OBITUARY - Plain Dealer, Wabash (IN) - May 8, 1948:
Tragedy struck Wabash county Friday as one Wabash man died about 10 o'clock and another lies critically ill in the Wabash County hospital suffering from severe burns obtained in what was believed to have been either a flash fire or explosion Thursday evening about about 5:15 o'clock at the Celotex corporation, Lagro.
The dead man is Luther Ray, 28 years old, 645 Washington street, Wabash.
The injured man is John Trueblood, 56 years old, Lagro. They were injured in an accident while working in the boiler room of the plant. Mr. Trueblood being the fireman and Mr. Ray, the fireman's helper.
Although there were actually no witnesses to the scene of the accident verious theories have been developed concerning the cause of the explosion, officials disclosed. One theory was that as the men were dropping ashes into the boiler pit, evidently coal gas which had accumulated there ignited and burst out in a puff of flame, while another theory is that there may have been an accumulation of powdered coal, which is very explosive when mixed with air and when workmen dumped the grates the two mixed thus causing the explosion
Only minor damage was done to the room itself. Theories also developed as to what the men, whose clothes were aflame, actually did when the accident occurred. Mr. Ray is believed to have run from the boiler room outside the plant and jumped into a small pool in an affort to extinguish the flames. This story grew from the fact that his wallet had been found in the pool Friday morning.
Mr. Ray suffered very severe burns over every portion of his body except his feet and it was understood that when the ambulance attendant reached the scene Ray's clothing was so burned that only his belt remained in tact.
Mr. Trueblood is in a critical condition, however, has retained consciousness since the accident. He is believed to have run from the boiler room into an adjoining room where a fellow worker extinguished his flaming clothing. He was to undergo a blood transfusion Friday morning. Ed Treska, Lagro, was the doner. Dale Pool, production and technical supervisor of the plant, remained with the injured men at the hospital during the night and was relieved Friday morning by Julius Knolmeyer, the personel manager.
Mr. Trueblood had been an employe of the Celotex plant for about a year while Mr. Ray had started to work there only April 27. Previous to that he was employed in Georgia and in the General Electric company in Wabash.
The decedent was born Nov. 2, 1919 in the city of Wabash to Earl Frederick and Catherine Ray. He attended Wabash schools and was well-known as a musician.
He was a member of the North Side Evangelical United Brethren church and for two and a half years served as an evangelist.
In addition to the parents he is survived by two brothers, one a twin, Lester V., Wabash, and Robert Maxwell at home, three sisters, Marian Louise Ray, at home, Mrs. Betty Ann Baker, Silver Lake, and Mrs. Maxine Sporleder, Chicago, and one nephew.
The Wire funeral home is making funeral arrangements which will be announced after word has been received from distant relatives.
Tragedy struck Wabash county Friday as one Wabash man died about 10 o'clock and another lies critically ill in the Wabash County hospital suffering from severe burns obtained in what was believed to have been either a flash fire or explosion Thursday evening about about 5:15 o'clock at the Celotex corporation, Lagro.
The dead man is Luther Ray, 28 years old, 645 Washington street, Wabash.
The injured man is John Trueblood, 56 years old, Lagro. They were injured in an accident while working in the boiler room of the plant. Mr. Trueblood being the fireman and Mr. Ray, the fireman's helper.
Although there were actually no witnesses to the scene of the accident verious theories have been developed concerning the cause of the explosion, officials disclosed. One theory was that as the men were dropping ashes into the boiler pit, evidently coal gas which had accumulated there ignited and burst out in a puff of flame, while another theory is that there may have been an accumulation of powdered coal, which is very explosive when mixed with air and when workmen dumped the grates the two mixed thus causing the explosion
Only minor damage was done to the room itself. Theories also developed as to what the men, whose clothes were aflame, actually did when the accident occurred. Mr. Ray is believed to have run from the boiler room outside the plant and jumped into a small pool in an affort to extinguish the flames. This story grew from the fact that his wallet had been found in the pool Friday morning.
Mr. Ray suffered very severe burns over every portion of his body except his feet and it was understood that when the ambulance attendant reached the scene Ray's clothing was so burned that only his belt remained in tact.
Mr. Trueblood is in a critical condition, however, has retained consciousness since the accident. He is believed to have run from the boiler room into an adjoining room where a fellow worker extinguished his flaming clothing. He was to undergo a blood transfusion Friday morning. Ed Treska, Lagro, was the doner. Dale Pool, production and technical supervisor of the plant, remained with the injured men at the hospital during the night and was relieved Friday morning by Julius Knolmeyer, the personel manager.
Mr. Trueblood had been an employe of the Celotex plant for about a year while Mr. Ray had started to work there only April 27. Previous to that he was employed in Georgia and in the General Electric company in Wabash.
The decedent was born Nov. 2, 1919 in the city of Wabash to Earl Frederick and Catherine Ray. He attended Wabash schools and was well-known as a musician.
He was a member of the North Side Evangelical United Brethren church and for two and a half years served as an evangelist.
In addition to the parents he is survived by two brothers, one a twin, Lester V., Wabash, and Robert Maxwell at home, three sisters, Marian Louise Ray, at home, Mrs. Betty Ann Baker, Silver Lake, and Mrs. Maxine Sporleder, Chicago, and one nephew.
The Wire funeral home is making funeral arrangements which will be announced after word has been received from distant relatives.
