FRYBURG, Pa. (EYT) — Tragedy struck on July 24, 1881, when three Fryburg men died as a result of a gas explosion at an oil well.
(Pictured above: The graves of Stephen Groner, Henry Groner, and Charles Sterner at St. Michael Parish in Fryburg.)
Stephen Groner, Henry Groner, and brother-in-law Charles Sterner all perished at an oil well in Clarendon, owned by the Groner brothers.
According to The Derrick, S. Groner, H. Groner, Joe Groner (a third Groner brother), Sterner, T.S. Flynn, and Martin Manthe were working on the oil well that day, cleaning it out.
Oil and gas began to flow out from the well. The Groners and Sterner ran to the boiler, located 130 feet from the mouth of the well, to turn it off and let loose steam to stop a fire.
Flynn told The Derrick he saw “little jets of flame around the clothes of the men at the boiler,” and that a moment afterward, “the whole air seemed in flames.” He was knocked down by the explosion.
Getting back up, Flynn saw Henry Groner lying near the boiler trying to get back up but failing. He ran around to the other side of the derrick and saw Stephen Groner and Sterner sitting with their bodies burned.
Sterner was still alive and asked for water. Meanwhile, Joe Groner “seemed partly crazy from his burns, as he ran wildly about the woods.” At some point, Stephen Groner got up and started to move about.
Joe Groner would be the only man to survive, though he received severe burns to his arms, hands, and face, as well as internally.
Stephen Groner and Henry Groner suffered horrendous injuries: the majority of their bodies were burned. Henry died at the oil well, and Stephen held on for a day.
The Derrick states Stephen was conscious and “seemed a fair way to recovering,” but took a turn for the worst and died around 2:00 p.m. on July 25, 1881.
Sterner lived until around 7:00 p.m. on July 24, not having complained of pain but rather sinking gradually into death.
The men were young: Charles Sterner had recently turned 21 years old. Henry Groner was also 21, while Stephen Groner was just a bit older at 24 years old.
H. Groner, S. Groner, and Sterner’s clothes were soaked with oil, which is what doomed them, said The Derrick. Joe Groner was spared because he did not have oil on his clothes.
It is noted that all three men were experienced oil operators. They had previously worked on oil fields in Clarion and McKean Counties, and this particular well was their first venture in Clarendon.
All three men are buried in the St, Michael Parish cemetery in Fryburg.
Information for this article was provided by Brenda Agnello.
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