The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
A HOUSE FRONT BLOWN OUT
sETERAL PERSONS INJURED M AN
EXPLOSION IN rONKERS.
sense or tho Tcuants safe TO Have Carricd
Nome Pniisrni or cnsoiine rrorn n Task or
That Liauld which was Found Recently
In thu Huinp or n Rurned Hat Fhetery.

senie or che Tenants sale 60 Have CaTriod
Nome Pnttsrni or Gnseiine froua n Task OF
That Liauld yvhich was Pound hecentiy
In thu RhipS or y Burned Hae FhetsrS.
'YoNKERs, N. Y, Dec. ll.-An explosion which
shook the buildings In the business portion or
the city and injured several persons moro or less
severely occurred ut 7:l5 o'clock this evening.
1t demolished the two-story tenement, D John
street, and sot nro to 1t and adjoining houses.
A quantity Of gasoline became ignited from q
stove on the frat floor.
In the vicinity OF the house n tank containing
100 gallons OF gasoline was found n few days
ago by workmen who were removing the debris
from the ruins Of a big hat factory which was
burned several months ago. Tenants OF houses
on what is known rs Chicken Island went with
pals and cans and took tho dangerous fluid
away. Some of them soaked wood in the gaso-
limo and used 1t to light tho fires with. Others
stored the liquid away in cellars.
On one aide OF the first story Of the house lived
Joseph Duncan, with his wife and children.
whilo James Tolgate. Joseph white, and a nan
named Himo occupied the apartments across
the hallway. 1t was in ono Of these apartments
that the explosion occurred. 1t Is thought q fire
was being started. The front of the tenement
was blown out and the roof fell in. Flames shot
up through tho ruins and spread rapidly to the
houses In the rear and on tho east side.
Besides the occupants of the first floor thsro
wero In the house at tho time Alexander Craw.
ford and his wife. Mrs. Caroline Nichols and
four children. Mrs. jeremiah Davis and u man
named Louis Dumont. How they got out ia diff:
hSult to understand, but "a far as can be learned
oil. got out alive. Mrs. Nichols let two of her
children drop from a rear window and managed
to get down the rear stairway with tho older two.
They were all moro or less cut and bruised
and they. were taken to st. Joseph's Hospital.
Mrs. Davis was burned severely about the face
and arms, In the houses adjoining the tene-
ment on tho east side were tho family OF Claude
Dardon. They were eating supper. Mr.. Darden
was blown across the room, hui he received only
slight injuries. The ceiling fell upon his wife
and she was badly hurt.
The flames spread TO houses in the rear and
the families were Obliged to leave all their be-
longings and fee for their lives. Tho families
thus rendered homeless nrc. those OF George
Beckton, William Jackson, Mrs. Sawyer. and
Mrs; wray., BY tho time the flames were sub
dued, which took about an hour, all the ten
ants, as II is believed, were accounted for, but.
fearing that some had becn carried down In the
moving the debris.
The police have begun an Investigation OF tho
tenement district to discover whether any moro
families have gaRoline stored in their houses.
The demolished building is owned by William
r. Mott of Peekskil. The total damage will
amount to about $4,000.