooms. On the fourth side was an overhead door leading to the out­side. The very small second-story section at the same end of the building as the part-basement contained offices.  The armory was heated by hot water circulated from a natural-gas-fired boiler in the basement to sus­pended unit heaters with thermostatically controlled electric blowers.

 

“The Explosion

 

“Between 60 and 70 adults and children were attend­ing square dancing lessons in the Armory. Most of them were either dancing or sitting around the per­imeter of the drill floor. A few were in the basement and in other areas of the building. When the blast occurred, it threw upward the concrete ceiling of the rifle range and blew out the walls on three sides of the first story.  The roof of the building fell into the first story, trap­ping many of the occupants. The local fires following the explosion caused many deaths and injuries. Neigh­bors and passers-by ran to the Armory and started pulling the injured out of the rubble. Within a few minutes the fire department arrived and extinguished the spot fires. Cranes were ordered to the site to re­move debris from some of the injured and dead.

 

“The Investigation

 

“Subsequent investigation revealed a break in a 2¼  inch cast-iron natural gas service pipe about six feet away from the building. Before entering the building the pipe passed through the concrete wall off a venting pit adjoining the building. The wall of the pit had settled slightly to one side and away from the building, probably putting enough strain on the pipe to cause the break.

 

“Escaping gas followed drainage tile aid gravel around the foundation of the building and entered through a hole in the foundation that led to a sand pit in the target area of the rifle range. A drainage pipe from under the rifle range floor passed through this hole, but the space around the pipe had not been sealed. From the sand pit the gas seeped upward to accumulate near the ceiling of the rifle range area.  Probably the fan motor thermostat for the ceiling-mounted unit heater in the rifle range was the ignition source.” (Gaudet. “Chicago Tavern Fire,” NFPA Fire, Vol. 60. No. 2, March 1966, pp. 24-25.)

 

Newspapers

 

Nov 24: “Keokuk (AP) – An explosion and flash fire demolished a national guard armory Wednesday night [Nov 24], sending seven persons to a fiery death and tragically ending a gala Thanksgiving eve square dance. ‘Four or five more are not expected to live,’ Sheriff H. R. Delahoyde said Thursday. ‘They are literally burned up.’ Most of the other 60 to 70 persons in the building were burned or injured. “All our hospitals are filled,” the sheriff said. “We had to send some patients to Quincy, Ill., Burlington and Iowa City.” Dr. R. E. Cooper, on duty at St. Joseph hospital here, said eight persons were in critical condition, and three were transferred to University hospitals at Iowa City, the nearest burn center….

 

“Fire Chief John Breheny and Delahoyde said the explosion was caused by gas. “There is a gas furnace out there,” the sheriff said. “The explosion blew the walls out and the top up,” he said. “There was a terrific fire for a few seconds. It had to be gas.” Capt. James Baugher, 34, commander of the national guard company based at the armory, said the blast apparently originated in the basement. ‘It heaved that reinforced steel floor right up and it fell back down into the basement,’ he said.

The Dead

 

“Dr. Cooper said the dead included four women, one man and two children. Four of the dead were burned beyond recognition. The dead were identified as:

 

Mrs. Leonard Bryant of Keokuk.[1]

Billy Bennett of Keokuk and his son, Tony, 7.

Mrs. Louis Besser, sister of the mayor-elect of Keokuk, Kenneth Henke.

Mrs. Ray (Alice) Summers of Keokuk

 

“….Searchers frantically clawed through the smoldering rubble for victims. Doctors and nurses from neighboring towns in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri rushed to this Mississippi river city to help.

 

“Administrator John Unglaub of Graham hospital said it had admitted 28 persons as patients. He had no count of those treated and released/

 

“While the gaily dancing members of the Swing Ezy club, which meets every Wednesday night, performed upstairs in the armory, some of their children played in the basement. Huge cranes dug into the debris that collapsed into the basement as the search continued Thursday for any possible children there. However, Lt. Col. Art Manush of the Iowa national guard said he was “pretty sure” there were no more bodies in the rubble.

