The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-15
EXPLOSION IN A CHURCH.
B~LIDNEEsS TO OWE AND DEATH TO
TWO MAY BE THE RESULT.


while the Priest and tho Two seztsns were
Looking TOR n Gas Leak In the basement
with n Candle. the Gas which Fsaa Accumu-
lated Tn q Room without Windows nEnited.
BY an explosion Of gas In the Church Of Our
Lady Of the Rosary at Pompeii. 2l4 Sullivan
street, yesterday afternoon, the basement OF the
church was wrecked, tho priest, the Rev. Father
Francis Zaboglio. will probably lose the sight Of
both eyes, and the sexton Of the church. Fran
cesco Zincenti, and his assistant, Francesca
Isola, received injuries from which both will
probably die.
The Church Of Our Lady of tho Rosary at
Pompeii occupies tho ground of the two num-
hers, 214 and 216 Sullivan street, just south Of
West Third street. Adjoining 1t, at 21S, is the
~rectory. The church is situated in a district
densely populated by Italians, and from them
its congregation is chiefly made up. Tho base
ment Of the church is used as a meeting place
for the different societies Of the parish.
Ono OF these. the 81. Joseph's YOUNG Mems
Club, was to have met last night. Tho sexton
was putting the room in order for the meeting.
While the men were at work, Isola, who 10
an Interpreter on Ellis Island, detected
the odor of gas. He called Ztncentfs
attention to it. The latter had noticed the odor
also, and the two men began looking for tho
leak in the gas pipes. After searching for some
time. and failing to trace the source Of the leak.
Zincenti went to the rectory and informed
Father Zaboglio.
The priest, learning Of the trouble, took q
lighted candle and accompanied the sexton back
to the church basement. 1t was Father Tabor
los intention to run the candle along the ga
pipes until he was able to find . place where the
| gas would ignite, and thus determine where tho
leak was.
In tho basement tho priest and the sexton
were Joined by Isola, aud the three worked
along until they camo to a storeroom in the rear
of the basement, underneath the stairs leading
to the church proper. This room Is about
twelve feet square. with no windows. the only
entrance being by q door opening upon o mar
row hall.
As the men neared this door the odor Of gas
became stronger. and they concluded the leak
was in the storeroom. Father Zaboglio was in
advance OF the other two, and on reaching the
door he pushed it open and placed ono foot
over the Threshold. Instantly there was an
explosion, the report of which was heard two
blocks away. The walls of the storeroom. which
were about FIVE inches thick, were blown into
fragments, the bricks and mortar flying in al
Fath,r zaboslio received the full force Of the
explosion and was blown back about hfteen feet
All the hair was nearly burned of his head and
sides this.h his head, face and hands were badly
lacerated by the flying debris. He was rendered
Zincenti and Isola, who were only a step DO
BIND the the sord RF''s 81 III. here explosion ples sFiE Sas t Sssi
s SPisk,.. 'nl Gincsnti 'H %as, suFnsd silently 'apss
the tRs'' er 1Sssioe. so S'' anbaisnced him that h
jumped into a well just outside the church
in The the E1 TeiF. but Their It WAS WAS a aaite T deep
end the deep scalp wound 20 Sav. found S,od ss Or
| tainat rhep ha fell into the well. IsOlu
Wa s at irst thought ds u to have been injured
very slightly. but his injuries: like thoss
was supposed. At midnight it was said at the
hospital that there was hardly a chance thai
either the sexton or his assistant ,Snss Soul i, seco oTts,
no more serious injuries than those caused
S SSSas severe to 'r sss a as Tas. 6 But ''o tsi'
blindness was thought TO be only the tenn
porary result Of the burning Of his s eye
the hospital Surgeons held a oonsultasor
in reference. to the priests condition
s sna; nless m that Father he zsSosiio Would recover
but that he would probably never be able to SCI
The report of the explosion came near causing
a panic in the immediate vicinity Of the church
Italians, swarmed into the street, completed,
them had become insane. Finally somebod,
thought to ring an alarm Of fire. and, police
Ianees sG from 81. uR R i1ee Hospital. INV
1t was not known at the e- time 10 the ne. c ohn WA
f Ths In inj 2Gssd now men many made TeFs no IN sound sSn ino sSa
could be heard above the roar Of tn
crowd. It was found that many, had beel
and four ambulances from 81. vincent's arrived
about the same time, and as soon as the injuret
men could be found and carried out they wer
The church was badly shaken up. The entir
basement was wrecked, and not q whole pane o
glass could DO found in the building after tn
EXPLOSION.