New-York tribune., 1895-10-17
SIDEWALK BLOWN UP.
~xpros1oN IN A FASHIONABLE PART
OF FIFTH-AVE.
DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE OF CHARLES coNroir'
WHICH is NEAR THOSE OF WILLIAM WHIT
xEY AND c. p HUNTINGToN-NoBopY
HURT. BUT GREAT ALARM GRE

L. 4.
HURT BUT GREAT ALARM GRE
ATED FOR TIME
rhs peace Of that ordinarily quiet and fash
.,n.ble part Of the city at Fifth-ave and Fifty-
..venth-st where stand the palatial homes OF
william c. Whitney and Coils P. Huntington
~as rudely disturbed by gas explosion at 3
m yesterday Three massive hagstones,
canning the sidewalk in front of Charles Con-
.o,t's home at NJ. 72s Fifth-ave.. were blown
into the air and broken in pieces and damage
amounting to about $1,000 was done in the
basement of the house. Incidentally the ser
vants In the house were scared so badly that
.,ev ran into the back yard and began to pray
for deliverance from what they thought was
m earthquake
Mr. Contoi is a retired merchant His house
,s On the west side of the avenue. between the
houses of Mr.. Whitney and Mr. Kemp, propri-
.,or OF the buckingham Hotel. and nearly OPP
posite Mr. Huntngton's new house.
An electric current igniting accumulated gas
beneath the sidewalk is said to have been the
cause Of the explosion. There has been leak
for several days in the main In front OF Mr.
contoit's home and the Consolidated Gas Com
pany was asked to attend to It, 1t was not at
tended TO. however. until after the explosion
occurred The sidewalk was blown up at an
hour when Fifth-ave. was thronged with vehi-
eles carrying their fashionable occupants for
an early morning outing in the Park. The
hish-spirited horses were frightened by the
loud noise and many OF them bolted wildly In
an effort to get away. Several carriages were
pulled on to the opposite side OF the street. out
were not overturned Fortunately no person
was walking past Mr.. Contoit's house. and no
one was hurt
The explosion was so loud that 1t was heard
"a far as Fifth-ave. and Thirty-fourth-st and
Madison-ave and Thrty-eighth-st.
NEARBY HOUSES SHAKEN.
The houses in the neighborhood were shaken
and windows were ratified In lively manner.
while In the basement Of the Contoit mansion
great havoc was created. Three servants were
working in the lower part OF the house at the
time. and were startled by seeing doors blown
around in all directions The door leading TO the
cellar was torn from It's hinges and blown against
the laundry door, which was carried away with
It. and the two doors were hurled against tne
wall Of the laundry. The door leading from lhe
basement 10 the yard was blown ten teet away.
1t was followed by the terrified servants VINO ran
out into the yard. thinking that the house was
falling in. All the windows in the lower part OF
the house were SMASHED TO atoms the sashes
even disappearing
Mr. Contoit was reading in the parlor when the
40 great however as in the basement Opposite
the scene Of the explosion is the marble mansion
of c. p. Huntington. 1t is at present unoccupied.
The servants in ex-Secretary Whitneys house
were frightened by the explosion and ran out TO
see what the trouble There Is a fashlonapie
nrivate school for girls two houses away from the
Contoit dwelling and considerable excitement
was caused In that establishment by the shock
NOBODY HURT
An electric-light repair man was up on pole
tust south OF Mr.. Contoit's home when pieces OF
the walk were thrown around him. but he was
mot struck He received electric shock, how
ever which he did not forget for few minutes
On account Of II being registration day there
was no policeman on patrol duty in the neighoor-
hood Policeman Doyle. Of the East F1fty-nrst-
ST station was detailed at registry booth near
by and heard the report. Ne hurried TO the
scene and learned from Mr. Conto.t that no one
had been injured. Some one rang for the hre-
men, and they were promptly on hand. but their
services were not required, as no hre resulted
from the explosion. The employees OF the gas
company were soon on hand also, and set 10 work
10 repair the faulty main. which was further
damaged by the explosion II Is estimated that
the damage 10 the sidewalk and the Contoit
house is about 5000. The front part OF Mr.. Con-
toit's house is not damaged in the least. and the
only outward evidence Of the explosion Is the DIS
manted sidewalk. which is so broken as to pre-
vent traffic on II.