 

“Within minutes after the explosion ripped the still night air, persons living near the armory ran to the scene. “I saw these people on fire,” said Mrs. Jerry Strickler, who lives only 100 feet from the armory. “I raced outside and got the garden hose and I got some blankets and wrapped them around some of those people.”

 

“….Breheny said it was not immediately known what touched off the gas. The armory was heated by natural gas, he said.

 

“The armory was used by Co. C., 1st battalion, 113th armored. The 100-foot by 100-foot building, built in 1953, contained some small arms and other military equipment, including a tank, said Col. Joseph May, assistant Iowa adjutant general. George Mayer, commissioner of public safety, said, “There was some .22 caliber ammunition in the basement but I don’t believe it had anything to do with the explosion. It may have exploded in the fire.”

 

“….Club dancing…had been under way about 40 minutes Wednesday night when [the]…explosion ripped apart the armory…” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Fiery Death For 7 in Keokuk.” 11-25-1965, p. 1.)

 

Nov 26: “Keokuk, Iowa (AP)…. Killed in the fire and explosion were Billy Bennett of Keokuk and his son, Tony; Mrs. Louis Besser, Mrs. Ray Summers, Mrs. Leonard Bryant and Mrs. Leo May, all of Keokuk; and Carol Goodrich of Carthage, Ill.” (Muscatine Journal, IA. “Authorities Seek Cause of Keokuk Armory Blast.” 11-26-1965, p. 1.)

 

Nov 27: “Keokuk (AP) — The death toll climbed to 10 Saturday [Nov 27] as officials continued trying to find the source of gas that exploded the national guard armory during a square dance Wednesday night. Hospital sources said three more victims of blast burns died during the night. They were Carl Goodrich of Carthage, Ill., whose wife Carol died earlier and two Keokuk women, Mrs. Richard Davis and Mrs. Chester [Geraldine] Starr.[2]

 

“Some 35 members of a square dance group who were at the armory when the blast came remained hospitalized. Those in critical condition included Davis and Starr, husbands of the women who died during the night. Starr, burned over more than half his body, had told the Associated Press a few hours after the explosion how the flash of fire came, the ceiling fell on the dancers, and he pulled burning clothing from his wife and himself….

 

“Meanwhile, State Fire Marshal Wilbur Johnson pushed ahead with his investigation with the aid of gas company workers who have laid open the gas main a block away from the building. A gas company spokesman said the plan was to seal off the main at the armory and force air or gas through the pipe as a means of detecting seepage if any existed. Such a leak could have sent gas traveling along the pipe into the armory and there is no doubt, Johnson said, that an accumulation of gas was the origin of the terrifying explosion. ‘A cigarette, a match, an electrical switch or any one of many things could have set it off,’ the fire marshal said….” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Death Toll in Keokuk Blast Climbs to 10.” 11-27-1965, p. 1.

 

Nov 28: “Keokuk (AP) – Investigators turned their attention to a gas line Monday as they continued to probe last Wednesday’s armory explosion that has brought death to 11 square dancers. The eleventh victim of the blast that wrecked the armory was Violet Beckett, 49, of Argyle, Iowa, who died Sunday [Nov 28]. Twenty-two others remained in critical condition….” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Eleventh Blast Victim Dies, 22 Still Critical.” 11-29-1965, p. 5.)

 

Nov 30: “Keokuk (UPI) – Seven badly burned victims of last week’s explosion and fire at the national guard armory Tuesday were transferred to the Army Burn center at Brooks Army hospital in San Antonio, Texas. The five were among the 17 persons still on the critical list. Some 35 persons remain hospitalized with burns and other injuries…Those airlifted…were Robert Anderson, Richard Davis, Don Hoambucker, Jay Joy and Herman Smith, Mrs. Vera Pilkington and Mrs. Susan Hoambrecker, all of Keokuk….” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Seven Airlifted to Burn Center.” 11-30-1965, p. 8A.)

