Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-12-15
DEAD IN TANK RUINS.
Searchers Find Bodies at Wrecked
Gas Holder In New York.
TWO OFFICIALS ARRESTED.
Released on Bail, They Aid In Seeking
the Dead-Terrific Effects Of the
Explosion-One Woman's
Grewsome Find.

New York, Dec. 15.-Two hundred labor
ers were at work all day in the ruins caused
oy the explosion of the largest gas holder
IN the world at the plant of the CONSOLIDATE
ed Gas company on the block bounded by
twentieth and Twenty-frst streets and by
FIRST avenue and Avenue A. The laborers
were searching for the bodies of persons
who are known to be dead or are missing.
The list of dead and missing includes four
known to be dead and three who are miss
ing and are supposed to be dead. OF the
score who v"r" injured it is reported that
all are recovering.
4.'cry o..ul. j., making by the officers of
the Consolidated Gasscompaly to have the
ruins searched for bodies. Besides its own
regular force Of laborers, it engaged $50
men of ID. Sweeney & Co.'s emergency
corps to help. One OF Sweeney's men, Pat
rick McGinnis, found a portion of leg
which it is supposed belongs to the body of
Peter Conlin, an engineer Of the gas COM
pany, who lived at 1862 East One Hundred
and Fourth street and is missing. A large
force of extra policemen was on hand to
keep in check the crowd of persons who
came early to see the effects of the wreck.
Building inspectors. were also present to
examine the houses near the gas plant to
see to what extent they had been damaged.
Mrs Hanna Lutz went into the cellar of
the house at 402 East Twenty first street to
get some of her belongings, which were
stored there. The cellar had been flooded,
and she saw a hand and foot floating about
She notified the fire department, and an in
vestigation was set on foot The firemen
are of the opinion that one or more bodies
will be found among the debris which was
washed into the cellar.
Cause of the Accident.
The accident was caused by the inability
of the large new gas holder to stand the test
to which it was necessary to subject it be-
fore any gas was stored in it.
Chief Engineer William H. Bradley of
the Consolidated Cos company and Con
tractor William J. Logan, in charge of the
Logan iron works at .Greenpoint, were ar
on bail, and each iSynow assisting in the
| work of rescue
The holder was likethe other seven gas
holders of the Consolidated company's plant
at that place, except that it was much lar
ger than the Others, Besides it's ground sec
ton, which was stationary, it had Shrc~ up
I per SCI lions, WHICH JJfesUJI - ~ each
other like pocket drinking cup upside
down. The system Of testing was to fill the
| bottom section full of water and then pump
air into the holder until it should rise to the
proper height just as though gas was in it,
The water was about all in and the all
| pumps had been started when there was a
loud noise of breaking iron and rushing air
and instantly the ground section of the
holder split on the Twenty yfirst street side
The water which stood in the tank for {
height of 25 feet above the street levc
poured out into Twenty-frst street as
though from bursting dam.
The next moment there were crashes OF
the south and east sides of the big tank
and air and water rushed out in every di
rection. The water rose to a height of tel