The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-25
DISASTROUS EXPLOSION.
Brooklyn Municipal Building Shaken
from Cellar to Roof.
ONE MAN KILLED And ANOTHER INJURED.
Escaped Gas in a Vault Ignited
by a Clerk.

Srookiyn, in view of lis more recent history, may
rot inap.ly be termed the City Of Sensations A
rightiu explosion occurred there yesterday IN tho
asw Municipal Building. which could scarcely have
occasioned more general excitement had the place
boen visited ny earthquake. The repsrt oil The sx-
piosion together with its immediate consequences,
we're such as strike into The stoutest heart,
and the estimate or tue then probable disastrous
results life and properly assuming an exaggerated
orm was carried from up 10 lip throughout the city
yth almost lightning ike rapidity, startling ali and
,ccasioning not a little conservation 10 many
Among the Hrst rumors that obtained swift clrcula
ION was one setting forth that the large structure In
aicatcd had been blown up, causing an appalling loss
u lilo among the officials and employees IN tho various
municipal departments This terrible news having
reached immediate relatives OF those engaged In tho
immense building Produced rs may DO imagined, tao
most painful anxiety the part Of the former, many
OF whom hastcned 10 tho scene OF the accident re-
fusng on way thither TO be assured that the dis
aster not appalling az had been represented
10 them. Meantime u crowd numbering many thou
sands had collected around Tho Municipal Building,
ana when Immediately alter tho explosion the hre
bell rang out its ominous signal Intense excitement
was depicted on the OF the constantly ncreas
Ing M altitude
TERRIBLE ExcIrEnENT.
II was about hai-past nine o'clock A. II. when
people in the Municipal Building, the Court
House. City Hall and vicinity we're startled by loud
report accompanied by shock, which Jeff no room
10 doubt tha, tremendous explosion had occurred.
The locality OF the accident was speedily determined
By those on the seeing several OF the clerks
rushing panic stricken from Tho Municipal
Building whiio others observed jumping
from the windows OF tho irst floor TO the
ground. On every loor OF the building an underlined
feeling OF insecurity seemed 10 seize each person,
some being rendered motionless from terror, while
pthers instnctvely rushed toward the doors leading
put Of the BY many inside II was thought.
in the few moments OF mortal dread which succeeded
tho occurrence, that tho boiler located in the base
ment OF the building had been blown up, aud that
second explosion would be TO follow. TO
some OF those whose duties conGne them to the
upper portion OF the structure the occasion
was one never to be forgotten, as they believed an
.wful tate, and one which they could not avert,
awaited them The actual scene o! the casualty was
IN what Is known the ''b room,"
N the Department OF Collection, Bureau OF Taxes,
which occupies the entire right wing on the ground
ioor The place in which it occurred was vault SIX
ieet wide, eighteen feet long. and extended almost
to the ceiling, where its roof was formed
by separate arch, leaving tho INSIDE about
twenty feet high. This vault, or safe room, was built
out IRON right wall Of the main corridor the walls
Of the vault itself being eighteen inches in thickness.
Over the arch OF the inner ROOT which was what is
known as a double backed one, was n quantity OF
mortar, which had been placed the arch
TO level II tor the foundation Of the rest
Of the bricks, which buit up from
IL to the main Getting Erected against the
inner walls of the vault wooden partitions and
Iheives, where we're Kept the cash books, books OF
record and important documents connected with the
Tax Office, and as The books were constantly N use
kan IN "A
view instant and ready access From the centre
Of the arched roof depcndea gas hxture containing
Two ordinary burners The only way OF nyress
10 the vault by means of strong iron
door some nvo feet high, and TINS was
always secured not only by lock and key but also by
n combination bolt. he last time this door was
locked was Saturday afternoon at two O'Clock, and
ceiyine room, he aiterward delivering the keys to
Mr. Mcsscrop, tho Deputy Collector oil Taxes.
