The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-26
KILLED IN OLYMPIA
Fatal Explosion in the New
Hammerstein Theatre,
New York.
ONE MAN DEAD. ONE DYING
Seven Others Badly Scalded by the
Escaping Steam Fireman
Also Hurt.
ONE MAN DEAD. ONE DYING

NEW YORK, Nov. rs, 1S95.-Shortly
before ten O clock this morning the boiler
in Hammerstein's new Olympia Theatre
at Broadway and Forty-fifth street, ex-
ploded. One man was killed, another
fatally injured, and seven others badly
scalded.
Frederick Veins, an electrician, 20
years old, was rendered unconscious by
the shock, and falling face downwards
in a pool of water in the basement was
drowned.
Andrew Higgins, 80 years old, of New
ark, N. j., was fatally scalded. He was
taken to Bellevue Hospital. where he
died.
John Russell, 40 years old, of Newark,
N j.. badly scalded: was taken to
Flower Hospital.
Eugena Cetta, % years old of No. 2ol
West 135th street, scalds of hands and
face; George johnson, Al years old, of
No. 9S Pearl street. Brooklyn. scalded
hands and face; VIM. Johnson, Al years
old. of No. 25s Reid avenue. Brooklyn,
scalds of hands and face; F'rederlck
Richards, "a years old, of No. 116 North
and M1df face eeeI Robert si Taylor, 4s years old
of No 1855 Madison avenue, scaldss Oh
hands and face
(IlIIOIt, TH6 6uSluGGTt Sdlu lliciS =
was light pressure on the boiler at
the time of the explosion. He heard a
cracking in the main pipe and started
to run out. Before he reached the
street he was knocked down by the con-
cussion. The exploded boiler is situated
almost under the sidewalk and close TO
the Broadway entrance to the theatre
street to the Olympia Pharmacy OPP
posite the theatre. where their injuries
were dressed with alcohol and cotton
seed oil
James Hayes, assistant foreman OF
Engine Company No. 54, when returning
to his quarters, fell from the engine and
their scalds dressed in the pharmacy
were able to be removed later to their
homes.
The direct cause of the accident was a
pipe running from the boiler into the
steam chest of the engine. When the
explosion shattered the elbow the entire
to. rush out in volumes, binding those
who were in the room at the time. Fred
Veins, whose dead body was taken out
later, working in the further corner of
the boiler room, and his death was url-
doubtedly caused by drowning. HIS
body was found in two feet OF water IN a
the room. When the escaping steam
filled the marrow room, he undoubtedly
bv g the r0p Terrible heat fell into
the water which saved him from a
"Pt Frank a. a Redding of No. zsi West
Twenty-third street, an electrician, was
engaged in putting up an electric motor
within three feet of the spot where the
explosion occurred. The steam feedpipe
ran directly over his head. Shortly be-
fore the explosion occurred he went
across the street to borrow. a monkey
wrench. Before he returned the accl-
dent occurred. The hugs pipe fell di--
rectly where he had been standing. and
If he had been there another death
would have been added to the list.
THE ONLY EXIT.
The only outlet from the boielr room
was a narrow opening in the sidewalk,
reached by long ladder Up this ladder
the injured men CROPPED their way through
the clouds of steam, many of them with
the flesh on the face and hands almost
parboiled. Kind hands assisted them
macy where the drug clerk Immediately
relieved their sufferings by the liberal
use of linseed oil and stimulants. He
then rushed TO the telephone and rang
for arrlbulances to all the hospitals, he
not knowing the full nature of the ac-
cident. In the meantime, however the
surgeons from Bellevue and Flower Hos
pitfalls had arrived and relieved the suf-
ferings of the injured men.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT BLAMED.
Harry Hammerstein, Sr says that the
officials from the Building Department
had inspected all the boilers pipes in
the boiler room and pronounced them
perfectly safe, and had complimented
struction of the machinery portion of
the new theatre