Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-03-05
SIX DEAD.
Terrible Explosion of Gas in
the Subway at Boston.
Several instantly Killed. Others Die
Later Nearly Fifty Injured.
Street Torn Up Cars Wrecked Glass Broken
A Terrible Disaster.

Boston, March Am explosion oc-
Cured in the subway excavation at the
corner of fremont and Boylstoa
streets, about II o'clock today. which
caused the death of at least Il persons
and the injury of SO more. srhe explo-
sion wrecked the three electric cars
that were passing at the time. one of
them being burned up. Several build
ings in the vicinity were more or less
damaged. The explosion was caused
by escaping gas. One OF the wrecked
cars was on the Cypress street line
Eroolline, outward bound. Another
was Mount Auburn car, on the way
from Cambridge.
Among the buildings damaged are
the Hotel Pelham. the Knickerbocker
and Head buildings and the Masonic
Temple. Window glass within 800 feet
Of the scene of the explosion was
shattered.
The whole width Of Fremont street
was thrown up at the iuncture Of
Boylston street. and several holes in
the pavement. several hundred feet
away.
About dozen people in the old Ma
sonic Temple We're badly hurt and were
carried to she hospital. The ambulance
also moved many people from the ad-
Joining building who were badly hur:
from flying. glass and concussion. the
scene at the explosion is frigh tful
one.
The explosion occurred just as three
cars We're almost in the center of the
space at the corner. The first one was
on its way directly across fremont
street, keeping straight on to Boylston.
the second vas a Back Bay and was
just turning from fremont to Boyl
ston, the third was close behind this
cne. There was another car on Bcyl-
ston, waiting for an opportunity to
turn into Tremont. and behind this
We're several coming after it. The
frst-namcd car was precisely in the
center when the explosion came.
The whole cf the wooden work which
is used as a bridge over the deep whole
at this point was lifted with fright
ful rear into the air, carrying The first
car with it and taking along the horses
of the second car. The other vehicles
We're lifted straight into the air, but
came down on the tracks.
Instantly the air was filled with fly
ing debris, and above the shouts OF ter
ror-stricken pedestrians and citizens,
could be heard the groans and cries of
the wounded. The first electric car. the
one in which most OF the dead We're
riding. no sooner reached the track
than it broke in halves. and the whole
portion almost Immediately burst into
flames. Then someone sounded a fire
alarm. This brought a large rescue
force to the scene ard almost imme-
diately calls were being sent out in
every direction for the ambulance.
1t was an awful sight that met the
gaze of the firemen and newspaper
writer's who were first on the scene.
| In the center was the long, blazing
electric car, flames. even at that early
| time mounting furiously into the air.
Close beside this vehicle We're the
bodies of the two dead horses, killed
Instantly, but all about. 10. 20 and 80
| feet away from where the wood work
Of the car was blazing. lay the dead
and wounded.
peop,e who were not injured in the
cars on Boylston street were incapable
of action at first and persons in the
buildings and stores surrounding did
not know what had occurred. but il did
not take them long to recover their
senses. and almost Immediately there
was a rush to the assistance of the
wounded.
1t is stated that there was not per
son on the three cars referred TO. who
was net dead OF wounded, and all the
wounds received were very severe,
most of the persons being rendered un-
CONSCIOUS. Immediately stores and
Offices were converted into temporary
hospitals until ambulances could ar
rive.
1t is supposed that one of the dead
women at Jones undertaking rooms is
Mrs A. NJ. Bates OF 10 Arlington street.
She was out with a sister, this morn
| ing, and has not returned. The sister
returned hcme slightly injured. Nieces
of Mrs. Bates have gone to the under
| taking room to identify the body. On
| the border of q handkerchief in the
| pocket of the dead woman We're the
initials. "A. NJ. B."
4 w. L. Vinal, who was killed. was
secretary Of the Lawson Wydenfeldt
| Company and lived at Salem. o. II.
| Savage. aged 65. Of the Hotel Saville.
| was struck by flying brick and in
| jured in the left leg.
One of the men dead a Jones under
| taking rooms. is the coachman named
Sbley OF the Bates family at 10 Airing
| ton street. Mrs. A. NJ. Bates and Mrs
Charles S. Bates were in carriage
together. Mrs. A. N. Bates is among
the dead. The other lady was some
what injured and after medical as
sistance. was sent to her horne.
Policeman Whalen, who was reported
missing, has turned up uninjured. al
though he had remarkable escape as
the explosion took place almost under
his feet. He said he had smeIled the
odor of gas ell the morning. About 10
minutes of II o'clocl. he proceeded to
the store OF the Johnson Lactated Food
Company. 81 Boylston street, and tele-
phOned'to the gas company that there
was a strong odor of gas, evidently
from a leak in the gas main, at the
! Of rH,.a,3 Il let