Explosion.
When the latter reached the office, at about nine
o'clock yesterday morning, The keys OF the vault
wore returned 10 Mr.. Reeves. who unlocked the iron
door, and dong so detected slgnt odor OF gas,
but as the atmosphere OF tho vault generally was
less close or impure, owing TO
Total absence OF ventilation, nc took par
ocular noiice OF IL. iew OF tho clerks went in
Altcrward 10 procure the books over which each had
roptro: but il Goes not appear that any OF them OBJ
served an unusual odor OF gas Within a few minutes
OF bali-pas niue, however, young man named OIver
5. Vincent clerk who searches titles, entered
the bill room, intending to examine an OLD cash
book with reference 10 a payment made some
years since. lie at once made known his
the latter accompanied HIM to the vault Ior the pur-
pose OF procuring tho book Mr. Cole entered the
doorway Mr. Vincent either following him In or
standing iust outside rs the interior oil tue vault vas
quite dark. MIR. Code then iguiled match ana IN
moment aitcrward an immense volume oil lame burst
out followed instantly by explosion which shook
tho entire building There we're some seventeen
clerks III the bill room al tho tme aud each OF them
stunned by the conclusion On recovering their
senses many %. tnem jumped out OF the windows 10
the ground, distance OF ten twelve ieei thoroughly
alarmed aud not knowing what was gong 10 come
next
HURLED ACROSS A ROOM.
Mr. Vincent hurled with terrific force across
the room and thrown against the opposite wall After
the dust caused The ulng OF the outer wall oil The
want mad c,eared away ne was found In an uncon-
&C ana bleeding freely from injuries 10 his
head, which had struck the wall with such violence
that portion OF the heavy moulding adjoining one Of
the windows had been displaced On TINS moulding
inere was quantity OF his hair, the floor where
the unfortunate man lay was covered with blood DO
had been hurled about twenty nvc iect when the ex-
poon occurred, u Is believed thai he must have
been forced through the partition which fences OH the
decks VI the clerks IRON the outsiders Al all events
that portion OF the partition immediately 10 iront Of
tho vault shattered 10 atoms and swept com
pc,cly away The poor man had his lace BADLY burned
ana the SKIN appeared TO have been peeled IRON
his hands Nearly every article OF clothing which no
wore was blown away, the pockets oil MS clothing
and the money they contained scattered
all the door. With Tho assistance OF som. OF the
clerks he carried into the cash room aud alter
ward removed in ambulance to 81. Peters Hos
ptaL On arrival at the latter place tho attending
found that the mead, lace. arms ana hands
OF the st unconscious patient AS well as the lower
portion OF his body, we're severely burned There
was also deep cash on his head. He died NJ later
hour last evening
Mr.. coDEs INJURIES.
Mr. Code, when the explosion took place, was
thrown down inside tho Of tho vault and then
quantity OF bricks and mortar falling upon him, hc
wedged In anu Ia thai position remained until the
dust caused by the falling wall cleared away, when no
was extricatcd Dy his fellow Clerks lie ~ suffering
from tho shock aud also severely burned tho lace
and nccg. HIS INJURIES though OF spanul character,
considered serious. DINERS OF tho clerks re-
ccvcd slight injuries or had their hair or eyebrows
soorched.
CONSEQUENCES DISASTER.
Several OF tue window frames IN the room opposite
the vault were blown completely out or Otherwise
badly shattered, anu there scarcely light .
glass lett In tnc whole apartment. one halt Of tho
iron door Of the vault was blown away, as was also
one heavy doors leading 20 the CORRIDOR white
Two or three othcIs wrcnched OF their hingea
ON the next floor above the glass IN windows aud
doors extensively smashed and ono OF the lator
torn its hinges The rear end OF the bill room
is within ABOUT thirty feet oil that OF the POlytecbuIc
Institute, and In the latter several windows were
broken by the force OF the explosion.
aaarEu