Today, March 18th, marks the anniversary of the 1937 New London School explosion, the single deadliest school disaster in US history.
Natural gas lines under the Texas school led to explosion that killed 295 students and teachers, at 3:17 PM.
Natural gas lines under the Texas school led to explosion that killed 295 students and teachers, at 3:17 PM.
Natural gas lines for heating were run under the school that took residual gas from oil wells ("wet gas") that would otherwise have been flared off. The feed was inconsistent, unregulated, which led to accumulation of gas under the school. Trigger was probably electric sander.
1st through 4th grades had been let out early, but there was a PTA meeting in the gymnasium. Many of the students were from transient oilfield families, so identification of bodies was hard to confirm.
The force of the blast threw a 2 ton block of concrete slab 200 ft (60 m) into a 1936 Chevrolet. Of the 500 or so students and teachers at the school, fewer than 100 survived without serious injury. It wiped out an entire generation in the little Texas town.
A letter of condolence by telegram from German Chancellor Adolf Hitler is on display at the New London Museum.
A large cenotaph marks the site of the disaster. A new school was built just behind the location of the original.
The Texas legislature instituted a requirement that thiols/mercaptans (organic sulfurs) be added to all natural gas so that it could easily be detected.
The Texas legislature instituted a requirement that thiols/mercaptans (organic sulfurs) be added to all natural gas so that it could easily be detected.
