New-York tribune., 1878-06-25
GAS EXPLOSION IN 4 EAULE
ONE MAN KILLED AND ONE INJURED.

ONE MAN KILLED AND ONE INJURED.
! ACCIDENT CAUSED BY ESCAPING GAS IN THE
BROOKLYN MUNICIPAL BUILDTNG-A ROOM IN
THE TAX DEPARTMENT BADLY DAMAGED-How
| THE MEN RECRIvs ID THEIR INJURIES.
A serious explosion occurred yesterday
morning IN vault used bV the Tax Department in the
Municipal Department building, Brooklyn, which re-
sud in the death OF one and the injury Of
another This department occupies the entire western
side OF the building the first floor In the front are
the rooms OF Collector Tanner and Deputy Mosscrop'
In OF these is the cashrOom, and behind ths the
broom SO feet long and 40 feet wde which extends TO
the rear OF the building Running the entire length Of the
room are desks designated for the various wards which
are separated from the space designed for the public by
black walnut AID glass Partition about six feet Nigh
At the time of explosion about thirty clerks were at
their desks. the side OF the room is vault or
safe in the Cahboobs aud other valuable books aud
papers are kept This s IS feet long, II feet high and
feet wide It's built ont from the wall separating the
bn-room from the main corridor Of the building, and Is
ncosed by walls twenty ucnes in thickness The vault
was entirely inCloscd, the only entrance TO the room
being through two iron doors, which were Sc
buried by a combination lock. These doors were locked
saturday afternoon by Hamilton Reeve, the chief-cerk
Of the bi-room.
Mr. Reeve unlocked the vault about s45 a. m yester-
day About half hour later oliver 5. Vincent an en-
ploy6 Of A. Wheeler, tax sale purchaser came into
the room for the purpose examining old cash-bOOk
with reference TO a sale made years ago. No one
being permitted to enter the saf-room unless accom-
panied by employed In the Office, Mr.. Vincent
requested william f. Code the stamp cerk 20 go In with
him while he examined the record which he wished 10
see The vault dark, ani as they entered Code
struck match to light gas. At this instant sheet
Of flame shot out from the vault, accompanied
by a loud eXDl ,sOn, which shook the entire
building aud startled the occupants OF the Court
House CITY Hail. and other adjoining buildings In the
Municipal Building the greatest CONSERVATION prevailed
Many OF { clerks and other officers deserted their
desks and rushed doors The widest stories
circulated in regard the OF the disaster BY
some II WAS SAID that the entire side OF the building
blown out and Others said that floors had fallen,
Killing large number Of meu. Some Of the papers in
the vault having taken fire, alarm or fire was given
aud the City Hall bell was rung. In a short time
engine companies had arrived and a line OF hose
ld Little effort however was required % eXtlngulsh
! fu The meantime search was made for Vincent and
standing close by door Of the vault when the ex-
posi0n took place Ihr drst knowedse mat ne had OF
t the sheet OF fame which burst from tue vault Al
the time he was blown back about ten feet His
nair suged by the flames but be received no other
injuries He AZ once hogan 90 remove the bricks and
d6Drs which he saw piled up around Code. The other
clerks were called 70 his assistance ana ~ lew minutes
! Code was exiricaJed Though parayZed by the shock
and severely injured. he was able to Walk IN Few mo-
ments and taken home in carriage. Vincent was
found have been hurled entirely across the rOOm
a5t'niS 46at he mad no entered the vault but was
In the doorway The partition ia 'front.' OF the vault was
very sero s and he was taken in the ambulance TO st.
! Peters Hospital, at Hicks and Warren-sts Several
otber persons were slightly injured Michael Buehman,
who sat the Eighteenth Ward desk. nearly opposite
the door OF vault carried about twenty ieet but
escaped with a slight wound on the leg. His desk
! broken into fragments
THE INJURED MEN.
The two men severely wounded the following:
CODE, WILLIAM F-He was the stamp clerk in the bill
ROOM He was twentysi1 years OF age, was married,
and had one child, and lived at No 30S Unonst. His
Injuries were caused by bricks falling him, and be
was also burned about the lace and neck He was a one
time employed in tho surrogates Office under waiter L.
vRcESr OLIVER s.-His head face, hands and arms
were BADLY burned. aud there large cash his
head, caused by hs being thrown across the room and
hurled against the wall, TO winch pOrOn OF MS scalp
adhered He thrtyeight years old. unmarried and
lived with his mother and sister No 1876 Flatbush-
He was taken TO the St Peters HosDita and lin-
gered In great agony until late hour last night when
| his death occurred His mortem statement was
| not taken.
The damage by the explosion will not exceed 81 800
The main walls OF the building not injured. All
the desks and furniture IN the b-roOm more or
less damaged and glass Of all the windows I'm that
room was demolished The doors were also broken. A
number of windows the Polytechnic Institute which
stands in the rear of the Municipal Building, were
broken in On tue second door Of the building slight
| damage was done TO doors ana partitions.
Tax Collector Tanner sent communication in refer
afternoon. The OF the accident he gave It
| as follows; "On Saturday last at about O'clock D. In
during the day time The person In charge the
gas at about that time turned gas of the
Mr.. Code who had charge Of the shutting OF the Yan
closed IL on Saturday OF course no gas was burning In
vault and the burners being well up, the escape bad
there been any, would not have been noticed. This
| morning, when Mr.. Reeve, ehei-elerk OF the Dill
aud observed that the cocks turned on. and
| he reached up aud turned them OF. Gas had un-
doubtedy been escaping all the morning aud the upper
part OF the vault must nave been full OF About
forty minutes afterward Mr. Code went In the vault with
| Mr. Vincent who wished examine OF the cash
books, when Mr. Code lighted match and the explosion
| ensued."
Alderman French said that he had been informed that
Mayor Howell had directed the Board OF City Works
take proper TO repair the injury aud moth
ing remained for the Common Council to do. The
munoatOn referred 10 the Committee on Public
Lands and Buildings