New-York tribune., 1899-11-24
THE INJURED.

F1ty-eghth- st. employed as a starter by the Metro-
killed by his head being crushed BY piece of ayins
plank.
THE INJURED
BuRBRIDGE Harry; laborer employed by the railway
son Street Hospital in an unconscious condition. hs
tered from shock.
KEEFE John twenty-five years old. OF No. 1872 Park-
ntcrns Dr at %9rN n ne ne trench ne s.s,ans1 sr.
iacerated. taken to the Gouverneir Hospital
% to s 3: T 81 s sSa5S Na' as 1ss %
sS aSS 10 his nsss by be 5epg 2 struck BY piece OF
MARIAN. Gotteb hfty-slx years old merchant OF
No 81 East sixty thrd-st injured about the chest;
Forsyth-st iaborer employed BY the galway COM
neur Hospital.
rAyHEg M a samuel ns:, Ola :,
and spne refused medical aid and went home
The explosion occurred at $50 O'Clock. and the
report was terrific Gas had accumulated in the
trench, which extended from the southbound
track Of the Broadway cable road west for about
thirty feet into Canal-st. from curb to curb. The
excavation was covered with four-inch planks
which had been in place for many months. Be-.
meath them was a network OF gas. water and
sewer pipes and electrical conduits. The trench
dug by the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company in order that its electrical conduits
running through Canal-st. and used for supply
ing power might be connected with those In
Broadway.
Sixteen men, under direction OF the foreman.
Robert Bracken. were at work in and around the
trench at the time Stories as to what caused
the explosion differ. John Keefe. one OF the in
jured. was in the trench, with two Italians.
They smelled gas and complained to the fore
man Uh no Is reDorted 70 have said.
"Oh, never mind that; there's no danger"
The men. however, were not satisfied. and
started to leave the excavation. They were half
way out when the gas ignited. The Italians
escaped unhurt, but Keefe was hurled several
feet, and some of the heavy planks, which had
been thrown into the air. fell on him.
sheet Of flame twenty feet high shot into
the air. and before it rolled dense cloud OF
black smoke. The air was filled with flying
planking and bits Of broken glass from the win
dows OF the buildings at Nos. 415 and 419
Broadway, on each side Of Caral-st., which had
been shattered by the concussion.
KILLED BY A FLYING PLANK.
O'Neill, the starter. was standing at the cross
ing, having just signaed an Eighth-ave. car to
start. Beside him stood Pauher. piece OF
plank twenty feet long was torn from its fasten-
air. 1t flew over the head OF Policeman sulIi-
van. who stood few feet from the cartracks,
and struck ONelll on the head. His skull was
crushed in, and he fell dead. Other pieces OF
wreckage struck Pauher, who was knocked
down.
Passing another portion OF the trench. a
few feet away. was an empty truck. belonging
TO the Scovill Manufacturing Company, OF No.
i23 BrOome-st. John None was driving the
team. The truck lifted several feet from
the ground. and enveloped in the flames
that shot from the trench. None was thrown
from his seat. The horses started TO run, but
were checked before they had made much head
way. One Of the wheels OF the truck was
ablaze. and None, with the assistance OF some
citizens extinguished the flames. The driver
suffered a few scratches but was otherwise
unhurt
Broadway and Canal-st were crowded with
cars, wagons and pedestrians and IL was at
first thought that more serious calamity had
occurred. Those who were not injured made a
rush for shelter Policeman Kurtz was stand
ing at the southwest corner and Mr.. Marian
was crossing Canal-st, when they were struck.
Policeman Donnelly. Of the Broadway Squad,
sent out a fire alarm. and the crowd which had
collected at the report Of the explosion
augmented by the people who followed the en-
gines to the Word was telephoned TO
Police Headquarters that many people were be-
lieved to be killed and Chief Devery. accom-
panied by Deputy Chiefs Cortright and Nc
Laughlin, Inspector Cross and Captain McClus-
ky, with number Of detectives, hurried TO the
scene. Word was sent to the Macdougal-st..
the Leonard-st.. the EliZabeth-st and the City
Hall stations, and the reserves from these pre-
cincts went TO the scene.
Policeman Donnelly dragged O'Neilps body
from beneath the timbers that covered IT. The
body was carried into the hallway Of the Bran
dreth Building, at No. 4l3 Broadway The in
Jured were assisted to the sidewalk. and were
soon In the hands OF the ambulance surgeons.
The big plate glass windows in the office OF
the West Shore Railroad Company, the
ground floor OF the Brandreth Building, were
shattered. and pictures were knocked from the
walls. The clerks became panicstricken ana
rushed into the street, thinking that the build
ing about TO fall The same scenes were
enacted in scores OF offices above, the windows OK
which were also broken. Hanan * Co.'S shoe
store, at No. 419 Broadway, was also the target
for heavy pieces OF timber. which shattered the
plate glass windows
Waschman's restaurant at No. 301 Canal-st,
was filled with patrons when the accident oc-
CURED. The windows were smashed, and the
frightened diners rushed into the street without
hats or coats. Opposite. at No 3O6' is six
story building, the ground floor OF which is oc-
cupied by the New-York and Boston Dispatch
Company A dozen teams stood along the curb.
John J. Clark master Of transportation hurried
eral stampede OF the frightened express horses.
The upper portion OF the building is occupied
by Posner Brothers, skirt manufacturers Two
hundred girls employed by the firm and
they were thrown into panic by the explosion
and the breaking OF the windows OF the building.
Max Hlrschberg ran from floor
to floor and prevented the young women from
rushing to the stairways. where some might
have been crushed TO death.
HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
Chief Devery. soon as he arrived. set about
how the gas became ignited.
Deputy Fire Chief Duane. after the blaze had
been extngushed found an overturned work.
mans lamp in the trench Some Of the work.
men denied that they had used lamps. Ginley.
however admitted 10 a reporter that a lighted
lamp where Keefe at work Fore
man Bracken said he could not account for the
explosion. Chief Devery ordered that he be
placed under arrest, on technical charge OF
homicide. and taken to the Macdougal-st sta
tion
pot,cap,op DonpaiIv aaId that ha and savaraI