 

Nov 30: “Keokuk (UPI)…. Leo May, 57, Keokuk, died Tuesday at Burlington Mercy hospital to become the latest victim. His wife was killed in the blast…Thirty-three persons remained hospitalized here and in Burlington and Iowa City, Iowa, as well as Quincy and Carthage, Ill., and San Antonio, Texas. Sixteen of them remained in critical condition….

 

“A bloodmobile from Galesburg, Ill., received blood from 246 donors Tuesday, but more blood was required for the long healing process ahead for many of the survivors….

 

“Asst. State Fire Marshal Reynold Hentges said it had been determined that the explosion took place in the gunnery range in the armory basement, but that it was not known how the gas accumulated there. There were no gas pipes in the gunnery range….A break was discovered earlier in a 2 3/8 inch gas line about eight feet from the shattered armory. Hentges said a section of the pipe was being tested in a laboratory to find out if the break had occurred before or after the blast. About a dozen persons were on the scene, including a digging and wrecking crew, experts from the Universities of Iowa and Illinois and from the Keokuk Gas Service Co. were testing gas lines.

 

“Rep. John R. Schmidhauser (D-Iowa) Tuesday issued a national appeal for contributions in behalf of victims of the Thanksgiving eve disaster at Keokuk. Schmidhauser said there is a growing need for money to finance skin grafts and hospital care for the survivors, and for the care and education of children left orphans by the tragedy….” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Death Toll in Keokuk Climbs to 12.” 12-1-1965, p. 2C.)

 

Dec 1: “San Antonio, Tex. (AP) — The death toll in the national guard armory explosion and fire at Keokuk, Iowa, Thanksgiving eve was up to 13 Thursday. Susan Hoambrecker, 33, of Keokuk, died at Brooke Army Medical Center here Wednesday [Dec 1]. She was one of seven patients flown to the San Antonio center from Iowa hospitals. Mrs. Hoambrecker’s husband, Donald, 33, one of the seven, is in serious condition at the center with burns over 58 percent of his body….”

(Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Dance Blast Toll Climbs to 13.” 12-2-1965, p. 3C.)

 

Dec 3: “Keokuk (AP) – Plans for the golden wedding anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Slater of New Boston were shattered by the explosion at the national guard armory here Thanksgiving eve. Mr. and Mrs. Slater, who will have been married 50 years Sunday [Dec 5], lost two daughters as a result of the blast. A third daughter was in critical condition. The dead daughters were Violet Becketi [Beckett?, not clear], the mother of four children, who died Monday [Nov 29], and Ruth Anderson, who died Friday [Dec 3]. The third daughter, Ruby Foley, was in critical condition at the Graham hospital here.” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Blast Ends Anniversary Plans.” 12-4-1965, p. 7.)

 

Dec 3: “Keokuk (AP) – A water heater was blamed Thursday as the ‘trigger’ for a gas explosion that blasted the national guard armory to pieces, fatally injuring 14 persons, on Thanksgiving eve. State Fire Marshal Wilbur Johnson, however, drew no conclusions as to how the gas accumulated in the building. He said his on-site investigation of the blast was virtually complete. He issued a statement detailing some of his findings. One of these was that even a week after the blast a concentration of gas remains under the concrete slab floor of the rifle range. The explosion heaved up the armory floor while 60 to 70 members of the Swing Ezy club were holding their weekly square dance, and caved the roof in on top of them. Twenty-two persons still are listed as either critical or serious with burns suffered in the blast….

 

“His report said a drain tile in a bed of crushed rock surrounds the armory about a foot from the building. He told newsmen the gas could have escaped from the rupture and traveled through the crushed rock to accumulate in the building. His written report did not say this happened, but left the possibility open.

