New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-27
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE GAS EXPLOSION:


K~pP,rprNG THE DAMAGE-THE LOSS NOT MORE THAN
$40 OOO-A DEFECTIVE PIPE THE CAUSE OF THE
ACCIDENT.
The scene of the gas explosion of Christmas
venne was the center Of interest TO- persons passing
down Broadway yesterday. Nearly every window on
thu south side OF the American Exchange Bank building
and of the Internal Revenue building adjoining were
shattered most OF the largo pategass windows on
the first three floors OF the Equitable building fronting
ON Cedar-st were broken In the bank board partition
was hastily built few feet inside the outer wall 10
keen out the air while the work Of repair was in progress
aeers and clerks were at their desks as usual put wear
ing their hats and oVercoas with collars Turned up aoo
their ears In the Equitable building the broken WIZ
dows had been covered with canvas rs soon as possible
after the explosion and orders for replacing the glass
had been made out early Monday evening, so that
the plates were all early yesterday morning, and the
work Of putting them inswent on quietly and o&pedl
ousIy The of the explosion was plainly leakage
OF gas through defect in the pipes There were fuhos
thai carburetor had been placed OF was being placed
in the bank building but the officers deny this They
stated to TRIBUNE reporter yesterday tnat plumbers
had been at work making connections between inc eeT
and gas-reguat0r, and that the explosion occurred
after they had finished their work and gone home II
was the opinion of the plumbers That the leak
from the compauy's meter. c. L. Eycrtt President oi
tse New-York Gasllght Company, visited tie
American Exchange Bank yesterday morning.
and had the old meter removed ana rpiaceo
by another and the pipes securely soldered' ne s"u
that the old had been injured by inc eNpos'on'
but that he was certain there had been no deieeV
pryiously and that the gas that escaped had paSseo
tbroueb n all right Having satisfied himself OF tfs
fact be did not consider it his duty 70 make further III
ouiries Common gas mixed with atmospheric 'ir III
certain proportions highly explosive ana was au
necessary TO assume the presence OF naphtha 10 account
for the heayiness Of the explosion or inc eA'en VI "'
damage .oo
rstor ras contained in a basement room, about 20
nv 90 fact in ze and covered with ceiling OF Drlcxs
arched between iron grders. The room was unoer tho
west end OF the building and was reacheu ny "inus
stairway of about 25 steps, at the foot OF WhcD was ah
iron door Edward W. Condor the mgnt %a,c.Sn
yesterday gave the following account OF te ht
The plumbers finished their WORK ana Meht ave. JeS
p ~ Oh te as ~ the burners usually left burning at
night and was unable to do So NC tOia Tue IN
me plumbers had left the gos turned on DeeWeoh tg
stTsft and the meter and the janOr went down ana
turned IL ON. afterward passing ont w ' ho
building and shaking haEds with COnu9n a t ~
went The gas burned brightly as usual b9t so9
afterward the Waterman perceived 1nnt Oor % ns ~
had been left Open Proceeding on his Investigations ne
went to the foot of the iron stairs where is p4th s
IT. He smeled gas here but much moro plainly than
in the bank abOYe but ho thought he would qoh INTO
me room where the was to see III anything was
wrong. He swung the iron door 0pen' ah1-'ha' WIS
about all he knew OF the d mater living lo in
corner covered with mass Of plaster and debris IRON
, s sSsseTgd eS rushed out nd sned from The burning
iet in the passageway. Mr.. Condor is not seriously i
Jared His neck aud hands are burned, MS lar ana
heard siuQed and there slight scalp wounds lie
Is sill AT tho Chambers Street Hospital but Wll Do OUT
I'M few days. He had narrow escape; nearly an lne
bricks in the ceiling of the room at the door Of which he
stood were torn down, and the iron door ana shutters
were yrenched and twisted. -,
The damage 20 the American Bank building Is csti-
mated at less than $4,000 The plate glass was not
heavy and the plates not large. Inc loss OF
the Equitable Life Insurance Company consists almost
entirely brCakage of gass3S plates, OF an average
cost of $40 eaen Some injury was done TO FURNITURE III
few the Offices the ITst floor bat II was nOt large
Tie windows the Internal Revenue oh1cc were glazed
with ordinary thin American glass Inc loss VIII NOT DC
more than SlOO 1t is not thOIg that any part OF me
loss is covered by the fire insurance policies on inc Du-
ngs as only few companies iss nc policies covering loss
of property from effects OF explosions not caused Dy
rhe burning OF the building There companies OrSa-
nized purpose OF insuring plate glass; put
neither building insured IN ono OF these companies
The effect OF explosion felt for distance % sew
eral blocks aud window broken IN the Bank OF
q commerce building at Cedar and Nassausts.