Arthur John Porter

1871 - 1927  (56 years)

• Name	Arthur John Porter
  Birth	3 Mar 1871	Pennsylvania
  Gender	Male
  Death	5 Mar 1927	Scottdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania.
  Notes	SCOTTDALE, March 10 — A triple funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at Jacobs Creek Methodist Episcopal Church near here for Arthur J. Porter and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Vance Porter who were killed by the explosion of a carbide plant in the basement of their home west of town and the subsequent fire Saturday evening, and for their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, 12 years old, who died Sunday morning from injuries sustained in the explosion. The explosion occurred about ?:45 o clock, just after the members of the family had eaten supper. Mr. and Mrs. Porter and Sarah Elizabeth were in the kitchen, it is said. An elder daughter Cecelia and son Ivan had come to the Y M C A here to attend a meeting. In another part of the house lived Mr. Porter's father, George W. Porter, 87 years old and the father's daughter, Miss Dessa. They escaped practically unhurt. Mrs. Porter is believed to have been killed instantly or about so. When the blast wrecked the home, the stove was flung against Mr. Porter, pinning him to the floor. Both of Sarah's legs were broken and mangled. Suffering agony, the child attempted to free her father. Both saw that it was useless, and the father told Sarah to get out. The building by this time was a mass of flames. How she did it, Sarah could not explain, but she was found outside the building when firemen arrived, her hair burned off, and her hands, face, neck and back scorched. At the Memorial Hospital of Mount Pleasant, one foot was amputated, and preparations were being made to remove the other when death relieved her suffering. She died a few minutes after 9 o'clock Sunday morning. From her was learned about all that could be about the explosion. The aged father and his daughter lived in the front of the house. They were able to escape before fire reached them. The force of the blast tore up the floor of their apartments, and Mr. Porter walked out on the beams. He escaped with scratches and bruises. The explosion was so terrific that it caused the walls of the house, a frame structure, to spread, and the roof collapsed. At the same time, a water tank in the attic crashed through to the basement. The exact cause of the blast will never be known. On Friday, Mr. Porter had received a shipment of carbide, a variety different from what he had been using, it is said, the funnel at the top and a safety device. Only three-quarters of a pound of carbide should have dropped into the water at a time. It is believed that something was wrong with the safety device and allowed an excessive quantity of carbide to drop, causing increased gas pressure. How it was ignited has not been explained. The explosion was apparently in the basement. The condition of the body indicated that Mr. Porter may have suffered. While the lower part of the body was burned away, the face was almost untouched. Mrs. Porter was terribly burned. The house was destroyed. The Scottdale Fire Department was called and worked faithfully until 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. The house was all ablaze when the firemen got there, and the supply water from the wells, the cistern and a reservoir that was on the farm was used. Twenty-three sections of hose were laid and the best that could be done was pump and keep a small stream of water running in that dampened the debris enough, so the men could dig for the bodies. About 1 o'clock the bodies were found. The firemen were directed by Sara Elizabeth where the bodies might be found and it was here they dug and found the father and not four feet away, the mother. George W. Porter was taken to the John Buttermore farm house nearby, and the daughter Dessa went to a neighbor. Mr. Porter was secretary-treasurer of the Westmoreland County Farm Loan Association. He had been engaged in farming. He was once the owner of a "trick" horse, Bonner, which was exhibited at county fairs and which performed like a circus animal. He is survived by his daughter, Cecelia, his son, Ivan, his father, George W. Porter, and two sisters, Miss Dessa, at home, and Mrs. Buell C. Boyd of Scottdale. Mrs. Porter is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aaron F. Stoner, near Mount Nebo, and four brothers, John B. Stoner of Mulberry street, Albert V. and E. A. Stoner of Homestead avenue and L. 0. Stoner of Mount Nebo. The Connellsville Weekly Courier, March 10, 1927.
  Person ID	I13550	McKenzie Genealogy
  Last Modified	29 Oct 2021

  
  

  Father	George Wesley Porter,   b. 19 Jun 1839, Frostburg, Allegany County, Maryland d. 13 Jan 1936, Scottdale, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Age 96 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Elsie Cochran,   b. Abt 1833, Scottdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. d. 2 Jan 1911, Scottdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. (Age ~ 78 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F05783	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Vance Stoner,   b. 29 Oct 1872, East Huntingdon, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania d. 5 Mar 1927, Scottdale, Pennsylvania (Age 54 years)
  Children	1. Cecelia Porter   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Ivan Porter   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Sarah Elizabeth Porter,   b. 1915   d. 7 Mar 1927, Scottdale, Pennsylvania (Age 12 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F06541	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	29 Oct 2021