Natural Gas Explosion 1937 New London school Texas

A newsreel of one of the worst hazardous material tragedies in American history. At 3:05 p.m. on March 18, 1937, a massive natural gas explosion ripped through the school building in New London, Texas, in the East Texas oil fields. More than one half of the students and teachers -- some 298 people -- were killed. As a direct result of this disaster, Texas and other states began to require that natural gas be mixed with a malodorant to give early warning of a gas leak. The foul odor most people associate with gas is actually the chemical mercaptan, the odorant added to natural gas. For more details, go to The New London, Texas School Explosion website at http://www.nlse.org/default.htm . The complete newsreel is available at the Internet Archive.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• natural
• gas
• odor
• mercaptan
• OSHA
• fire
• EPA
• hazwoper
• safety

[FluidSigner]

My grandfather was hired to teach history there the next year starting in the fall, but his happended.

[tylerbond1989]

i went there my freshmen to junior year

[AlexaDuke]

There was a company that came to town a few years ago claiming they were going to make a movie about it. They raised all the capital they could from the local area and then disappeared. We remain hopeful that someday someone will do the story justice on film. Visit nlse.org for more info and coverage.

[AlexaDuke]

You have to remember this was a newsreel from the time of the tragedy. People were accustomed to hearing the most tragic things and saw much worse video than would ever be shown now. Remember all the newspaper and newsreel pictures of mobsters blown away on the sidewalks? Newsreels showed it all, with similar music and tone from the newscaster.

[buhriley]

This just breaks my heart. It's so sad that young children went through such a tragic event. & yes. The music does not fit the situation. At all.

[rajeshvedprakash]

Thanks Vicki for the share!

[imaStonesGirl]

thanks for watching Big brother You have a big heart!!

[imaStonesGirl]

You are right luvyatubers that music just does not fit with what happen and the guy narrator or what ever sounds heartless!!! But i`m glad someone on youtube remembers this tragedy and showing it to people around the world. (RIP little sweet children)

[imaStonesGirl]

every time i go to a web site and read about this i cry and cry hard!!!It is so sad and this is not well known all around the worl it should be though!! And maybe they should make a movie about it!!

I`m from Center Texas and i been to New London be4 and at the monument by the school it`s chilling and sad!!!

[luvyatubers]

How cold the announcer sounds. Corny music. No one took the blame back then either, nothing has changed.