<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A powerful explosion flattened a church in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/american-airlines-plane-makes-emergency-landing-in-nebraska/b3cb4f67-e9af-4bcd-b7a1-910356a2ed88" rel="" target="" title="US state of Nebraska"><span>US state of Nebraska</span></a><span> five minutes after choir practice was due to begin on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="March 1, 1950"><span>March 1, 1950</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But despite 15 people expected to arrive at 7.20pm sharp, every single choir member was running late.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a result, not a single person was hurt though the building was destroyed.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-27-what-happened-on-this-day-buddy-holly-glasses-found/0421dc3a-1afa-4a6b-99aa-5dd2e35c897c"><strong><span>Glasses found in a sealed envelope sparks court case</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The blast did break windows in neighbouring buildings and knock a local radio station off the air.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reverend Walter Klempel lit the furnace at the West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice, Nebraska to ensure the building was warm when everyone arrived.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He went home to pick up his wife and daughter in anticipation of being back at the church at 7.10pm, five minutes before everyone else normally arrived.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-1-what-happened-on-this-day-beatrice-nebraska-church-explosion/fd03639d-976f-430e-a62c-a05ba2954780" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the Klempels were delayed by a wardrobe mishap. His teenage daughter's dress was soiled and they needed to iron another one.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another high schooler, Ladona Vandergrift, was delayed because she was distracted by her geometry homework.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-21-what-happened-on-this-day/46577e25-d624-4baa-9930-cae7637a36f4"><strong><span>President told 'under no circumstances' to drink from third glass</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vandergrift was meant to pick up two other sisters, who had trouble starting their cars in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/winter" rel="" target="" title="cold weather"><span>cold weather</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another woman would have arrived on time but was instead helping her mother prepare for a missionary meeting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, Herbert Kipf was running late because he had been writing a letter he had put off.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Harvey Ahl was minding his two boys and didn't realise he was late.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pianist Marilyn Paul had fallen asleep after dinner. Her mother was also late because she had been waking her daughter up.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, Lucille Jones wanted to hear the end of a radio show that ended at 7.30pm. She normally went with school friend Dorothy Wood, who was waiting for her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And Joyce Black was running late when she heard the massive explosion from her home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The cause of the explosion was never confirmed, but it is believed a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/gas-leak-melbourne-latrobe-street/e08a4cf3-092b-4c1a-8b8e-072bfc66bf5f" rel="" target="" title="gas leak"><span>gas leak</span></a><span> may have been set alight by the furnace.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The church has since been rebuilt.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-november-1-what-happened-on-this-day/24c396e0-d9d3-41ed-a651-d431d5f7746f" target="" title="Failed actress turned dictator's wife takes revenge on star who outshone her"><strong><span>Failed actress turned dictator's wife takes revenge on star who outshone her</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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