OBITUARY - Plain Dealer, Wabash (IN) - May 8, 1948:
Tragedy struck Wabash county Friday as one Wabash man died about 10 o'clock and another lies critically ill in the Wabash County hospital suffering from severe burns obtained in what was believed to have been either a flash fire or explosion Thursday evening about about 5:15 o'clock at the Celotex corporation, Lagro.
The dead man is Luther Ray, 28 years old, 645 Washington street, Wabash.
The injured man is John Trueblood, 56 years old, Lagro. They were injured in an accident while working in the boiler room of the plant. Mr. Trueblood being the fireman and Mr. Ray, the fireman's helper.
Although there were actually no witnesses to the scene of the accident verious theories have been developed concerning the cause of the explosion, officials disclosed. One theory was that as the men were dropping ashes into the boiler pit, evidently coal gas which had accumulated there ignited and burst out in a puff of flame, while another theory is that there may have been an accumulation of powdered coal, which is very explosive when mixed with air and when workmen dumped the grates the two mixed thus causing the explosion
Only minor damage was done to the room itself. Theories also developed as to what the men, whose clothes were aflame, actually did when the accident occurred. Mr. Ray is believed to have run from the boiler room outside the plant and jumped into a small pool in an affort to extinguish the flames. This story grew from the fact that his wallet had been found in the pool Friday morning.
Mr. Ray suffered very severe burns over every portion of his body except his feet and it was understood that when the ambulance attendant reached the scene Ray's clothing was so burned that only his belt remained in tact.
Mr. Trueblood is in a critical condition, however, has retained consciousness since the accident. He is believed to have run from the boiler room into an adjoining room where a fellow worker extinguished his flaming clothing. He was to undergo a blood transfusion Friday morning. Ed Treska, Lagro, was the doner. Dale Pool, production and technical supervisor of the plant, remained with the injured men at the hospital during the night and was relieved Friday morning by Julius Knolmeyer, the personel manager.
Mr. Trueblood had been an employe of the Celotex plant for about a year while Mr. Ray had started to work there only April 27. Previous to that he was employed in Georgia and in the General Electric company in Wabash.
The decedent was born Nov. 2, 1919 in the city of Wabash to Earl Frederick and Catherine Ray. He attended Wabash schools and was well-known as a musician.
He was a member of the North Side Evangelical United Brethren church and for two and a half years served as an evangelist.
In addition to the parents he is survived by two brothers, one a twin, Lester V., Wabash, and Robert Maxwell at home, three sisters, Marian Louise Ray, at home, Mrs. Betty Ann Baker, Silver Lake, and Mrs. Maxine Sporleder, Chicago, and one nephew.
The Wire funeral home is making funeral arrangements which will be announced after word has been received from distant relatives.
Tragedy struck Wabash county Friday as one Wabash man died about 10 o'clock and another lies critically ill in the Wabash County hospital suffering from severe burns obtained in what was believed to have been either a flash fire or explosion Thursday evening about about 5:15 o'clock at the Celotex corporation, Lagro.
The dead man is Luther Ray, 28 years old, 645 Washington street, Wabash.
The injured man is John Trueblood, 56 years old, Lagro. They were injured in an accident while working in the boiler room of the plant. Mr. Trueblood being the fireman and Mr. Ray, the fireman's helper.
Although there were actually no witnesses to the scene of the accident verious theories have been developed concerning the cause of the explosion, officials disclosed. One theory was that as the men were dropping ashes into the boiler pit, evidently coal gas which had accumulated there ignited and burst out in a puff of flame, while another theory is that there may have been an accumulation of powdered coal, which is very explosive when mixed with air and when workmen dumped the grates the two mixed thus causing the explosion
Only minor damage was done to the room itself. Theories also developed as to what the men, whose clothes were aflame, actually did when the accident occurred. Mr. Ray is believed to have run from the boiler room outside the plant and jumped into a small pool in an affort to extinguish the flames. This story grew from the fact that his wallet had been found in the pool Friday morning.
Mr. Ray suffered very severe burns over every portion of his body except his feet and it was understood that when the ambulance attendant reached the scene Ray's clothing was so burned that only his belt remained in tact.
Mr. Trueblood is in a critical condition, however, has retained consciousness since the accident. He is believed to have run from the boiler room into an adjoining room where a fellow worker extinguished his flaming clothing. He was to undergo a blood transfusion Friday morning. Ed Treska, Lagro, was the doner. Dale Pool, production and technical supervisor of the plant, remained with the injured men at the hospital during the night and was relieved Friday morning by Julius Knolmeyer, the personel manager.
Mr. Trueblood had been an employe of the Celotex plant for about a year while Mr. Ray had started to work there only April 27. Previous to that he was employed in Georgia and in the General Electric company in Wabash.
The decedent was born Nov. 2, 1919 in the city of Wabash to Earl Frederick and Catherine Ray. He attended Wabash schools and was well-known as a musician.
He was a member of the North Side Evangelical United Brethren church and for two and a half years served as an evangelist.
In addition to the parents he is survived by two brothers, one a twin, Lester V., Wabash, and Robert Maxwell at home, three sisters, Marian Louise Ray, at home, Mrs. Betty Ann Baker, Silver Lake, and Mrs. Maxine Sporleder, Chicago, and one nephew.
The Wire funeral home is making funeral arrangements which will be announced after word has been received from distant relatives.
Bio by: Friends of Falls Cemetery
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