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GAS EXPLOSION SHOCKS BLAKELY
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This picture was taken about 10 minutes after the explosion. Through the screen of smoke,
flames can be seen rolling into the sky. The street (in foreground) was completely covered
with debris from the explosion. Glass Service Center can be seen at left of photo.
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Large steel beams and concrete blocks were blown into the street. In the background the west
wall of Glass Service Center was demolished.
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Jack Clifton's house, located across the street from IXvenport’s, received the full force of
the blast. Mrs. Clifton and their 2 1/2 year old daughter who were in the house at the time
received only minor injuries.
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Black smoke boils from the basement of Davenport Motor Go. Although the flames were
under control before noon, water was poured on the area all day.
Citizens reported “all the
lights in Blakely" went out just
as the explosion went off.
' ‘1 ran to the window and look
ed out and the mushroom going up
was like an atomic bomb,” one
woman reported. "It was gray
white in color and the edges
looked a little pink. The whole
mushroom was full of debris.”
What some citizens thought
were “birds” in the mushroom
was actually debris from the
Davenport firm and it was car
ried out as far as three miles
from here.
Impacts of the explosion—
both physical and emotional—
were felt for many miles around.
City Returning To
Normal Following Blast
Blakely businessmen and employees in the stores of the
downtown area of Blakely were shocked and baffled Tuesday
morning as they found their plate glass store fronts shattered,
stock on the floor, and some stores with the back doors out also,
allowing a strong northeast wind to whirl through the buildings.
Some found the ceilings were buckled, others found the lighting
I fixtures disconnected.
But in an orderly fashion, each group began to pick up the glass,
» start sweeping out the stores and restacking the merchandise.
The city crews came by regularly removing the glass con
stantly, as it was piled on the sidewalk. As the amount dwindled
4 doA'n to piles of small glass chips the city crews used shovels
J and stiff brooms.
J The chaos that reigned at 8 a.m. had subsided by 10 and most of
« the debris had been removed by noon. Plywood, plastic sheets
* and other materials were being erected along the sidewalks
I to "close in” the stores.
One week later only a few buildings remain boarded up and
» probably the glass for these will be delivered soon.
Two families have had to find another place to live. It will
J be several weeks before the Edward Toole’s and Jack Clifton’s
can occupy their homes and the S. A. White’s will have to
vacate their dwelling while repairs are being made. Baxley
Clinic is being restored.
All who were Injured during the explosion are reported to
be back on the job except Greg Rabon who is improving in South
eastern General Hospital, Dothan, Alabama.
- TUESDAY, JAN. 27 -
An early morning explosion
here in Blakely TYiesday at 7;40
o’clock claimed two lives and in
jured six others and did dam
ages to the downtown business
area expected to run Into hun
dreds of thousands of dollars.
Killed instantly were J. Her
man Clarke, 58, and Edward Deal,
36. Hospitalized were Jerry
Love, 21 and Greg Rabon, 20.
Love is in Early Memorial Hos
pital, and Rabon was transfer
red to a Dothan hospital after
receiving emergency treatment
at the local hospital. Less ser
iously injured were Mrs. Jack
Clifton, whose home across the
street from the explosion, was
practically demolished, Greg
Santez, 22, Grady Gilbert, 50,
and Mrs. Nell (handler, who
was riding by in her car when
the tragedy took place.
The explosion came shortly
before the stores opened and only
a few people were on the street
i or the casualty figures might
i have been higher, an investigating
officer stated.
Mrs. Nell Chandler had just
let Jerry Love out at the Piggly
Wiggly. Just as she pulled off
the explosion occurred, shatter
ing the windows and badly dam
aging the left side of the -car.
Jerry reported that he was
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Office equipment, building blocks and tires are seen In the
foreground at the Davenport Motor Co- site.
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Mrs. Nell Chandler was passing by In this automobile which
was badly damaged by the blast. The impact of the explosion
shattered the windows and badly scarred the left side of the car.
As soon as the flames were under control, crews began
clearing the debris from the streets with tractors and a pay
loader from Great Northern Paper Company.
thrown about 20 yards by the
blast. Although he was con
scious he couldn’t move at first
and watched wood, bricks and
debris fall all around him.
Greg Sanetz was walking to
ward the building when the blast
blew him about 20 yards. He
reported that he saw Greg Rabon
run from the building all burned.
.Sanetz said that if he had not
stopped for some cigarettes, he
could have very well been killed.
The Davenport Motor Company
& Re-Capping Shop, where the
explosion occurred, was com
pletely demolished and leveled
to the ground. The explosion
and inferno which followed was
caused by two LP gas trucks
in the motor company for re
pairs. They evidently had been
leaking all night filling the build
ing with the lethal fumes. Some
how these became ignited when
Mj> .Clark, Davenport manager,
and Mr. Deal, manager of the
gas company across the street,
started to enter the building.
The noise was heard as far as
twenty or more miles away, and
smoke billowed skyward like an
atom bomb had been touched off
eye witnesses stated. Glass
store fronts were shattered in
nearly every building and stores
in downtown Blakely. The county
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Fire fighting continued throughout the morning to keep the flames under control. Colquitt,
Arlington and Cuthbert gave assistance in fighting the blaze.
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The car in the foreground, belonging to Greg Rabon, was demolished. Rabon miraculously
survived the blast and escaped from the car with burns on his face and arms.
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Royce Davenport and an unidentified by-stander overlook the pile of rubble and debris left
by the explosion.
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Glass Recap Company lost the entire east wall and the materials In the Recap Shop.
courthouse, seated in the city’s
center, and located only a block
and one-half from the Magnolia
Street disaster, had nearly every
window, door and screen blown
out. All of the downtown area
had the appearance of having been
hit by a bomb. Homes in the Mag
nolia Street area reported broken
ceiling and shattered windows.
The Piggly-Wiggly Supermarket,
located diagonally across the
street from the Davenport build
ing, and the Glass Service Cen-
ter, reported extensive damage,
as well as another station next
door eastward. Dr. Warren C.
Baxley’s offices just two doors
down was reported badly dam
aged. He was forced to set