New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-09
A CIGARETTE FIRES GAS.
SEVERAL PEOPLE HURT BY STREET
EXPLOSION IN FIRSTAVE.
YOUNG MAN ACCIDENTALLY TossEs THE STUNT
OF CIGARETTE INTO MANHoLE AND
THE PAVE

PENT-UP GAS TEARS Up THE PAVE
MENr THROWING wRECKAGE
IN ALI. DIRECTIONS.
The caree.. thro wing Of a lighted cigarette
into a manhole caused violent explosion at 'he
southeast corner Of Nineteenth-st and firs'-aNe'
atcut o'clock yesterday afternoon ana serious
" injured two persons and slightly injured anu
frightened several others.
The seriously injured are:
GEELER Louis six years Old OF No 400 East Nine
teenth- st.; burned about face and hands ~
HINT John twenty-one years old, clerk. OF NO s.,
East Nineteenth burned about the face hands ana
neck; condition dangerous
Hunt prior to the accident. was deVotec or
the cigarette. He was his way home niue
after o'clock and was smoking cigarette as
he went along When he reached the southeast
corner Of Nineteenth-st and Frst-ave. he hlIlped
his nearly consumed cigarette, as Is the custom
OF cigarette-smokers. intending that it should
reach the street Instead Of going into the street
It fell into the manhole at the corner between
the iron gratngs that covered it.
Instantly there was a terrific explosion.
sheet of blush flame shot out Of the manhole
TO a distance OF fifteen feet The force Of the
explosion threw into the air the heavy Ire
grating and a mass of wreckage, such as the
litter that was in the chamber under the side
walk. All this descended in a shower on the
sidewalk and street hitting passersby who were
near and breaking windows The flames from
the manhole diminished gradually in height, and
finally disappeared altogether below the man
hole.
When the smoke and dust had settled It was
found that several persons were stricken to the
sidewalk. Roundsman Walsh. OF the East
Twenty -seoond-st. police station. heard the re-
port OF the explosion and saw the hames ana
shower Of debris. He was only block distant.
He hurried at once to the spot where the people
were PROSTATE on the sidewalk Many OF them,
after the policeman reached the spot. got up
and. when they found they were more scared
than hurt. walked away.
Hunt was lying unconscious on the sidewalk
with his clothes ablaze Roundsman Walsh
quickly extlnguished the flames. but the young
man was badly burned about the face. arms and
hands. His face disngured hideousiy with
large black splotches and immense biisters, his
hair was nearly burned off and his neck was
badly blackened Near him was small boy. also
badly burned and bending over him was Il
woman nearly frantic with grief and fright
The boy was Louis Geller. six years old, OF NO
400 East Nineteenth-st., ard the woman over
him was Mrs. Minnie Geller his mother.
Roundsman Walsh Immediately summoned am
balances from Bellevue Hospital. and the young
man and the boy were taken to the institu-
tion.
The boy. II is thought may recover, but
Hunts condition is precarious. The physicians
say that IL he has swallowed any OF the names
he will not recover. He was close to the man
hole when the explosion occurred Young Geler
was bur lcd about the face and hands The boy
was walking along with his mother. and was
within a few feet OF Hunt when the explosion
came His mother a little distance away
and she escaped with few bruises. Mrs.
Cohen Of No 415 East Nineteenth-st, was pros
trated by the force Of the explosion ana badIy
frightened.
4 number of people were hurt more or less
by nying wreckage. and several women VINO
were near became hystericaL The eHcltetneht
after the explosion was intense. great crowd
gathered about the place. and Roundsnan
Walsh had all he could do to make them stand
back and give sufficient room for the handing
OF the wounded and burned persons.
The manhole where the explosion occurred Is
used for putting coal into the basement under
the sidewalk II is supposed that a large amount
Of gas had collected in the place, and that as
soon as the lighted cigarette fell into the base
rnent IL ignited the gas and caused the explo-