 

“Much of the basement space was taken up with a rifle range. Johnson said ‘There had to be a massive accumulation of gas in the range to cause an explosion of this magnitude. ‘At the present time, it is the opinion of the fire marshal’s investigators that the ignition of the explosion was triggered by the hot water heating unit located in the northeast corner of the rifle range….He said experts are testing this gas to determine its type and origin.” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Blast Triggered by Water Heater.” 12-3-19654, p. 23.)

 

Dec 3: “Keokuk, Iowa (UPI) – The 15th and 16th victims of a gas explosion in the Keokuk Armory Thanksgiving eve died Friday [Dec 3] in University Hospital, Iowa City. It was feared the death toll might go even higher. Six persons remained in serious condition at the U.S. Army, Burn Center, Brooke Hospital, San Antonio, Tex. Twenty others were still hospitalized in Iowa and Illinois….” (Sunday News-Globe, Amarillo, TX. “2 More Victims of Explosion Die.” 12-5-1965, p. 2.)

 

Dec 6: “….A recent tabulation listed eight children as orphaned by the tragedy, with nine others left with a single surviving parent….From Keokuk comes the information that several of that cities industries, with the approval of employes, are skipping the usual employe Christmas parties. The money which would normally be spent in this fashion will go into the relief fund for the explosion sufferers and families….” (Muscatine Journal, IA. “Yuletide Opportunity.” 12-6-1965, Editorial Page.)

 

Dec 6: “San Antonio, Tex. (UPI) — The tragic Thanksgiving Eve explosion and fire at a square dance at the Keokuk, Iowa, National Guard armory claimed its 17th life Monday night.  Mrs. Vera Pilkinton, 44, Nauvoo, Ill., died Monday night [Dec 6] at the Brooke Army Medical Center

in San Antonio from burns she suffered at the holiday explosion….” (Ames Daily Tribune, IA. “17th victim dies of burns.” 12-7-1965, p. 6.)

 

Dec 9: “Keokuk (AP)….State Fire Marshal Wilbur Johnson said his office has completed its investigation. He said accumulated gas which demolished the armory during a square dance could have leaked from a break in the gas pipe and entered the building through loose rock below a drainage tile system.

 

“However, gas company engineers John Hinckley of Beverly Shores, Inc., and Wendell A. Waterman of Chicago said from what they have learned so far, this route would not have allowed passage of enough gas to cause such an explosion.” (Globe Gazette, Mason City, IA. “Gas Co. men barred from site of blast.” 12-9-1965, p. 2.)

 

Dec 10: “Mrs. Jay Joy, 33, of Keokuk, died at Graham hospital in Keokuk Friday [Dec 10], the 18th victim to succumb to burns received in the armory explosion Thanksgiving eve. Her husband, who lived in Muscatine for about four years when he was assistant manager of the Paetz Super Valu store here, is still in critical condition. He was one of the injured transferred to the Brooke Burn Center at San Antonio, Texas….” (Muscatine Journal, IA. “Jay Joy’s Wife Dies at Keokuk.” 12-11-1965, p. 2.)

 

Dec 13: “Iowa City (AP) – The Thanksgiving Eve explosion and fire at Keokuk claimed its 19th life Monday. Louis Besser, 44, of Keokuk, whose wife was killed outright in the blast, died, of burns at University Hospitals. Mrs. Besser was the sister of Keokuk Mayor-elect Kenneth Henke.

The Bessers were the third couple wiped out in the tragedy which struck during a square dance being held by the Swing Ezy Club. As of Monday, 18 persons remained hospitalized at Keokuk, Iowa City, Quincy and the Brooks Memorial Hospital at San Antonio, Tex. Four of them were in critical condition.” (Globe Gazette, Mason City, IA. “Explosion at Keokuk takes its 19th life.” 12-13-1965, p. 2.)

