The evening times., 1900-05-16
HURT BY AN EXPLOSION
Louis and Herbert Maltby the Vie.
tins of an Experiment.
Were Working on n Mysterious
Machine when, without Warming,
the Gasoline Tank Bursts-The In
juries Serious, But Not Consider
ed tn he of N Fatal Character.

Louis Campbell Ma,tby, forty-four years
old. a modelmaker. md his son Herbert
Louis Maltby. an apr -entice. sixteen years
old. were seriously injured by an explosion
in front room on the second floor OF the
machine shop of Sutherland Carr al
1902 ID Street northwest at 11:10 o'clock
this morning. The explosion, ii is said.
was due to an exeesS':e pressure on a gal
yanized iron tank c1a.aining a mixture of
gasoline gas and compressed air. The tank
was blown to fragments. Louis Maltby
was lifted bodily several feet into the air
and hurled over a lathe, dropping in the
midst OF a mass OF debris and machinery
several feet away. Herbert MaItby was
thrown ten feet against DOOR Both are
seriously though not dangerously Injured
The damage. which was confined to the
room in which the explosion occurred, was
comparatively slight, considering the force
OF the explosion.
Immediately after the explosion the
members Of No. l Chemical Engine Com
pany, which adjoins the machine shop
went to the assistance OF the injured Malt
bys. Both father and son were sent to
the Emergency Hospital where an exami-
nation revealed the extent OF their inju-
ries. Louis Maltby was the more seriously
hurt His face and head were lacerated
and his eyes damaged. Both arms were
bruised and lacerated and the right leg
was bruised and cut There were in ad-
dition numerous bruises about his body
The right arm Of Herbert Maltby was
badly bruised. his face was scratched. and
his hair slightly scOrched. The eyes of
both father and son were injured II is
feared Of hnf no rcd
After the eyes had been treated and han
daged and the injuries dressed the patients
were placed in a ward
The Ms!tbys who live at 1915 Ninth
Street northwest are In the employ of
Capt /. n. Lewis. Of the Bureau Of ord
nance of the War Department. His office
IS located in the Lemon Building Captain
Lewis is the inventor OF an explosive en-
gine and II was on the perfection OF a
model OF it that the Maltbys were working
when the explosion occurred. Louis Malt
by has been in the employ OF Captain Lew
is for about a year though he has been
engaged al the d Street building for only
n month. the experimenting shop having
been located there early in April Accord
ing to Louis Maltby he built the model OF
the engine under the direction Of Captain
Lewis. When completed the little engine
did not accomplish all that was expected
and experiments were made almost daily 10
increase its efficiency and 10 remedy de-
fects in construction
The engine got its power from the tank
containing the gasoline gas. and com
pressed air. The tank was an ordinary
galvanized iron water boiler such as is
generally attached to kitchen racze. Its
capacity was about six cubic feet. and the
pressure on II at the time Of the explosion
was about thirty five pounds. The Malt
bys claimed that they had no warning of
ha inn md ,s-E
operation of the engine when they we're
knocked over The force CT the explosion
shifted every belt in the room from the
pulleys OF the various latbes. etc. which
were used in making model parts. The
noise OF the explosion could be heard for
many squares and attracted a large crowd.
Those first on the scene saw Herbert
Maltby heroically assisting his more seri-
ou5ly injured father down the stairs from
the shop to the Office OF Sutherland &
Carr Herbert was the first to recover
from the shock OF the explosion He rush
ed 20 the room door and opening Il to ad-
nit air went to the assistance Of his faith
ct. who was lying stunned on the floor
The father was barely able to limp down
the stairs. and would have fallen had it
not been for willing arms that assisted
Herbert Maltby with his burden
Mr. Sutherland. Of the firm OF Sutherland
* Carr. was the first one u reach the
room in which the Maltbys worked The
room was thick with dust and the fumes OF
the escaping gases. On the floor near the
south wall was seen the twisted and wrench
ed boiler. while everywhere wEs confusion
\ large hole in the ceiling indicated
the force OF the explosion Mr.
Sutherland stated that he had no knowl-
edge Of what was going On in the room.
He had rented II 10 Captain Lewis. with
the machinery it contained, for expert
mental ard construction purposes. Every
thing about the occupants Of the place was
secretive. and Mr.. Sutherland understood
that an invention or discovery was being
perfected He knew nothing Of the meth
DDS employed by his tenants.
1t was said by persons about the place
| that the engine on which the Maltbys were
! working was for a locomobile