The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-01


an explosion took place at the Gas Works,
which impaired one.fourth Of the gen
Grating capacity of the works and in
lured tour men-one quite badly but not
seriously
Mr.. 7. J. WALSH,
the foreman, gave the TINES reporter all
the information about the accident In his
power. lie stated In substance as fol
lows
The retort house is very hot place. as
twelve furnaces are constantly going,
aud every minute men are seen running
along with iron hsnd-csrls filled with
burning red hot gss-house coal Just
taken from the furnace. To stand there
few minutes, TO one unaccustomed TO
the heat, II Is sitting; but the men
seemed to work away In the midst OF hot
Goals and fierce fires with vim.
One portion of the reIort house con-
iains five benches, nine feet wide each,
with six retorls 10 each bench, making
thirty retorts There are six other
benches of five retorts each on the oppo
site side, but all fronting the same way.
The retori generates the gas. The gas
thus generated passes up what is called
a stsnd pipe. This pipe extends some
feet above the reioits. Then the gas
passes through what is called the bridge
pipe. 1t Is horizontal and runs from the
stand pipes 10 the dip pipes, of about
three feet distance The stand
pipes, the bridge pipe and the
dip pipe are about six or eight inches
in diameter. The gas reaching the dip
pipe goes down into the hydraulic main,
a pipe in sections lying on top of the re
torts twenty. four inches In diameter and
fat on top. This pipe is one.third full oil
water and tar, and the dip pipes enter
that water and tar three quarters OF al
inch. The gas is propelled into the by
draulic pipo by the generators, and IL
drawn from it by the exhaust engine
( This gas after passing through the ny
draulc pipe goes through The washer an'
bumper, thence through the condenser
/ thence through the purifier ana incl
/ through the metre into the gasometer o
holder and from thence to the stree
mains.
The hydraulic main on top Of the re
torts, into which the gas goes after hnish
ing the ID shaped pipes from the retor'
was the pipe which exploded. This pipe
twenty-four inches in diameter, Is regu
larly cleaned ont at statei intervals. !
i in sections, and one section can b
cleaned out at a time. The pipe wa
being cleaned out yesterday morhin
when the explosion occurred.
Mr. Walshs idea of the explosion ws
that one Of the dip pipes had not bee
securely sealed, and hence 1re ran up u
stand pipe, across the bridge pipe an
down the dip pipe and igni!ed the ga
some Of which Is always 10 the hydraui
3 ojpe. thus causing the explosion
THE INJURED MEN.
Atthe time of the accident there we
: three men on top OF the hot Ietoris al
. one going down the ladder by the sine
Ibat portion of the pipe which explode
They were 7. Raphael Cavedo, Ell
I Throemorton and William Winston M
o George Bick. young man aged % year
r who lives at No 104 North Maple stree
. right At the Gas Works, was the one col
= inc down the ladder, and he was Dso
o injured. h,,n
e .hont the arms with hot tar, but We
, hock to work after their hurts We
d dressed. Mr.. Winston was very pol
e IN exnlairing how he aud the other U
got injured. - .n-,,no,bssds, At ,
= ton of the standing pipes, saiu
a ,sWell one of them few of. Ihey vel
about fifty pounds, The broken ,L s1aI
ing pine was seen lying on lne etou,
This 'niggerhead' fell TO the giou
@ some distance and did not s'rihe d
- =. ole" Az Goo,
D. RecL;s house. and was politely recel'
ds bv a lady there. She said that MT b'
Ues hufned about the arm al lhe
OF f,on, the hand to the shoulder. II
Is Cos also something the matter WIN
Ici Hreset "a though something had s'r'
be t'i'o there DR.. Ross, his physician,
II that though painfully, he was no' setio
-, u, ;ninred For half an hour aiter
N sccident Mr.. Beck was so stunned Oy
on 'eso,,ssinn that he could not sp(
me ,f.sruards he was ready TO lax,
an did 60 10 his mother, at whose mouse
I;res The doctor gave orders thst
ho~e nerfect quiet and be mol distut
I'm few days he Will ia I'll Pio""O
No. be out Tr,,re ,eno
,n' m met ,D,vs
10 soid that he had Just returned
ma r'iho,Ss foundry. where he had bee
ON 20 arrangements for temporary
al nj n"n,ion with the hydraulic pipe so
he.'' fnll sunply OF gas. PEN
Yea ,, rs, lime will have TO shut OIL gas
nsrt of The street lights. VIII
ny %ds to the lamps on all the parallel siI
5r"rning cast and west from Leig
rnna both Inclusive, but will cui Oh
PAS on the cross streH 80 'na' n' ~
ION consumers will not fsli 70 na'e s"l
or hall work night ana day 10 nav
d. accident reclified and the itlii 20"
lea 1hc Gas Works In operation again;
i!ct Years | have urged The ci'y 10 III
rug Iunllcaie set OF generating power
ond, ,,iihout avail. We need one 10 pre-
fnr such emergencies as this. am
an say that during enty-hye years
ress, neciion with The Gas WORKS OF
Sale mopd this has been the nFSl acc
'lain which has happened .,,r
To completely remedy the resu
the explosion will require The casiil
.r. mother pie The last one was ca
ol.ir the Richmond Locomotive and MAJ
has Works, and they will likely cast the
IRISH. one.
-. - . -
Hymeniai.
I Of Mr.. John f. Quinn and Miss J.
fled Cline were uniteu III maI,1a a
4 "a ter's Cathedral on lndnhsklsiHk '"