The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-14
GREAT GAS TANK C0LLAPSES
CONSOLIDITED COMPANIES NEW
 STRUCTURAL IN NEW YORK.

Steel Buildlng Gave Way s,Q00,000
 Gallons of Water Let Lose Contractor
 and Engineer Arrested Charged With
 Homicide.
 New York, Dec. 13.-The great steel gas tank of the Consolidated Gas con- pany at Avenue A and 20th street, the largest of its kind in the world, col lapsed at 5;30 o'clock this evening. It went down with crash and a roar like a great explosion. Masonry of granite blocks and bricks to the height of fifty feet fell like a child's toyhouse of blocks and S,000000 gallons of water were let loose which deluged the streets and in a ten foot tidal wave car ried death and destruction through the neighborhood It is not known how many were killed and injured. The list of injured is very large. The dead so far recovered are: Andrew Wendt, workman; Pious Baum, engineer in ad- jacent factory.
 The injured are: John Gray, watch man, skull fractured, will probably die; Catherine O'Connell, four years old, leg fractured, contusions; Mary Ann O'Donnell, badly lacerated body; Tim othy Dunn, general contusions and submersion by water; Waco Wagner; William Vane, face lacerated, general contusions; Charles Quigg, severely in- jured about the body and face; Peter Walker, dislocated shoulder About fifteen others were injured more or less severely. The injured were taken to Bellevue hospital. James O'Connor, foreman in Fultiner's factory adjoining, and believed to have been in the base ment with Engineer Baum, who was killed, is missing.
 Many people were caught in the streets by the rushing waters and were hurled hither and thither receiving in- juries of various kinds. w. J. Logan of the Logan iron works of Green Point, L. l., the contractor who was building the tank, arrived on the scene a few minutes after the collapse and was placed under arrest. William H. Brad ley, chief engineer of the Consolidated Gas company, and said to be jointly responsible for the work with Contrac- tor Logan, was also placed under ar rest Both were charged with homicide and their bail was placed at S10,00o each.
 To make the scene more terrible the ,el,i +or ooiy nd destroyed electric light conduits, caus- ing almost complete darkness This lat ter was partially remedied but the gas supply below Grand street was almost totally shut off for the night. The plant of the Consolidated Gas company occupies several blocks in the neigh borhood of Avenue A and 20th street. On Avenue A beginning at 20th street is the five story brick factory of Henry Fuldner, manufacturer of extension tables The other half of the block is occupied by five story tenements, the property of the gas company and large ly tenanted by it's employees. Imme dately back of the factory and tene- ments was the great steel tank 178 feet in diameter and 160 feet high. Rising out of the ground and to height of 50 feet was built a great circular wall of granite and brick many feet in thick ness. This was filled with S000,Oo0 gal Ions of water. The tank was support ed by great steel uprights. gang Of men were at work under foreman flll- ing the pit with water to make the water test" The tank with capaci- ty of 36O0,Oo0 cubic feet and costing $500 .O0O seemed to withstand the test well. The representatives of the com many and the foreman of the work con- graduated themselves upon the suc- cess of the test
 Suddenly and without Q moment s warning, came an awful crash. Tne men below had scarcely time to fly from ee- meath 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 foors of the factory and tenements, rushed the angry flood and with it went death and destruction. Workmen were shot out of the factory windows and carried a block or more as if mere StraWS on the crest of the flood. Women were washed out of the flats from the first floors and almost drowned. Mary Ann C'Connell ard her -year-old sister Catherine were seated at the front win dow on the second floor of 335 Avenue A. A rush of water struck them both, smashing through the door and carry ing them half block. Both were terri bly injured the little one perhaps fatal- ly. Henry Fulder was carried almost to Fist street His son was also carried out of his office by the water, but was caught in the debris and but for the ar rival of workmen with axes he would have been drowned. Andrew Wendt was near the base of the tank when it collapsed He was carried away by the rushing waters. His mang, ed body was found against an elevated pillar at Fist and First avenue, more than a book away Hugh Kelly and Thomas Kear- ney, 15-year-old boys were playing in the rear Of their tenement when the flood came upon them. They swam for five minutes or more and were almost exhausted when a policeman pulled them out.
 Ambulance and fire calls were sent out with all speed and ambulances from several hospitals soon arrived. Surg ons attended to the unconscious, maimed victims. Hundreds of persons rushed from all directions to help cary the wounded into nearby buildings until ta1 tn Inc hcc fol