Grayson County TXGenWeb

Coleman County Chronicle

FORMER COLEMAN COUPLE ARE VICTIMS OF EXPLOSION
Coleman people were shocked Wednesday morning when it was announced over the radio that Mr. and Mrs. John Marshall of Sherman were victims of the twin explosion which occurred in Denison Tuesday evening late. 32 persons were burned, 14 critically and Mr. Marshall died Wednesday morning at 3 o'clock.
Mr. Marshall, the former Mrs. Bertha Cameron Snodgrass of Coleman, was horribly burned, it was stated in a message received here Wednesday afternoon late, but was conscious.
Mr. Marshall was a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. He never lived in Coleman, but has visited here many times. Mrs. Marshall owned considerable property in Coleman.
A later message stated that she died this morning (Thursday) at 10 o'clock and her funeral will be held in Coleman Saturday.
Mrs. Frankie Sedwick and Joe Dibrell left for Denison Wednesday morning soon after hearing of the tragedy.

Denison, November 21 - At least 32 persons were burned, 14 critically, in twin explosions which occurred here late Tuesday following a collision between a butane gas tank truck and an automobile containing Mr. and Mrs. John Marshall of Sherman and Mrs. R.B. Marshall of Dallas collided in the northeast part of town. The collision apparently knocked the cap from the butane tank.
said flames engulfed victims more than half a block away, and that the second explosion, much greater than the first, rocked homes all over a wide area and blew the warehouse of a grocery store, a block from the scene, to bits.
Fire scorched a number of homes in the vicinity and one residence burned to the ground.
Police Chief Paul Borum called the explosion the worst in the city's history.
Jeff Whitfield of Denison, driver of the truck escaped with light injuries. He said a moment after the collision he jumped from the truck and ran, shouting for other persons in the vicinity to do likewise.
The Herald, in reconstructing the accident, said the collision on the northwest edge of Denison, was believed to have knocked the cap off the butane tank of the truck. A few seconds after the vehicles collided a train passed the intersection, the newspaper stated, and sparks from the engine were thought to have ignited the gas.
An elderly man, who was waiting for a bus, began running away from the scene but flames from the second explosion enveloped him when he was more than half a block away and his set clothing afire, the newspaper stated.