 

Dec 20: “Keokuk (AP) — The death toll stood at 21 Monday in the Thanksgiving Eve explosion and fire that wrecked the National Guard Armory here. Mrs. Joan Smith, 39, of Keokuk died at Graham Hospital here during the night. Mrs. Betty Harnetiaux, 41, of Hamilton, Ill., died earlier Sunday [Dec 19] night. Both women suffered severe burns in the blast which ripped the armory apart while the Swing-Ezy Club was holding a square dance. Mrs. Smith had been in critical condition since the explosion. Mrs. ‘Harnetiaux, however, had been reported in fairly good condition before she suffered a relapse. Her husband was released from the hospital only last week.” (Muscatine Journal, IA. “Death Toll from Blast Rises to 21.” 12-20-1965, p. 14.)

 

Dec 22: “One of the youngest persons burned Thanksgiving eve when the Keokuk National Guard armory blew up, 8-year-old Ricky Thompson, is now able to sit up in his crib-type hospital bed. His brother, Randall, 12, was fatally injured in the blast, which has taken 21 lives. Ricky’s hospital room adjoins the burn ward where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Thompson, Hamilton, Ill., are receiving treatment. He will be released before his parents.” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. [No title, paper shows photo.] 12-22-1965, p. 5.)

 

March 1966: “….The total number of those who lost their lives remains at 21 and the condition of the burn victims who are located in a number of different hospitals, has been greatly improved

during the past month. Here is a list of those still hospitalized along with the hospital involved (in the event that you would like to drop any of these people a cheering note) and their most recent condition report.

 

University Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa

John Foley — condition good

Brooks General Hospital, Ward 14 A, Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas

Robert Anderson — condition good

Richard Davis —condition good

Don Hoambrecker — condition good

Jay Joy — condition good

Herman Smith — condition good

Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Illinois

Mrs. Nola Bennett — condition satisfactory

Graham Hospital, Keokuk, Iowa

Ruby Foley — condition good

Richard Thompson — Condition good

Doris Thompson — condition satisfactory

St. Joseph’s Hospital, Keokuk, Iowa

Chester Starr — condition good

Ray Summers — condition good….

 

(Sets in Order, Official Magazine of Square Dancing. “Report from Keokuk.” March 1966, 23.)

 

Summary of Fatalities

 

  1. Nov 24:  Mrs. Leonard (Deon Sue) Bryant, 30, Keokuk
  2. Nov 24:  Mr. Billy Bennett, Keokuk
  3. Nov 24:  Tony Bennett, 7, Keokuk.
  4. Nov 24:  Mrs. Louis Besser, Keokuk
  5. Nov 24:  Mrs. Ray (Alice) Summers, Keokuk
  6. Nov 24:  Mrs. Leo May, Keokuk
  7. Nov 24:  Carol Goodrich, Carthage, IL
  8. Nov 27:  Carl Goodrich, husband of Carol Goodrich, Carthage, IL
  9. Nov 27:  Mrs. Richard Davis, Keokuk
  10. Nov 27:  Mrs. Chester (Geraldine) Starr, Keokuk
  11. Nov 29:  Mrs. Violet Beckett, 49, Argyle (wife of Ray Beckett)
  12. Nov 30:  Mr. Leo May, 57, Keokuk (his wife died in the explosion and fire)
  13. Dec 01:  Mrs. Susan Hoambrecker, 33, Keokuk (wife of Don Hoambrecker)
  14. Dec 02:  Mr. Ray Beckett, Argyle
  15. Dec 03:  Ruth Anderson (wife of Robert Anderson)
  16. Dec 03:  Randall Thompson, 12, Keokuk
  17. Dec 06:  Mrs. Vera Pilkington, 44, Nauvoo, IL (wife of Ivan Pilkington)
  18. Dec 10:  Mrs. Jay Joy, 33, Keokuk
  19. Dec 13:  Mr. Louis Besser, Keokuk (his wife died in the initial blast and fire on Nov 24)
  20. Dec 19:  Mrs. Betty Harnetiaux, 41, Hamilton, IL (wife of Robert Harnetiaux)
  21. Dec 20:  Mrs. Joan Smith, 39, Keokuk (wife of Herman Smith)[3]

 

Sources

 

Ames Daily Tribune, IA. “17th victim dies of burns.” 12-7-1965, p. 6. Accessed 11-17-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=89449214&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Bugbee, Percy (NFPA General Manager). “Fire Protection Developments in 1965,” National Fire Protection Association Fire Journal, Vol. 60, No. 2, March 1966, p. 52.

