New-York tribune., 1896-08-25
A HOUSE WRECKED BY GAS.
EXPLOSION TEARS THE INTERIOR TO
PIECES.
THE HOME OF MICHAEL F. WYNN NO. sl4 EAST
ED-AND-TwENTlETH-sT ALMOST
pENoILsHED-No ONE WAS IN THE
HOUSE AND THERE WAS NO

DENOILSHED-No ONE WAS IN THE
HOUSE AND THERE WAS NO
PERSONAL INJURY.
The three-story and bas ement brownstone
house No 314 East One hundred -and-twen-
tieth-st. badly wrecked yesterday after
noon by an explosion of gas Fortunately there
was nobody in the house at the time. The
house is owned and occupied by Michael +.
Wynn president Of the New-York Roofing Com
many. Of No. 437 East Twenty-third-st Mr..
WYNN ano his family. consisting OF his wife
and seven children. have been spending the
summer at Far Rockaway since June l. Mr..
WYNN has been in the habit Of going to the
house however. twice a week to see that every
thing was all right After the family went
away on June l. the front door and windows
were boarded up, and the gas turned off at the
meter.
The noise Of the explosion was terrific, and
created a panic in the street group Of chill
d-en PLAYING in front of the house fed in dis
NAV and fortunately. Of them in
Nred by the flying debris The final crash OF
tho explosion was preceded by a rumhling SINH
lar 10 that of a thunderclap, and then the doors
and vIndow-sashes of the house were blown
ont into the street. followed by sheets Of fame
and clouds Of smoke. The force.of the explosion
tore everything loose hut the walls of the
house and the air full Of broken glass and
splinters Of wood Even the heavy planks with
which the doors and windows were boarded up
we're blown TO pieces and scattered in all direc-
tons
AN ALARM BUT NO FIRE.
Somebody turned in an alarm of fire. and Act
ing Battalion Chief Ward and Engines Nos. 81
and SO were soon on the scene Ward and his
men entered the house with line of hose. but
found no fire The ruin which they saw sur
prjsed them. The inside Of the house had been
completely wrecked The walls and ceilings had
teen torn away in every room, the furniture
smashed TO pieces and the floors were strewn
with fragments Of broken pictures and other
articles Not a particle of plaster remained on
the walls and even thA gas fixtures were
wrenched from their fastenngs. The I'D OF the
piano. in thu drawing-rOom was thrown off and
broken. and all the furniture including the beds
In the rooms the second and third floors. was
smashed into kindling wood. In the basement
the wreck was even more thorough and com
plete The cooking rang was thrown to one
side and the stationary washtubs were blown
10 pieces The stairway was torn down and even
the kitchen floor had disappeared. close eX-
animation also showed that the rear wall OF the
house was bulged outward and that II had been
undermined at the base.
Acting Chief Ward seeing that II was unsafe
10 remain in the house. ordered everybody out.
and a Gordon ot police were placed on guard
around it,
Ward then began investigation Of the cause
OF the explosion They found that wOrkmen Of
the Consolidated Gas Company had been tearing
up One -hur DIRE d.and tWentieth-st. from First to
Second ave. inspecting the mains and service
pipes and making repairs. in preparation for the
laying of an asphalt pavement in the street
For several days people living in the neighbor-
hood Of Mr. Wynn's house had complained that
there was leak of gas in the neighborhood and
that the odor was unbearable. Especially was
this the case in the houses on either side of Mr.
Wynn's house.
LEAK IN THE SERVICE PIPE.
Yesterday afternoon the workmen opened the
street in front Of Mr. Wynn's house and finding
that there was a leak in the service pipe lead
!ng from the main to the house, began digging
from, the main along the service pipe toward the
house As they advanced they found the signs
Of leak more and more apparent, and finally,
when the sidewalk had been eXcavated, one of
the men named SinnOtt struck match 10 tes'
the service pipe. The gas around the service
pipe ignited and an explosion followed instant
" The Investigators then d. ecided that the gas
from the leak in the service pipe, which might
have existed FOR days or weeks. had followed
The pipe into the house and completely filled It.
there being NJ escape. as the house was tightly
closed The amount Of gas in the house must
have been enormous TO have caused such COM
pleie wreck
All the gas company's men had gone away after
filling the hole in the sidewalk but one Of them,
Johr Casev thirty wears old Of No. 300 Second
ave returned and arrested by sergeant
Delaney Casey said that he knew nothing or
the explosion. he was away on an eTrand az
the time Later Sergeant Delaney arrested
Patrick Kirby the assistant foreClan IN Charse
Of the work Kirby said he did not witness the
explosion and knew nothing of it. Tie sergeant
said that he was determined to find the men
who had been at work on the gaspipes and ma
out who was responsible for the disaster.
The Building Department has been INFORMED
of the dangerous condition Of the building. ana
will take the necessary measures TO make II
secure Mr. Wynn SAYS that his loss amounts
20 5000 or $4,000 During the afternoon
great crowds gathered about the neghborhood
Of the house the report having gone abroad
that there had been great loss of life
Sinnott was only slightly cut with Tying
pieces Of glass He refused TO go 10 hospital
and was taken home
PROMOTERS GO TO LAW.