New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-01
HURLED INTO FRAGMENTS.
FATAL AND TERRIFIC GAs-wORKs ExPL0k
4ION.

6ION.
Al ENGINE-HOUsE OF THE EQUITABLE COMPANY
FLIES TO BITS WITH BANG-THR cAUsB
UNKNowN-oNE MAN KILLED. ONE
sEvE.ELY WOUNDED AND
MANY CUT BY FLY
ING GLASS.
terrific explosion. heard in nearly every pst
OF the city ct ten minutes Dnst IL O'clock laso
night. broke thousands Of window panes aud blev
In the doors OF several bindings near tn
gas works at First-avc. and Forty.
firsf-st For q few minutes tho sreatsso
CONSERVATION prevailed in the neIghborhooS u
wasat first supposed that one or more Of The 6ve
large tanks Of the Equitable Gas Company, east a
First-ave., between Forty-frst and Forty-secoaA
sfs-, had blown up and there was fear that III
other tanks would explode.
An alarm of fire sent from Q convenieut box
called several companies Of rcmcn and the reserve
force of police from the East Thirty street Sta
tioD. The police and fremen the frat pefeono
who had the courage to go the Ras
works and make an investigation. ThAy
found the engine house IN ruins The building hn6
been two stories high with frontage Of 50 fsst
on Forty frst-st, about 100 feet east of FirstovA
The brick walls bad been blown outward IN all ID.
recti0ns and the wooden beams Of tho H0ou
and roof scattered far aud WIDE.
Only heap of runs marked the
place where the engine house had stood. A strong
smell of gas pervaded the place aud made ap-
proach to the ruins dangerous for time.
WHERE THE FLYING TIMBERs WENT.
The meter-house. a building Of the same size -
the engine-house, but nearer the avenue. had becn
riddled by the explosion. Some tinIbers from tine
engine-house had gone clear through the meter.
house, while the building was completely strip oed
OF doors and windows. Other buildings OF the gSs
company, fronting the avenue were battered
badly on the east side.
The first man found by the fremen wa, Thomas
Sheeban. The night watchman Of the works. lie
was unhurt. but scared 80 yady that for time he
was speechless He was IN the meter houss
at the time of the explosion, and
his escape had been almost mraculcua.
He was finally able TO say that he had been IN the
engIne-bouse only few minutes be- ore. and had
seen only Frark PIaisted. the engineer. 10
tine building. The superintendent of the
works soon made his appearance, but
refused to give any information to Captain Ryan.
From other workmen in the buildings II was ns-
certaIned that PIaisted probably was the only per-
son in the engnc-house at the time OF :he exp pios
sion.
HUNTING FOR THE MASGLED BODY.
One of the firemen, found note book with
PlaIs.ed's name on the ly-eaf in the ruiua
luofe WIS 10 uOuDt tnat tDe engineer nan DcoD
killed. although it was impossible 10 find trsss
OF his body. No Otner man employed about the
works at that hour was missing. the superintendent
seid.
Some of the fragments of the engine -hopse had
been thrown across irst-ave. horse-car which
was passing FOrty-first-st. was knocked of the
rails oy the shock and brick broke tine leg Of
James Kane, the driver. An ambulance carried
the mi njured man to Bellevue HospItal The police
he lrd thai many persons in private houses on the
west side OF Firsf-ave. had been hurt Dy brokeo
alacrh
TO be drunk aud there was NO time to mako
hOuse-fO-houSe Inspection.
The eau e OF the explosion was a mystery, bun
the superintendent of the works expressed ths{
opinion that the exhaust en- zine. used for pumping
gas into the tanks. had blown up. There was 3
rum0r that the engineer drunk and that caro-
lessness his part might have caused the disaster.
the exoo'ion did not PIT out the gisliahts IN the
neIgh5ornood and it said that the supply would
not be interrupted. 1t was not possIbe estimate
the damage. wnich probably exceeds $4,000 II
the WORKS.
WIDESPREAD ALARM AT THE REPoRr.
The shock and noise of the explosion were felt
and heard all over the East Side from Fourteenth
to above Seventy y-fifth SITS. and az faa
west as Slxth-ave. Passengers on elevated
trains along this thoroughfare heard the terrific
report above the noise of the train. and in oos
tram. at Fifty seventh-st. there almost panic
in consequence. Houses mile away from tho
scene were shaken as if by an earthquake.
Even as far downtown as Twenty -thrd-s., win
dOws ratified and chandeliers vibrated to the great
alarm of the occupants. Almost every pane Of
glass IN the immediate neighborhood broken
10 pieces In Frst-ave.. from Thirty-seventh 10
FOrty-second sta, there did not seem 10
be . single window remaining intact.
while in tho block Of ive-story tenements directly
opposite the works, between Forty drst and
Fortieth sts., so far could be ascertained there
was not pane Of glass unbrOken. aud In some Iu-
stances frames and all were smashed.
AS thev recovered from their aston ish.
ment the tenants began to protect themselves
against the piercing cold. WashbOards, clothing.
and tin plates were called into rcquisItiou giving
the front OF the buildings mighty picturesque ap-
pearance.
FLYING GLASS CARRYING DESTRUCTION.
About the worst wrecked place in the neighbor-
hood. however was the Ilqnor store kept by
Owen Collins at the northwest corner Of
Forty -Grstst. and Third ave.. directly opposite the
companys Office. he big plate-gass windows were
demolished aud the pieces sent flying tnrough tho
store, which was at the time flied With hilarious
crowd of wOrkinRmen. The voey of broken glass
struck half a dozen OF them. cutting one or two
rather seriously.
Shortly after midnight another injured employs
refused to say anything, Captain Ryan asked
bis name. bat the fellow. although beed-
ns hssd decnss e1. ro% w1 ySatd n, X S
tain much that he told the officers to take the
man to tile station house. aud they took him.
Every one connected with the place seemed in
Later in the night it was reported that more than
Plaisted had been killed. but this was denied.
At all events y: was, stated by sev.
eral familiar with the works that At
of These 0hly about o dozen could be found after
the exp oson.
CROKIN G d MiLLIONAIRES DAUGHTER