The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-14

New York. December IL. THE great
eosel "a tank OF the Consolidated Gas
Gompany ct Avenue A and Twentieth
street, the largest OF it's Kind in the
world. collapsed at $3.50 O'Clock this
evening, IT went down with a crash
and roar Mkc great explosion.
Masonry OF granite blocks and bricks
to tho fwdght OF fifty feet fell like
child's toy house OF blocks, and loosed
( from the bondage the 100000 gallons
B Of water which deluged the streets and
3 q tcn-fcot Tidal wave carried death and
destruction to tlra surrounding neigh
borhood. 1t is not known how many
were killed and injured.
The dead SO FAR recovered arc:
ANDREW wENDT. workman.
PioUS BAUM. engineer in adjacent
JOHN GRAY. IS years old.
Injured:
Catherine O'Donnelly. years old, leg
fractured and contusions.
Mary Ann O'Conneil, 10 years, body
: badly laceruted.
Timouny Dunn. So years. Green Point,
general confusion and subfnersaon by
water.
john Wagner. is wears, general con-
tus,0ns.
Wlliam Kane. face lacerated. general
T coutl,siof,s. III
Charles crsgg. 20 years. Brooklyn, Sc !.
verely injured about the body and face.
About fifteen others, so far us has
bsen learned. were injured more Or less
severely and almost dro Sned.
James o'Connor, foreman In Fuldc-
nsr's foundry, adjoining, is believed
Is have been In the basement with
Engineer Baum. who was kilici. is
missing.
George Bremen. time keeper.
George Wipklc, 10 years old. son Of
i Foreman Winkic,
Ihe steel tank was IT'S feet In diam
s eter and 160 feet high. Rising OUT
of the ground TO a height of fifty feet,
was great circular wall III gilnite and
brick many feet in thickness. fnis waa
filled with 100000 gallons Of water
/. a gang OF men were ut work under n
foreman filling the pit with water 10
make the first water test
The great tank seemed TO withstand
the test we'll. The laborcrs were even
beginning 10 gather up their tools to
knock off. There were many people
on the street and crowded street cass
coming and going.
Suddenly came an @wful crash Tho
men below had scarcely time to fly
from beneath the falling walls ere
they were picked UP by the mass OF
rolling water and hurled hundreds OF
feet away. Into the basement, the
first and second floors OF factories and
tellenienGs rushed the flood Work.
lnen were shot ont Of the factory wiz
Gows like mere straws. Women were
washed OFT of the first floors aud al
most drowned.
Mrs. Ann Council and her llttls
4-yesr-sold sister Catherine We're
seated at the front window on the
second floor Of No. 335 Avenue A. Be-
fore they could turn to fly u rush OF
wafer struck them both. smashing
them through the door and carry ng
them half block distant. Both were
terribly injured, the little one perhaps
fatally.
Henry Fuldmer was talsan UP bodily
and Carried almost to Twenty first
sessisd, His son WIS, also carried out
OF his office by the water. but was
caught in the debris, and but for the
sanely arrival os some worlanren with
axes he would have been drowned.
Andrew Wemtll, one OF tha killed,
was meas. the base of the tank when
At collapsed He was caught by the
running waters and DorllS almost an
incredible distance. Wis mehged and
almost naked body was found against
an elevated railway pillar al Twenty
First etoesl and First avenue, more
than block away,
w, ]. Logan OF the Logan Iron works
OF Green Point, l.. T., tho contractor,
wiio WIS building the tsnk. arrived on
the scene Within few minutes after
The collapse ana was at once placed
under arrest.
William II. Pataahsv, tIrfef engineer
of Nhe Consolidated Gas colnpNny. end
said 10 be responsible fer the work with
Cantraepr L0gan wrs alNo olanTd NM
der arrest. Both were charged with
homicide ana >helr bail WIS placed a.
$4,000 each.
After the masonry OF the tank col
,apsed, the tank proper careened and
fell in battered heap to one aide.
The giant ul-ights were bent rs II
made OF paper. the whole making one
great mass of scrap iron The loss ot
ihe tank is said TO BIO complete. $780,
0oO
The collapse OF the tank cau7ed the
rupture OF some of tho great water
lb1