The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-16

New York, December ia great
steel gas mi Of the Consolidated Gas
Company at Avenue A and Twen-
tieth street, the largest of its kind in
the world, collapsed at $3.50 o'clock this
afternoon. 1t went down with a crash
and a roar like a great explosion.
Masonry Of granite blacks and bricks
to the height of fifty feet fell k a
child's toy house Of blocks and loosed
from bondage 5000, 900 gallons Of water,
which deluged the streets in a. ten-fooI
tidalw wave carrying death and destruc-
ton through the surrounding neigh
borhood./
1t is not known o many were kill
ed and injured. The list Of injured is
very large. The dead SO far recovered
are Andrew Weddel, workman, anu
James O'Connor, foreman in Fuldner's
factory, adjoining.
Many people were caught in the
streets by the rushing Waters and were
hurled hither ana tnither, receiving in
JurieS of various xmas.
w. j. Logan, or the Logan Iron
Works, of Green Point, l.. L., the con-
tractor who was building the tank, ar
rived on the scene within a few minutes
after the collapse and was at once
placed under arrest.
WlllldIl =. Didulcy, Culel euSlHccT
of the Consolidated Company, and said
to be jointly responsible for the work
with Contractor Logan, was also placed
under arrest. Both were charged with
homicide and their bail vas placed at
$40, 900 each.
To make the scene more terrible, the
rushing waters tore up gas mains and
destroyed electric light conduits, caus-
ing almost complete darkness.
l The tank WAS summarized nv eight
great steel uprights PIP feet high. The
water in the pit, filling against the tank
mad it gas tight" A number of
men were at work under a foreman
filling the pit with water to make the
first water test" The great tank.
! feet and costing $500, 900, seemed to
Withstand the test well, when suddenly
there was an awful crash.
The men below had scarcely time to
fly from beneath the falling walls be-
fore they were picked up by the mass
| of rolling water and hurled hundreds
! Of feet away. Into the Easements, the
first and second floors of the factories
and tenements, rushed the angry floods
and with them went death and de-
struction.
Workmen were shot out Of the fac
tory windows and carried a block or
more. Women were washed out of the
flats from the first floors and almost
drowned.
Later investigation adds John Gray.
* years old, to the list OF dead and
George Bremen, timekeeper, and George
Winkie. 10 years Did, son of Foreman
Wrinkle, to the list of missing.
1t was learned by he police that
Bremen and young Wrinkle were stand
ing under the walls when they fell and
their bodies are doubtless in the ruins
The police and firemen are Of the opin-
ion that there are a number Of other
bodies in the ruins, as the list of miss
ing is growing.
After the masonry of the tank col
lapsed the tank proper careened and
fell in a battered heap to one side. The
giant uprights were benz as IL mad OF
paper, the whole making one great
mass Of scrap iron. h loss Of the
tank is said to be complete-$300. 600.
The damage to Mr.. Fuldner's factory
is placed at s25, 600. and the damage to
the tenements. the property OF the gas
company, is placed at 500. 900. 1t is
feared that all must be RACED This
collapse of the tank caused the rupture
of some of the great water mains which
were constructed to feed it and foI
some time these poured their torrents
into the streets. Eventually they were
closed.
The downtown district suffered great
ly on account Of the accident. for al
the gas supplied by the Consolidate
Company in that part OF the city was
/ shut off.