The Pittsburgh gasometer explosion, or
Equitable Gas
EQT Corporation is an American energy company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and pipeline transport. It is headquartered in EQT Plaza in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
EQT is the largest natural gas producer in the Appalachian Basin with 19.802 ...
explosion, was an accident that took place in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
on the morning of November 14, 1927.
A huge cylindrical
gasometer
A gas holder or gasholder, also known as a gasometer, is a large container in which natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressu ...
, the largest in the world at that time at , developed a leak, and repairmen were sent to fix it. The exact cause of the explosion is not known, but some of those repairing the leak were using acetylene torches.
There was a loud explosion, and three gasometers at the site exploded.
A "dense mass of dust and smoke" rose from the ruins before igniting into a ball of fire reported as 100 feet in diameter, which rose further before burning out at a height of 1000 feet.
Most buildings within a radius of half a mile were damaged, with windows being broken a mile away,
causing upwards of $4 million worth of damage.
It was reported that the explosion "caused lofty downtown skyscrapers to tremble and sway as if hit by an earthquake".
28 people were killed and hundreds were injured.
References
External links
Gas explosions in 1927 on Pittsburgh’s North SideBehind this picture lies a tragic storyGolden Memories – Gas Explosion of 1927Firsthand account of explosionPITTSBURGH STORAGE GAS TANK EXPLODES; MANY DIE, 500 HURT; SQUARE MILE OF CITY IN RUINSThree Tragedies That Changed PittsburghPittsburgh History: 1927 gas tank explosion
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Explosions in 1927
Gas explosions in the United States
History of Pittsburgh
1927 in Pennsylvania