37 years ago I was 12 years old and my two younger sisters were 9 and 6. What started out as a nice summer day and a treat to be going to the movies while my mom went out of town for few hours ended up like being in the middle of a battle field. My name is Ruby Swafford my sisters Jeannie and Judy were with me on that day I was taking them to see "Stay Away Joe" I think that was the name of the new Elvis movie playing that day........As the movie started and Elvis was riding on a horse.......A BOOMMMMM sounded and people started screaming to run......I grabbed my sisters and heading out the doors behind the theatre screen..we started toward the front entrance way we came in...but was stopped by the west wall caving in and falling on a little girl and adult sitting in that area. So we turned and run out the back way making our way east up the alley to North 17th street were we lived. We decided to go in front of the Movie theatre I think it was the State Theatre? there was a beauty shop next door to it and a gun shop on the west side of the theatre...as we ran around to the front I saw people everywhere bloody,lying on the beauty shop rooftop. It was awful I took my sisters and run as hard as we could up main street to North 17th I stopped on 11th and Main and looked back and I could see the smoke and fire high above the buildings. I knew that day God had saved us. I think about this all the time and wondered what would of happened if we had sit in the back of theatre we went early to get front rows seats. MY sister judy was young she ran back in to get her billfold that had her money and candy and thats when we thought about going to front of building and saw the wall cave in. I remember being outside running and hearing a loud noice and turning around and the top of the gun shop roof had went straight up into the air and come back down. It was a nightmare. I am 49 yrs old now and live in Indianapolis when i come back to Richmond to visit my mother I sometimes go by 5th and Main and look at the all that has changed. Like everything else in life we move on. But everytime Easter sunday I think about the miracle that happen that day. Alot of people were killed but we were spared and I wonder why sometimes.......What is God's plan for me and my sisters. I have never seen that Elvis movie to this day....
Hi, Ruby
I hope you're doing fine, in the big city.
Bubby.
I was at the corner of S. 9th & E when the explosion hit. I ran downtown and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the rubble and flames....one of those "Is this really happening HERE?" moments. I had just quit my job at Philips Drugs 2 weeks before, otherwise, I would probably have been working the front register just a few feet from the big windows at that moment. I was 16 at the time.
I left Richmond a year later and never really heard the outcome of the investigations. I do remember a lot of controversy about Richmond Gas Co. almost immediately removing the gas main under 6th St. and the pipes feeding Marting Arms and Vigran's Variety store. Supposedly those pipes were pretty rotted out and the Gas Co, being privately owned, was refusing to let anybody see them. I also remember the lawsuits mostly named the Gas Co, the Marting estate, City of Richmond and I don't remember who else. I wasn't around for the resolution of those suits.
Anybody remember the outcome? Who was held responsible for the blast, and did any major heads roll? Is the Gas Co. still privately owned or did the City take them over?
Those wishing to learn more details about this terrible disaster may want to request this book from their local library:
Death in a Sunny Street: The Civil Defense Story of the Richmond, Indiana Disaster, April 6, 1968
by Esther Kellner (Published 1968, ASIN: B0007JH0SE).
(Message edited by admin on April 10, 2007)
For those of us living far away without access to this fairly rare book, are there any online records or articles pertaining to the blast outcome? The Pal-Item archives only go back 5 years & they demand ridiculous prices compared to real newspapers. Haven't been able to find anything at Morrison-Reeves website.
Was John Fogerty writing about OUR Richmond when he wrote these lines?
"Got myself arrested, Wound me up in jail.
Richmond 'bout to blow up, Communication failed.
If you see the answer, now's the time to say.
All I want, All I want is to get you down to pray."
This is the second verse of "Wrote a Song for Everyone" on Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Green River" album that was released in Aug. 1969. It was a country-ish ballad, Fogerty's first attempt at deep soul-searching with a bit of social consciousness thrown in. The Richmond reference is pretty vague; hard to tell just what he's getting at.
At the time I remember a few of us were mystified, even a little spooked. I heard the song yesterday and once again it got me wondering if anyone's heard any statements from Fogerty regarding the subject...
A film is in production about the explosion that took place in Richmond, Indiana on April 6, 1968 at 1:47 p.m. The production team is soliciting stories from those who were affected by this tragedy. Learn more at http://www.147film.com/.
I remember the explosion. My sister's and I were playing outside in our backyard when we heard the Booms. I can remember my parents rushing around trying to find out what was going on. We were suppose to go to the movie that day,thankfully we didn't. We moved away the next year in March. My dad just recently gave me old newspapers from then. My sister and I sat and looked at them remembering. I have heard that there is a mall there now. I have not been back to Richmond in 36 years .