Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-15
GREAT DESTRUCTION.
Twentieth and Twsnty-ilrst streets Barrl.
cnded by Ruins.


caded by Ruins.
Associated Press Dispatch py Special Wires. n
New York, Dec. when dawn
lighted up the district devastated by
the collapsing of the gas, tank Of the
Consolidated Gas Coz, spectacle Of
ruin was presented. Hundreds of men
were working in and about the rent
buildings and in the labyrinth Of
twisted iron girders and masses of iron
beams and iron and steel plates.
Twenty-frst street is barricaded by
twisted iron stanchions, girders and
uprights, piled to q height of % feet.
Twentieth street is also filled with
bricks, household goods and timbers,
piled high In Que promiscuous mass.
Building Department laborers, this
morning, succeeded in clearing Avenue
A so that the cars could pass.
All night long, hundreds Of men
worked assiduously to discover the
bodies that might be in the ruins. In
tho basement Of the furniture factory
Of Henry Fuldner, there were six feet
of water. Three men on raft floated,
searching for the body of the missing
engineer, Pious Baum. who was in the
basement attending to his duties when
the deluge from the tank swept away
tilo lChI VOL VI t-f0 Ills
body was found under a mass Of debris.
The missing are: George Brennan,
timekeeper for W. J. Logan of the
Logan iron works Gustave Wincke, 16
years old, son of one of the foremen OF
the Logan iron works; William O'Con-
nell, foreman for the Logan iron works;
James E. Lutener, who was supposed
to be in the pit working when tho tank
gave WY, and Peter Corlin q workman
employed by the Consolidated Gas Co.
The tank that collapsed was l75 feet
in diameter and 160 feet in height,
and the iron supports over which the
immense cables ran wore over 200 feet
In height. The lower tank, into which
the upper one fitted, was % feet in
height, and rested on mason work 10
the pit. This pit was 150 feet deep.
Tho builders were testing tho strength
of tho tank with water pressure. I'm
mense pipes had been pouring water
into the lower tank all day. The upper
tank, or cop, had risen shout 25 feet
The workmen were preparing to leave
tho place whom the masonry Of the pit
crumhled away liko clay.
The water was over 81 feet in depth.
The steel plates of the tank were rent
asunder by the pressure like SO much
paper. Inc great torco OF the wntor
vented itself on the rear walls OF the
buildings on tho Avenue A, and all were
torn away, with the exception of part
Of the rear Of the, gas company's en-
ginehense. Tho masonry and bricks
were thrown into the street, and piled
into the Railways Of tho houses and
buildings on Avenue A side. The rush
ing waters cut the rear of Fuldner's
furniture factory, and huge slabs Of
asphalt were carried by tho water into
the buildings Tremendous iron beams
aud uprights were swept BY the water
as II they were so much timber, and
carried away down Twentieth ard
Twenty first streets to tho river front
At the foot Of Twenty first street, wore
two barges laden with coal. Tho rush
ing waters sent beams and ioists with
such force against those boats that
they parted their moorings. The
steamer Paul Koch WINS also lying at
the foot of Twenty.first street, and her
mornings were also parted.
The arm and log Of d man were found
in the entangled barricade on Twenty.
first street today. William, O'Conneil,
who was reported missing, turned up
ali right TODAY, ,I