CENTRAL ILLINOIS OBITUARIES
Greenfield Man Dies on Tanker
Kenneth L. Plogger 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Plogger, who resides on a farm five miles northeast of here was listed among the six dead in an explosion aboard the tanker Bennington, Tuesday night. The tanker was bound for Willmington NC today, where the explosion aboard the empty tanker was to be investigated by the martime officials. Captain K.H. Eitzen master of the stricken craft on which a two hour fire raged after the explosion, expressed belief that a spark from an electric switch ignied gas fumes in the fore part of the vessel. The Captian and 34 of the crew escaped injury.
Plogger's body is expected to arrive at the shields funeral home by late Saturday or early Sunday. The youth entered the Merchant Marine 21 months ago. He was scheduled to leave the service next month. He was born in Jersey County and is survived by four brother, Delbert of Medora, Thomas of Rockbridge, and Lloyd and Hal of Greenfield.; four sisters Mrs. Walter Read, and Mrs. Owen Lane both of East Alton, Mrs. Gene Chism of Medora and Mrs. Charles Perry of Springfield.
Six Dead Landed After Tanker Fire
Willmington, NC - Sept 25, (UP)
The 10, 000 ton tanker Bennington made port today with the bodies of six of the crew who had died in an explosion and fire last night. The ship had a great hole in the bow.
James F. Faulkner of Jacksonville, Florida who was seriously injured was placed in an ambulance at Southport where the ship first docked and rushed to the hospital here. The dead were identified as Lewis D. Williams, 18, of Lake Creek, Texas; Robert L. Finerty, 25, of Jacksonville; Kenneth Plogger 22, of Greenfield, Illinois; Leon W. White, 21 of Rocklaw, Texas; David P. Schwartz of Woodbridge, NJ; and Charles Stockwell of Kansas City.
The vessel owned by the Keystone Tankship Corporation was rolling in heavy seas about 225 miles off Savannah when the explosion occured. A member of the crew was blown over the ships bridge and died instantly. The forward lookout was burned to death. The flames threatened for awhile to engulf the ship but were brought under control in a two hour fight. Coast Guard officers who boarded the ship here said the chief damage was in the forward cargo hold and paint locker.
Emergency medical supplies were dropped to the ship by Coast Guard planes afer radio word of the casualties. Three of the dead lived for several hours after they were injured. Cause of the accident had not been determined today, but the Merchant Marine Inspection office began an investigation.
Submitted by Mitzi Calbreath
Thomas M. Plogger was born in the county of Rockbridge in West Virginia July 19, 1832, and died at his home in Greenfield on Sept. 5, 1917, at 7:40 a.m., aged 85 years 1 month and 17 days. He was the sixth child in a family of eleven children and remained with his parents until he was 24 years of age. He came to Rockbridge, Ill in September 1857, where he worked on a farm for two years. In August 1862 he enlisted in the 91st regement of Illinois volunteers, company K, in which he served until the end of the war, receiving an honorable discharge. May 14, 1863 he was united in wedlock with Mary E. Coonrod, of which union four children were born Martha Virginia, John H, Charles T, and William two of whom survive, Martha Virginia wife of E.J. Kimbro of Midland South Dakota, and John H. of Greenfield. HIs first wife died Oct 5, 1872. He again married his second wife being Sarah Crawford, to whom he united Sept 9, 1874. To this union were born six children three of whom are living viz Howard of Rockbridge, Virgil of Rockbridge, and Lewis of Brighton.
Mr. Plogger was converted when he was a young man and united with the Old Ackers chapel near Walnut Grove. He moved his church membership to the Rockbridge M.E. church and later to Greenfield M.E. church of which he was a member at the time of his death. Funeral services were held at the M.E. church in the city Friday Sept. 7, Rev H. C. Smith officiating, assisted by Rev. W.F. Gibson. The interment was in Oakwood Cemetery under the auspices of the GAR.
Submitted by Mitzi Calbreath
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