Daily globe., 1880-08-10
Sc WER SEESATION.

Startling Explosion of Sewer Gas-Miracu'
lous Escape of Workmen with Slight
Ipjuries.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock yesterday morning
as GLOBE reporter was hurrying up Third
street, he had his attention attract.
ed to party of four men who were preparing
to make descent from the manhole In the
centre of the street, little below Wabashaw.
Not knowing but something was wrong with
the sewer, water or gas pipes, the reporter
stepped out into the street just as the iron
covering was taken off, and asked for informa-
zion. He was told that workmen had been en-
gagged in enlarging and cleaning out lateral
sewer, and as that was the most convenient
manhole for hoisting the debris, work to that
end was about to commence. Satisfied with
the exclamation the reporter turned away
and had scarcely reached the sidewalk
before he was stunned and startled with
a deafening report which fairly shook the
buildings on either side of the street. Hastily
looking around the four men around
the opening were found completely
dsmoralized, two of them lying in the
street and the other two staggering towards
the sidewalk. For q moment it looked as
though terrible catastrophe had taken place.
The air was filled with smell resembling
burning powder. The report was heard for
blocks around and in few moments the street
was filed with an excited crowd, and the
widest rumors of several men being kille d
few from mouth to mouth. 1t took but q few
moments for the GLOBE man to learn the facts,
which are as follows:
Messrs. john and Edwin Warne are con-
tractors for building lateral sewers and repair
ing the same. On Saturday last some IF their
men had been engaged in enlarging one Of
these sewers. and yesterday they commenced
work in removing the sand rock which had
been picked away.
One of the men named Charles johnson had
entered the sewer at the Cedar street entrance
and had made his way to the Third street open
ing, where be had lamp and lighted candle
intending to fill the bucket with the sand while
those above would hoist it by the windlsss.
The other three men. named Edwin Warne. one
Of the contractors, Patrick Cusick and Charles
Pratt, had placed the windlass over the man
hole, and taking the iron cover off, were pro-
pairing to descend the shaft, which is twenty
three feet deeD, when suddenly the explosion
took place. Had the men been moment
earlier, in all probability they would have been
instantly killed. Fortunately they were only
on the edge of the opening and the blast went
by them up in the air like an explosion from
the mouth of cannon. Mr. Warne was con-
siderably burned on the right arm and about
the head, his whiskers and moustache
being singed. He walked over
to DR.. Stewards Office, where his injuries
. were attended to. Patrick Cusick, who was
nearest to the opening. received more serious in
juries, but they were not of fatal character.
He managed TO walk to the drug store of Messrs.
Bacon d Iambie, where De. Mcdonald fixed
him up. He received terrible shock to his
system. and trembled violently. as we'll he
might from such narrow escape from instant
death. His legs. arms. and hands, were quite
seriously burned. causing much pain. Pratt
fortunately escaped without injury. All this
time the man down in the sewer, twenty three
feet below, had not been heard from, and the
excited crowd at once jumped to heeonciusion