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Death Toll in Keokuk Blast Climbs to 10.” 11-27-1965, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46182540&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Death Toll in Keokuk Climbs to 12.” 12-1-1965, p. 2C. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=42110269&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Eleventh Blast Victim Dies, 22 Still Critical.” 11-29-1965, p. 5. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46182625&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Fiery Death For 7 in Keokuk.” 11-25-1965, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46182484&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Blast Ends Anniversary Plans.” 12-4-1965, p. 7. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46182732&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Blast Triggered by Water Heater.” 12-3-19654, p. 23. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46182723&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Keokuk Dance Blast Toll Climbs to 13.” 12-2-1965, p. 3C. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=42110304&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. “Seven Airlifted to Burn Center.” 11-30-1965, p. 8A. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=42110235&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA. [No title, paper shows photo.] 12-22-1965, p. 5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=46183234&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Daily Gate City, Keokuk, IA. “3 more die; blast experts probe ruins.” 11-27-1965, p. 1. Accessed at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bryant/obits/Bryant_Deon_Sue.html

 

Daily Gate City, Keokuk, IA. “Mrs. Leonard Bryant.” 11-26-1965, p. 5. Accessed 11-18-2014 at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bryant/obits/Bryant_Deon_Sue.html

 

Daily Gate City, Keokuk, IA (Joe Malkin). “National Guard Explosion Keokuk’s greatest tragedy.” 12-31-1965. Accessed 11-18-2014 at: http://www3.gendisasters.com/iowa/4052/keokuk,-ia-armory-explosion,-nov-1965

 

Gaudet, Robert E. “Chicago Tavern Fire,” Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association), Vol. 60. No. 2, March 1966, pp. 24-25.

 

Globe Gazette, Mason City, IA. “Explosion at Keokuk takes its 19th life.” 12-13-1965, p. 2. At:

http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91298460&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Globe Gazette, Mason City, IA. “Gas Co. men barred from site of blast.” 12-9-1965, p. 2. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91298427&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Muscatine Journal, IA. “Authorities Seek Cause of Keokuk Armory Blast.” 11-26-1965, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=96809415&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Muscatine Journal, IA. “Death Toll From Blast Rises to 21.” 12-20-1965, p. 14. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=96809808&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Muscatine Journal, IA. “Jay Joy’s Wife Dies at Keokuk.” 12-11-1965, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=96809666&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

Muscatine Journal, IA. “Yuletide Opportunity.” 12-6-1965, Editorial Page. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=96809574&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)

 

Sets in Order, Official Magazine of Square Dancing. “Report from Keokuk.” March 1966, p. 23. Accessed 11-18-2014 at: http://digitaldu.coalliance.org/fedora/repository/codu%3A60611/SIO196603.pdf

 

Sunday News-Globe, Amarillo, TX. “2 More Victims of Explosion Die.” 12-5-1965, p. 2. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=227138928&sterm=keokuk+explosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Mrs. Deon Sue Bryant, 30, born in Argyle. Daily Gate City, Keokuk. “Mrs. Leonard Bryant.” 11-26-1965, p.5.

[2] The Daily Gate City, Keokuk, IA. “3 more die; blast experts probe ruins.” 11-27-1965, p. 1.

[3] Daily Gate City, Keokuk, IA (Joe Malkin). “National Guard Explosion Keokuk’s greatest tragedy.” 12-31-1965.