Obit of Conner, Henry Thomas - Beckham County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Rob Walker 16 Sep 2021 Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.htm ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Sayre-Doxey Cemetery--Sayre OK FYI - There is another Henry Thomas Conner in Beckham county with a posted obit already but he is a totally different person from this Henry Thomas Conner. The Sayre Headlight, Thursday, October 29, 1936 pg 4 School Building Wing Is Demolished by Blast Custodian Is Victim of Accident Here Fri- Day;(sic) Second Man Escapes By Odd Mircle(sic) One man was killed and second escaped miraclously(sic) in a terrific gas explosion here early Friday morning at the new junior highschool building. H. T. Conner, 55-year-old janitor, was killed instantly when he attempted to check a gas leak in the new building, and a jarring blast followed, unroofing the entire south wing of the school building and shattered its east wall. E. T. Laney, about 50 years old. a WPA worker, who was in the room at the was dazed by the explosion with only minor scratches and bruises. Conner literally was mangled by the blast, which was heard for five or six miles around and rocked buildings throughout the town. His body was found lying several feet outside the building among the debris. A coroner's inquest was being held at the Klilough(sic)-Hullum funeral home where his body was taken after the accident and the jury held the death was caused by an accidental cause. The inquest was held by County Attorney Lisle G. Brewer. Occurred at 7:30 The accident occurred about 7:30 Friday morning when Conner, who has been a janitor in the Sayre public schools for a number of years, went into the southeast room of the building to test for leaking gas. He struck a match, Laney, the only eye witness, said, and the leak at one one of the jets ignited a large quantity of gas believed to have escaped in a main and formed under the room floor. Laney, who was rendered unconscious by the resulting blast, believed that the leaky jet being tested was not the point of the greatest explosion but the greatest was under the floor. "If I hadn't been in the corner where I was when it happened, I would have gone , too." he said. Laney was sitting in the northeast corner of the room when the explosion occurred. Unroofs South Wing The blast blew out all the roof over that room and shattered the roof on the remainder of the south wing. The east wall was strewn over the ground east of the building in a big heap and the timbers torn to splinters. The windows in the entire south wing were knocked clean (sic) the frame work of the building cracked and thrown out of line. It was revealed that the plumbing was completed on an individual contract and was not a part of the WPA work. First persons at the scene of the accident reported that a large partition had pinned Laney among the debris and that he crawled out of the wreckage without assistance when wreckage was raised off him. He went home and later was taken to a local physicians office and given first aid treatment. Had the accident occurred only a few minutes later, an even more serious tragedy probably would have occurred, for classwork was scheduled to have been started in that wing Friday morning and the room would have been filled with junior highschool students by 9 o'clock. All the preliminary work preparatory to the start of class work in the damaged rooms was completed Thursday afternoon. It was reported Friday by Supt. Roy H. Emans that the gas system in that building had been checked twice by local inspectors and certificates were held by authorities as proof, absolving them of any charge of negligence. The room had been used for several days by WPA workers and a fire had been going in the room during that time. Mr. Laney had arrived early and went in the room to keep warm. A gas steam stove in the room was burned all day Thursday, when desks and school equipment were being moved into the wing in preparation for the start of school work. Billy Carter and Ray Lowry students in highschool who are employed as National Youth adminstration(sic) workers, were in the building only a few minutes before the accident. They had gone into the building searching for Mr. Conner to receive instructions as to their duties before school work started. Smelled Gas Billy Carter told Superintendent Emans that he had gone into the room where the explosion occurred a few minutes later and reported that he thought he smelled gas but was not curtain. He left and went to the highschool building where he found Mr. Conner and received his instructions. Mr. Conner left immediately for the new building to light the heaters. It was reported that the doors of the building were open at the time. "I do not know what other precautions could have been taken to prevent the accident," Superintendent Emans said in explaining that the gas system had been approved in two previous inspections. He dismissed school Friday to pay tribute to the deceased. Survived By Widow Mr. Conner is survived by his widow, Mrs. H. T. Conner, and two sons, John and Edwin. It was revealed at the inquest that Mr. Laney was sitting by a lighted stove in the northeast corner of the room when the accident occurred. It was report that when Mr. Conner came into the room he complained of smelling gas and started in search for the leak. When the leaking jet was found about 25 feet from where Laney was sitting, lighted a match and the explosion resulted, bearing out the belief that the pocket of