Headline News: Pipeline Explosion , Natchitoches Parish Louisiana Source: Natchitoches Times Thursday, March 11, 1965 Submitted By: Kay Thompson - Brown ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** TIPS FOR SEARCHING RECORDS ON THE INTERNET Netscape & Ms Explorer users: If you are searching for a particular surname, locality or date while going through the records in the archives or anywhere....try these few steps: 1. Go to the top of the report you are searching. 2. Click on EDIT at the top of your screen 3. Next click on FIND in the edit menu. 4. When the square pops up, enter what you are looking for in the FIND WHAT ___________blank. 5. Click on DIRECTION __DOWN. 6. And last click on FIND NEXT and continue to click on FIND NEXT until you reach the end of the report. This should highlight the item that you indicated in "find what" every place it appears in the report. You must continue to click on FIND NEXT till you reach the end of the report to see all of the locations of the item indicated. 17 DIE IN PIPELINE EXPLOSION AND FIRE, LARGEST DISASTER IN HISTORY OF THE INDUSTRY Investigation is Underway To Determine Cause of TGP Rupture Natchitoches residents are slowly recovering from the shock of the tragedy which drew nation wide attention to this area last week. Major topic of conversation though out parish is still however, the pipeline explosion which claimed 17 lives early Thursday morning. Investigation of the blast, the largest disaster in the history of then natural gas transmission industry is still underway by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., and teams of investigators representing the Federal Power Commission, private firms, and state and local authorities. The pipeline company, an operating division of Tennessee Gas Transmission Company, requested an independent metallurgist to conduct a probe. High Pressure Line The explosion occurred at 6:03 a.m. in TGP's 24-inch high pressure pipeline which extends from the TGP plant on Oak Grove Road northeasterly toward Grand Ecore. Plant personnel, who reported the pipeline was operating on a normal discharge pressure and had been for several hours, immediately shut the valve at the plant and men were dispatched to Grand Ecore to close the next valve on the other side of the line break. After the two valves were closed, isolating that eight mile section of pipe, it took approximately 30 minutes for the gas remaining in the ruptured section to burn itself out. There was no construction underway on the line and nothing else in the operation was out of the ordinary that TGP officials can determine would contribute to the catastrophe. Established Procedures The damaged section of the pipeline will be replaced with one-third inch pipe instead of one-quarter inch pipe, but will not be placed back in service until it has been thoroughly tested. This is in accordance with established procedures which have proved satisfactory throughout the pipeline industry. George Segler of New York, staff member for the American Gas Assn, said that the fact the pipe did not rupture with a bell shape opening or with the pipe bent upwards pointing the gas flow upwards indicated an unusual aspect of the Natchitoches blowout. He said that he would suspect a "wrinkle bend" was involved in the pipeline failure. Five Houses Four occupied houses and one unoccupied house in a small community just across Highway 1 from the Natchitoches Country Club were destroyed in the blast and subsequent fire. The line ruptured between two parallel country lanes leading from the highway, but houses west of the blast escaped because the force of the burning gas was directed like a blowtorch flame toward the eastern group. A large crater was created by the explosion When the fires died down, a morgue was set up at the National Guard Armory and corpses were taken there to facilitate identification. Sheriff's deputies, Civil Defense Auxiliary Police, City Police, and State Police assisted the local funeral homes with the gruesome task. Dr. Charles Cook, parish coroner, said 16 human torsos had definitely been catalogued, and there is no doubt that 17 persons died. Positive identification of most was impossible, but care was exercised so that families or occupants of the separate houses were determined. Victims of the tragedy were Mrs. Ola Dean Barbo, 19; Sonya Barbo, 4; Sandra Elaine Barbo, 2; Donald Barbo Jr., eight months; J. R. Rond, 42; Mrs. J. R. Rond, 40; Charles Rond, 14; Danny Rond, 9; Louis Gilcrease, 44; Mrs.. Willie Ammons, 28; David Eugene Ammons, three months; Mrs. Lawson Antley, 47; Jack Van Meter, 32; Mrs. Jack Van Meter, 23; Ruthie Michelle Van Meter, 2; Melody Van Meter, 3; and Renee Van Meter, 6. Funeral Rites Funeral services for Mrs. Barbo and her children were conducted in the Calvary Baptist Church at 1 p.m. Friday. Three hours later, services for the Rond family were held in the United Pentecostal Church, and Saturday at 2 p.m. services were conducted for the Van Meter family and Mrs. Antley. The funeral for Mrs. Ammons and her infant son was at 10 a.m. Saturday. All were buried in the Calvary Cemetery. Saturday, services were also held at 10 a.m. for Louis Gilcrease, who was interred in the Old Gilcrease Cemetery. Survivors of the victims are listed below by families: BARBO Mrs. Barbo is survived by her husband, Donald Barbo of Natchitoches; a brother, Roland Rond of Houston, Tex; two sisters, Mrs.. Rita Carpenter of Natchitoches and Mrs. Audrey Oxley of Jonesville. Her children are survived by their grandparents, Mrs. And Mrs.. J.B. Barbo in addition to their father. ROND Mr. and Mrs. Rond are survived by two daughters, Mrs. Rita Carpenter of Natchitoches and Mrs. Audrey Oxley of Jonesville; a son, Roland Rond of Houston, Tx. Mr. Rond is also survived by five brothers, J.S. Rond and Fred Rond, both of Hobbs, N.M. Wilmer Rond of Pitkin, and Otis and Ted Rond of Shreveport; a sister Mrs.. Alphie Gilcrease of Pitkin; his father, Sanders Rond of Shreveport, and five grandchildren. Mrs. Rond is also survived by a brother, L.E. Jordan of Natchitoches; three sisters, Mrs. Ollie Bynog and Mrs. Mildred Dowden, both of Houston, Tx. And Mrs. Dorothy Longaria of Zwolle; a half-sister, Ruthie Milstead of Zwolle. VAN METER Mr. and Mrs. Van Meter are survived by a son, Craig S. Van Meter of Natchitoches. He is also survived by his mother, Mrs.. Edna Mims Van Meter of Shreveport; a sister Mrs. Marvin Shirley of Lindrith, N.M.; five brothers, Frank Van Meter of Knoxville, Tenn., Jan Van Meter of Dumas, Ark., Gerald Van Meter of Portland, Ore., Hampton Van Meter of Morgan City, Bobby Van Meter of Mountain Home, Idaho. Mrs. Van Meter is also survived by her father, Lawson Antley of Natchitoches; and a brother, Alvin L Antley of Bloomfield, N.M. ANTLEY Mrs. Antley is survived by her husband, Lawson Antley; a son, Alvin Antley of Bloomfield, N.M.; her stepmother, Mrs. Pearl Finch of Alexandria; three sisters, Mrs. Mattie Wilkerson of Natchitoches, Mrs.. Melwyn Longworth and Mrs.. Louise Schweizenger, both of Alexandria; three brothers, Albert Finch of Natchitoches and Fabe and Guy Finch of Lake Charles; and four grandchildren. GILCREASE Mr. Gilcrease is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Betty Dunlap and Mrs. Marilyn Doyal, both of Shreveport; two sisters, Mrs. Oma Gass of Pineville and Mrs. Ola Gass of Hobbs N.M.; tow half brothers, Bryant Gilcrease of Natchitoches and S.G. Gilcrease of Hobbs; and four grandchildren