One Hundred Injured

New York, July 13.—A special from Boston to the Herald says: [...] Many of the injured are in the Cambridge, Somerville and Massachusetts general hospitals, while others were taken to houses near the scene of the explosion.

In the yard of the Boston & Maine railroad, near the old McLean asylum, among more than a thousand freight cars filled with coal and general merchandise, were three oil tanks of the Union Oil company. When one of the cars caught fire and made a blaze that could be seen all over Somerville, hundreds of persons flocked to the yards. The Somerville firemen arrived promptly enough, but had to carry hose through all kinds of places, while the fire burned briskly and the crowd drew closer and closer.

It is estimated that soon after the fire started fully 1,000 persons were in the freight yards and scores of the most daring were on top of freight cars near the fire. Suddenly there was a rumbling noise. One great sheet of flame shot into the air and a huge oil tank which had been on a car went up on end, scattering blazing oil in all directions. The huge tank of oil, one of three, on many cars, had exploded. The burning oil fell upon men, women and children in the throng, who shrieked with pain and terror.

Six men on top of one box car were thrown to the ground with their clothing on fire. Men and women with their garments burning ran about the yard in terror. Some were so badly burned that they dropped. Those who were not on fire helped them and were themselves burned. Meanwhile the railroad men were performing acts of heroism. The oil tank which exploded was on a car between two others, and these were in danger of going up at any moment. A locomotive was backed in and started to draw out the train. A railroad man ran up, threw a heavy sleeper beneath the wheels of the burning tank, the coupling broke, the car stopped and the oil tanks were separated.

Fifteen persons were taken to the Somerville hospital. Joseph Hayden of Engine company No. 1, who was standing on the oil tank at the time of the explosion, died early this morning.