Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-22
ETHER EXPLODED
Patent Office Photographic Room
Completely Wrecked.
employees BURNED and SCORCHED
A Midday Sensation in a Business
Quarter.
DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT

Shortly after 1 o'clock today the busy
neighborhood Of 9th and streets was
shocked by the sound of heavy explosion,
followed by the crashing of the windows in
the southwest corner basement room Of the
Interior Department building. There was
rush of flames and dense smoke from the
openings. Buildings in the vicinity were
shaken. and two or three passers-by were
partially stunned by the rear. The first ar
rivals Of the immense crowd that quickly
gathered saw several persons climbing out
through the fire and smoke to the parking
outside, and ran to their assistance
Albert Flint, a young man residing at
1920 F street northeast and in charge of
the Photographic blue print room of the
patent Office was picked up nearly un-
conscious. and when carried to williams
drug store, in Masonic Temple was found
to have been terribly burned. His injuries
We're temporarily treated by DR.. Heineck
and he was then removed to the Emer-
geacy Hospital G. NJ. Parker cf 3U3 G
street northeast, employed as a watchman
In the Interior Department. was also pain
fully burned on the right hand and his hair
and whiskers were badly scorched.
AS the injured men were being removed
the engines and the reserve police force ar
rived in response to an alarm that had
been turned In from several of the near ty
emergency e boxes, and fight with the fire
suited in its rapid extinguishment.
Details of the Explosion.
The explosion took place in the photo
graphic room of the patent office. G. Thiel-
kuhl and Flint were handling large car
boy Of ether. containing about 500 pounds,
when 1t broke. Mr.. Thielkuhl says he
thought the ether. pouring from the broken
carboy, ran over on the stove. Another Of
the assistants said that he believed the
ether vapors reached the lamp in the dark
room, which he was then approaching.
Whatever the means Of ignition. there was
tremendous explosion, which communi-
Gated the flames to another carboy, also
containing 500 pounds of ether, and this
exploded Immediately after the first con-
cussion.
Flint fell into the mass of flame that i'm
mediately spread all over the room. He lay
writhing on the ground. his clothing afire,
and calling piteously for help. The other
men had been blown from the room by the
force Of the explosion. Thielkuhl says he
found himself outside of the window. He
does not know whether he jumped or was
blown out.
J. G. Wheat, who prepares the paper for
side when the ether ignited. He says he
was hurled against the wall and then
found his way out into the corridor, which
was by this time densely filled with smoke.
He could hear Flint calling for help, but
could not go to him.
1t is curious fact that Wheat, who il
about twenty years OF age, was in the
Johnstown flood and escaped unharmed.
although his brother was killed. In this
disaster he was Immediately by the side Of
the man who was worst hurt and did not
receive a scratch.
Thielkuhl had his eyebrows singed, and
was a bit shaken up by the force of the ex-
plosion. c. F. Blackledge. another assist
ant in the photograph room, was blown
from the window and was quite badly
shocked. His hair and hrows were singed
The hats and coats of most of the men
were burned and soaked.
Flint, who was the worst burned, is about
lives with DR.. Thomas Taylor of the Agri-
cultural Department. on Capitol Hill.
Files Damaged.
The flames rushed out of the photo
graph room and communicated with the
files. which are stacked from floor to CELL
Ing In the corridors adjacent. These files
belong to the patent Office, and are of
some value, being the sets of duplicate
drawings and specifications of patents that
have been issued. They are preserved for
sale to private individuals, and bring SIS a
set when complete. They were not badly
burned. but were completely water soaked
The firemen detected smoke coming from
one OF the cases after they had succeeded
in putting out the fire in the photograph
room, and tore down several hundred of
these sets in an effort to locate the flames.
They probably destroyed many of the doc
uments in this way. Attendants We're busy
at once picking up the papers and trying to
preserve them, but good many dollars
damage was doubtless done before the fire
and water had ceased to do their work
There were also in these corridors some
of the original drawings. and these may
have been destroyed. This will be a great
loss, as these drawings constitute the Off
cial records of the patents to which they
appertain.
Through a Solid Wall.
Miss Annie Nevius is in charge of the
telephone switch in a little room just east
of the photograph room, on the F street
side. There is a solid wall between her
nook and the scene of the explosion, but
the shock and the cries Of the injured men
reached her and caused her to faint away.
She was found by some Of the men who
had hurried to the rescue, and taken out
unconscious. She revived at once, and
went away unharmed, but considerably
shocked. A rumor spread that she had
been killed by the explosion, and many
anxious inquiries were made by her friends.
Her brother, who is chief operator at the
telephone office, could not raise the patent
office switch. and sent man to the scene
of the explosion in hot haste.
MIR. FIfnts Injuries.
At the Emergency Hospital Mr.. Fiints
injuries were more thoroughly examined,
and he was found to be covered with burns
all over the body and limbs. his clothing,
apparently. having been no protection from
the fiery flames Of the ether. 1t was also
found that he had probably inhaled some
Of the burning vapor. His injuries are not
early recovery.
THE DISTINGUISHED SICK.