The Tragedy in Texas Even a world inured to disasters
was horrified by the news that on Thursday the London Consolidated School, at New London, Texas, had been demolished by an explosion which had killed an unknown number of children and teachers. The school was said to be the largest of its kind in the world. The demolished building had contained 700 pupils. Early estimates put the number killed at 670 ; the death-roll closed at 455. At first the tragedy was thought to have been caused by the explosion of a boiler ; but on Monday the Military Board enquiring into the disaster was told that the school had been heated not by steam but by gas tapped from a pipe-line carrying waste gas belonging to the Parade Oil Company. The United Gas Company had warned the School Board of the danger of using that type of gas. An engineer had said it was criminal to use that method of heating in a building not specially designed for the purpose. The disaster seems therefore to be explained, though responsibility for it has still to be driven home.
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