New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-14
DEATH DEALING FLOOD.
MAMMOTH GAS TANK COL
LAPSES IN AVENUE A.
SONS INJURED IN THE RUSH OF THE
MIGHTY TORRENT - TREMEN-
DOUS DAMAGE DONE.

drowned the tunult or the citys streets and tho
buzz Of the surrounding factories the great
steel gas tank OF the Consolidated Gas Com
pany at Avenue A and Twentieth-st. said to
be the largest Of the sort in the world. coll
lapsed at $50 o'clock last night. Three people
were killed. seventeen others were injured. and
three persons known to be in the neighborhood
at the time are missing. Masonry OF granite
blocks and bricks to the height Of half a hum
dred feet fell az a chids toy house OF blocks.
and let loose eight million gallons OF water.
delugins the busy shops. and. in a great tidal
wave. carrying death and destruction and in
jury through the surrounding neighborhood. The
police believe that all those missing are in the
wreckage. and that other bodies will be found
when a search of the ruins is made.
THE DEAD.
BAUM. PToUs engineer In adjacen. factory.
GRAZ. John. gsteman died soon after the accident
VENT, ANDREW. workman No. 2i0 East Twenty
THE WOUNDED
DUER. Michael twenty-five years old o, No. i3 West
sxty-thrd-s,: contlsons Taken to New-York Hos
DUN Timohy hf;y nye years old. Of No: III India
submers.o1 by waier' Taken = ls~is,ie Hospital
FuLDNER. Henry. raarfac,urer: rrbmeraion. Taken
FuLDNER, Herman. son 0, Henry Fuldner; COT tv,ons
and suhmersion. Taken home.
KANE. William o, No 81 East Fif,eenth-st iacerated
face and general contusions. Taken to Bellevue Hos
EEARNEY Thomas fifteen Years OLD OF No 3s3 Avenue
A: almost drowned: cared FOR by frends
kEEY o. HgsS 'es3 l ysa5' rs o a. sS q Mo- 1888 Avenue Al
MALLoY Patrick twentyeieht old OF No 800 East
Fourteenth ST.. engineer Taken to New-york hos-
Man believed to be AUGUST uUFFFLBEcTIT thirty-six
Hospital
MILLER John fourteen year. eM Of 81 20 s2sIsh St,
Bellevue H. SPIRAL
ocoNNELI. catharine. four years old. Of No. s!s
fsieSge sSeus nospi.ai S'fe' 'S anu 'O"'"'''"'
Avenue A. lacerated tody. Taken to Bellevue Hos
oNEILLY Patrick tventy-nine years old Of 81 % East
Taken 10 Bellevue Hospital
ouIGG yssF' os o, G No. wsns. ~ GseFn on
body Taken to Bellevue Hospital.
WAGNER Jacob 'hTyesht yeas od ssrs OF No. eds .
tuslons TAKEN TO Bellevue Hospital.
disoeaed shoulder and contusi Tss" to Belle
Hospital
WRIGHT c Earl @ ssasa of
tusions. Taken to Bellevue Hospital.
MISSING.
BREMER George a keeper; las, In shan'y.
oCONNOR James fireman in Fdidner s factory 1eievss
to nave been in the basement with Engineer Baum
wINKIE George fifteen years old: the son OF one OF
the foren,en: last with Bremer.
Many people were caught in the streets by the
rushing waters and hurled against buildings.
bvdrants etc. receiving more less serious in
hlry Two dozen or more such called at Belle
vue Hospital and had their bruises dressed.
Their cases were so trivial that no record was
made Of them.
CONTRACTOR AND ENGINEER ARRESTED
w j. Logan. Of the Logan Iron Works. Green
point living at No. SSS Carrol-st, Brooklyn.
the contractor who building the tank. ar
rived on the scene by accident within a few
minutes after the collapse and was at once
placed under arrest by the East Twenty second
IT. police.
William H. Bradley, OF No. % West Sixty
eighth-st, the chief engineer Of the Consoli-
dated Gas Company. and said to be jointly re-
sponsible with Logan for the work. also
placed under arrest and taken to the East
Twenty second-st. station. Both were charged
with homicide and admitted to bail
To add to the chaos and make the scene even
more terrible. the rushing waters tore up great
sasmans and destroyed electric-Iight conduits.
temporarily causing inky darkness. This was
partially remedied but the gas supply below
Grand-st was almost totally shut off for the
night
The plant Of the Consolidated Gas Company
occupies several blocks in the neighborhood OF
Avenue A and Twenticth-st. The tank which
COLLAPSED was within the district bounded by
Twentieth-st Avenue and Twenty -frst-st.
Facing on Avenue A and beginning at Twen-
teth-st Is the hve-story brick factory OF Henry
Fuldner manufacturer Of extension tables This
factory occupies Nos 327. 329 and 331. or about
half the block between Twentieth and Twenty
first SITS The other half Of the block Nos. 333
335 and 337 Avenue A. is occupied by fve-story
tenement houses. the property Of the gas COM
pany and largely tenanted by It's employees.
Immediately back Of the factory and tenement
houses was the great tank in process Of con-
structlon. The tank was 17S feet in diameter
and 100 feet high 1t was built Of steel plates
~ inches thick on what ia known the "tele-
scope plan" BY that is meant that each great
ring is fitted INTO the other much Ike the parts
of n telescope.
II standing alone the tank proper would re-
semble huge cheeseboX. Rising out Of the
ground 10 a height Of fifty feet was built great
circular wall Of granite and brick many feet In
thickness. This was filed with eight million
gallons OF water The tank supported by
eight great steel uprights 2l2 feet high. At the
tops or these were great puieys, anu "ofhinS
over these heavy cables attached to the tank
held il as Il was raised or lowered into the pit.
The water IN the pit fitting against the tank
made It "gastight." much Ike an inverted glass
is when placed in a basin Of water and made
alright A gang Of men were at work. under
foreman filing the pit with water 70 make the
first or water. test.
The contract for the construction OF the tank
Is held by the Logan Iron Works. OF Green
point Ions Islard. The tank was to have cost
900 and to have gas capacity Of 3.GOoWO
cubic feet The men employed in making the
test were already beginning to pack up their
tools for the night as IL was nearly o'clock.
The foreman and representatives, OF the COM
pany were congratulating each other upon the