The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-12-17
BIG GAS TANK FALLS.
A Peculiar and Fatal Accident in
New York
Millions of Gallons of water Hush
Through the Streets-Peopie Are
Caught-Thrcs Dead and
Many Injured.

New York. Dec. 1.-THE great steel
gas tank OF the Consolidated Gas COM
pany, at Avenue A and Twentieth
street, the largest of its kind in the
world. collapsed at o: 30 o'clock Tues
day afternoon. 1t went down with a
crash and roar like a great explosion.
Masonry OF granite blocks and bricks
to the height OF so feet fell like child's
toy house Of blocks and loosed from
bondage 100000 gallons of water.
deluged the streets. and in ten-foot
tidal wave carried death and destruc-
ton through the surrounding neighbor-
hood. ii is not known how many were
killed and injured.
The dead so far recovered are An
drew Wendt. John Gray and Pious
Baum. About 20 others, so far as has
been learned. were injured more or less
severely or almost drowned. James
O'Connor. foreman in Fuldner's fac
tory. adjoining. and believed TO have
been in the basement with Engineer
Baum, who was killed, is missing.
George Bremen and George Wrinkle are
also missing.
The steel tank was 17S feet In diam
eter and 100 feet high. Rising out OF
the ground to a height OF 30 feet was
great circular wall of granite and
brick many feet in thickness. This was
filed with 100000 gallons of
water. A gang OF men were at work
under foreman filing the pit with
water to make the first water test"
Il
the test wen. The laborers were even
beginning 10 gather up their tools TO
knock Off. There were many people on
the streets. and crowded street cars
coming and going.
Suddenly came an awful crash. The
men below mad scarcely time 10 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 fac
tories and tencments rushed the
flood. Workmen were shot out of tbs
factory windows and carried n block
or more AS II mere straws. Women
were washed out of the fats from the
first floors and almost drowned.
Mary Ann O'Connen and her little
four-old sister Catherine were seated
nj the trent window on the second floor
cf No. S35 Avenue ~ Before they
could turn TO flee rash of water
struck them both. smashing them
through the door and carrying them
half a block distant. Both were terri
bly, injured, the little one perhaps fa-
tally.
After the masonry Of the tank coli
lapsed the tank proper careened and
fell In battered heap 10 one side. The
giant uprights were bent as II made OF
paper, the whole making one great
mass OF scrap iron. The loss Of the
tank is said 10 be complete, 100000
The downtown district suffered
\ greatly ON account of the accident, for
all the gas supplied by the Consolidated
company in that part OF the city was
shut off. This affected the downtown
restaurants, the downtown hotels, the
elevated stations, all the ferry houses
and whatever business houses are in
I the habit Of doing business at night.
Andrew Wendt, one OF the killed,
WAS ut1I lllt Ddnt VI lnf lhhh wiz
collapsed. He was caught by the rush
Z ing waters and borne almost an inered
I ible distance His mangled and almost
naked body was found against an ele-
waited railroad pillar at Twenty first
/ street and First avenue, more than a
4 block away. w. j. Logan, OF the Logan
/ iron works, of Green Point. L. l., the
con tractor who was building the tank,
arrived on the scene within few min
utcs after the collapse and was NJ once
placed under arrest. William III Brad
ley, chief engineer OF the Consolidated
Gas company, and said 10 be jointly re-
sponsibIe for the work with Contractor
Logan, was also placed under arrest
Both were charged with homicide and
their bail was placed at $40, 600 each.