gas was stored under the floor. No Funeral arrangements had been made late this afternoon. The Sayre Sun, Thursday, October 29, 1936 pg 1 Services for Explosion Victim Are Held Saturday in School Building City Schools Closed for Week While Gas Pipes Undergo Complete Checking Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Whitehurst school auditorium for Henry T. Conner, 65-year-old school janitor killed in a gas explosion at the junior highschool building Friday morning, with Evangelist Lloyd Smith, Church of Christ, officiating. Hundreds filled the auditorium and the faculty attended in a body to pay last respects to a man whose death probably prevented many others. The explosion occurred at 7:28 o'clock Friday morning when Conner was preparing the newly completed south wing of the junior highschool building for occupancy . . . . 80 school children were to swarm into the two rooms at 8:30 o'clock. Emmitt Laney, WPA worker, who had arrived early for work and Conner were the only ones in the two rooms. Laney was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall warming by the radiator. Conner smelled gas and began testing the pipe joints near the radiators with a match. "I've found it!" he said to Laney when he saw a blue flame shoot up the pipe from the hole in the floor. Then there was a deafening blast that shook the town. Conner was blown high into the air and his mangled body was found lying on top of a partition. A wall fell on top of Laney and protected him from being blown to bits. He was found only the soles of his shoes showing under the debris. The injuries Laney sustained were shock, bruises and dust filled lungs. He has not fully recuperated. The blast laid the two rooms level and it is considered a miracle that Laney escaped with his life. The explosion is believed to have been caused by an accumulation of gas under the floor and inside the walls. This gas is thought to have escaped from faulty pipes beneath the building. Had not Conner set if off with a match it would have been only a matter of time until the gas reached the lighted radiators. An hour later the room would have been filled with students. Ed Pope, Sr., WPA building superintendent, said he had the gas pipes under the building tested once during construction of the building and second time when the pipes for the new gymnasium building were checked. The city inspector passed his approval of the pipes which were laid by a licensed plumber. Mrs. Joe Chitty, who was to have taught in one of the rooms, said she would have been to school early enough to be in the building at the time of the explosion if her car had not failed to start. R. H. Emans, school superintendent, said the building was covered with explosion insurance. He has closed city schools for the week for a complete test of all gas pipes in the buildings. Conner lived here long before the city of Sayre began to take shape. He married Miss Mary Decker, July 25, 1909 in Sayre and they became the parents of two sons, Edwin and John, who are living in Sayre. He is survived by his family and six brothers. Interment was made in Sayre-Doxey cemetery with Killough-Hullum funeral directors in charge. The Sayre Headlight, Thursday, October 29, 1936 pg 1 SCHOOL WILL REOPEN HERE ON MONDAY Inspection Of Gas Lines, Wiring Not Completed Wednesday: Equipment Is Ordered School will be started again in Sayre Monday, November 2, unless some serious fault in the gas and electric wiring of the buildings is uncovered in the inspections that are now being carried out by officials, it was announced today by Supt. Roy H. Emans. Works Progress officials, state insurance inspectors and gas company inspectors have been here since the junior highschool explosion tragedy last Friday which claimed the life of H. T. Conner custodian, and are nearing the completion of their investigations. No settlement on the $16,500 insurance policy held on the building had been made Wednesday it was revealed. Seek WPA Project Decision of the Works Progress officials on the aplication(sic) of the school board members to rebuild the damaged structure is pending the settlement of the insurance claim. School officials hope to secure federal aid to help finance the building program, which was nearing completion at the time of the accident. The junior highschool is being constructed to replace the old condemned Bryan building. It was not known Wednesday whether the inspectors would declare the north wing of the new structure as safe enough in which to hold classes. While the inspectors are completing their check of the gas lines and electrical wiring in the highschool building, school officials were making plans to open school Monday with the junior highschool classes meeting in the highschool auditorium. Order School Supplies School supplies valued at approximately $1,000 have been ordered to replace the equipment destroyed by the explosion. An order for a shipment of school desks valued at approximately $500 has been placed. The school officials have ordered $500 worth of gas radiators, and nearly $100 worth of blackboard material. Superintendent Emans stated that this equipment was needed before school could be started. "Every precaution possible will be taken to assure that the buildings will be safe before classes will be called," Mr. Emans stated. "Parents may rest assured that everything possible will be done to insure the safety of the school children." he said. Pressure gauge tests are being made of all the gas pipes. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.htm