The New York herald., 1869-05-27
TIE GAsonETER EXPLOSION AT CINCINNATI.
A Terrible Spectacle-Trasic Death Of a Work.
man-Scenes at the Ruins-A Panic-SeveraI
PerHOna Injured.

Men on Fourth street Thought that it could not
be further or than Third street, aud so ran In
window, on the north side OF Sixth street. near
John. was startled at being struck on the cheek
to the south he saw, way down by the river q
great mass OF black smoke rse then came con-
the smoke was crowned with a Big, red flame burst
that shot up to an amazing height People over In
Covington and Newport ielt the shock and saw the
And 60 1t was all over the city, except In the ex-
treme limits, and probably NOT less than third Of
extraordinary had occurred.
THE GAswoRKs.
Many or our readers are familiar with the ground
plan OF the Cincinnati Gasworks. Front street, east
Of MIL cuts IN two the acres which are covered
with the property Of the company-the six holders,
the retoft houses. purifying rooms, coal yards.
offices, meter and governor rooms, &c. On the
necessary coal and eo houses for It and the ONCE
and meter and governor rooms. The holder stands
Tor rather stood, for the tank alone and the columns
are now to be seen) just east OF the Globe wire and
rolling mill, where terrible explosion that shook
the clIy occurred last fall On the north side are
two large ana three small holders and all the neces
sary buildings and works for gas making.
HOLDER NO. o.
The gaSometer or holder on the south slde known
as mo. 5,n mass Of boiler iron OF quarter OF
an inch thickness, 1877 feet IN diameter and thirty
holder. In q moment this immense volume OF gas
had rent the iron plates like so much glass and dis
appeared in smoke and name, leaving dying man
on one OF the columns
THE EXPLOSION.
All the forenoon yesterday sixteen men had been
working on the top OF the holder and on the columns
tarrng and painting the vast surface Of ron Below
them, on the ground, within about twenty feet OF
over that the tar boiling At twelve NJ. the big
bell rang, and fifteen men started and descended to
risen considerable distance, and It had become SO
difficult to reach the top Of the ladder tnat one
Of the men-patrick Mckenzie ,aol Of large HvI and "a
it, concluded to send for his dinner and remain on
the holder until It should sink 10 the top OF the lad
dan That dns}atr RAafh Ia a W
in the shade OF angle OF one or the pillars on the
south, waiting to pull his dinner up when suddenly
immense holder rushed up several feet above his
head. He had seated himself there big, strong,
healthy man, comfortably clothed, and thinking only
OF his dinner. In an instant IN the midst Of nre,
and smoke, and thunder, he reclined there, naked
man, stripped Of every patch OF clothing 10TH, e.. save
to his toes he was nothing but painting mass OF
burned and bleeding flesh. when the ruins of the
holder thundered back down into the deep water Of
the tank.
we find it impossible to state the cause of the ex-
posion, and diiicult to convey any idea Of the ap
pearance Of it. 1t appeared as though the ropf Of
the holder was rent in twain from north to South,
@ s s ae
smoke arose in awful splendor.
THE GREAT HEAT.
For an instant. for a square around the breath OF
mighty heat played. The woodwork OF doors and
windows was blistered and blackened. Men 100
feet away found their faces, arms and hands
scorched to the flesh, and for many squares around
the close, sitting heat felt and then it all
over
The most terrible feature of the affair was the
black and blue and and red in sotchos e" and a no.
where white. Tie man had been roasted
alive and yet he lived and moved q little, and
retained his consciousness, he covered there III
q corner the base Of the capital Of OF those
relief not from his burning agony, although he died
IN every breath he drew, but from the dizziness OF
and might not long si be able to @ hold himself there
and he called piteousy to those who were bringing
the ladders @ to hurry M up He wan wanted TO reach the
terrible anguish he felt and knew. And he wanted
to have the hand OF a priest on his forehead, and
could cool spot his crisped body, but he looked
beyond the day and his death. And SO this fearfuy
sufering man, whose mutilated trunk and limbs were
thrown out in bold relief against the shining black.
ness OF the tarred and painted angle OF ornamental
iron work waited there aity feet or more above the
was elevated TO him. The crowd shuddered and won.
dered as they looked there and saw this Naked dying
as he leaned against the column climb over the
latticed brace or the ladder the other slde)
tually descended as would a fireman only quite
slowly, and with man preceding him to steady his
alone for Il seemed as though tits victim must iali
to pieces. as would an overlooked chunk OF beef
ANOTHER SCENE OF TERROR.
While poor McKinze was thus reaching the
ground, and while he was within twenty feet
OF 1t, something else occurred. The crowd
10000 persons around the works, and half Of
these were crammcd within the narrow bounds OF
Front street. between the works on the south aud
those the NORTH As they stood and looked at the
sickenng spectacle they knew they had no business
there. There was not one in hundred that under
stood that there was no real danger or any more
catastrophes Nearly all had heard the startling
rumor that the men about the works feared
another explosions false rumor howeyer-and
yet they waited there and watched, with open
mouths and starting eyesl gathering in the ter
This was what occurred:-The fire under the caui-
dron, already mentioned communicated to the con-
smoke shot up and hid the two men on the latter
Then the black smoke and leaping tongues OF red
flames dashed over the ruins n the water Tae
the alleys saw this. They did not know what it |
meant for they could not see the origin OF roar and
terror They saw this destruction ieaping over |
towards them on a swift wind from the south, |
and there was probably not one in hundred OF |
them that did not feel that the earth was about to
open and swallow them that fire was about to con-
sumo them or mat they were about to be buried IN
plosion. And with one mind they fell back, |
turned and ned some east and some west and some
were panic stricken crowd, terrible In their fear.
The weaker men gasped for air In the crush, and
pied pied into the gutter some stumbled over the hose
and were unable to rise again until they had felt
many . cruel heel. Several women mad the same
fire or concussion all thought aud SO they fed with
out reason. young man named Albert Warren
had the calf Of one Of his legs shockngy mutilated
q woman (Nfrs. Krlder living near by, ana strangely
out Of place there, unless as stated she sought
one OF her children) was so violently josted and |
tramped upon that miscarriage very soon resulted
TO her; James Harper, large, strong man. had Two
OF the fingers Of his left hand broken, and various
other accidents occurred.
M'KINzIE's DEATH.
Through the smoke OF the burning tar inc poor
fellow McKinzie, was lifted down OF the ladder and
laid out In the oGce. lie had scarcely six hours to
live, but he was strong for the moment, aud when |
Catholic priest came and performed FOR hm the last
Office of the living he seemed happy 10 ENJOY lnat
blessing, and he raised himself up on one OIL MS
elbows and talked with strength aud Intelligence
lie seemed 10 forget, for the moment, his awful
bodily pain. in his anguish at leaving unprotected
mis- wife and children. His body ana limos were al
a crisp terrible to look upon; but strange to say,
his hair had not been In the least slnged Drs New
ton and Gitenan waited upon him, but 1t was evident
that he was beyond their cure and had only to walt
for death. SO he was taken to his poor home, on |
the corner OF Second and Park streets, where his |