The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-24
This the Verdict of the Jury at the
Inquest.
SIX OTHER MEN BADLY INJURED
The Dead Man Was Caught Under
Failing Bricks and His Body Was
Horribly Man.led- Explosion
Occurred III One OF the puri-
fyin. Boxes u
Popular Citizen.

An explosion in the purifyins-house
of the Lower Gas Works yesterday morn
ing caused the death Of Mr.. Mortimer
Hogan, one of the workrnen, and the IN
Jury OF six others. The property itself
was not damaged to any great extent. SO
far as is known, the machinery not oelns
injured at all.
Mr.. Hogan was crushed to death under
the portion of wall which fell as q
result of the explosion. Those who were
injured are: Joseph McCaulcy, No. "o2l
Fulton Street; C. w. King, No. 52i North
Twenty-seventh Street; John 5. Blunt,
No. 121 South Laurel Street: Dan l.
Robinson, Thirty-first and Main street;
r. Otway Goodman and w. Z. Allen; all
more or less badly burned. None of the
men are regarded as seriously injured
and will doubtless soon be out again.
Messrs. n. NJ. Griffin, James NJ. john
son, and John Z. Smith were also in the
house when the explosion occurred, but
escaped unhurt.
THE INVESTIGATION.
The Committee on Light met at
O'Clock yesterday evening at the works
and proceeded to an investigation of the
occurrence, but adjourned without ar
irving at any conclusion as to the cause
OF the explosion. Superintendent William
p. Knowles was authorized to have the
building repaired at once and work was
begun on it yesterday afternoon. Super
intendent Knowles also ordered that none
of the city gas lamps be lighted last night
and asked further that users Of gas be
economical with it. While the supply
will not be cut off the facilities for
purifying the gas will necessarily be cur
tailed during the next few days.
Directly after the adjournment of the
committee DR.. Taylor held q cOroner's
injuest. From the testim ony Of the un-
injured workmen who were in the house
at the time it would appear that the
explosion occurred in purifying box No.
j, and was not general in the roc Ms Iite
men in cleaning out the box were gath
cred around it to keep the heavy iron
cover in position while it was being
raised with the assistance of an air
pump, operated by two of the work
men. They had been at work about 20
minutes and had gotten one end of the
cover in position when the explosion oc-
CURED. a bright stream of flame spurted
out of the box, and q sharp report fol-
lowed, and just what happened after
wards has to be guessed at. The men
rradc a dash for safety, and three of
them, Griffin, Johnson and Smith.
reached the side door and leaped to the
ground without injury. The others, who
were gathered around the box, were
burned, some severely, by the jet OF
fame, but otherwise were unhurt.
CAUGHT UNDER BRICKS.
Mr.. Hogan, when he heard the report,
evidently ran along the side Of the wall
in an attempt to reach the door. but was
caught under the falling bricks before
he could escape.
The two end walls of the building were
thrown to the ground from the second
floor to the roof. Bricks were tossed a
distance of 100 feet, some of them doing
a slight damage to the surrounding
buildings. One or two of the chains SUPP
porting the cover of the box. in which
the explosion occurred. We're broken, but
otherwise the damage was slight.
Coroner Taylor is of opinion that the
explosion was caused by the ignition
Of the gas by the oxide Of iron used in
the purifying process. 1t is known that
this iron sponge is capable OF heating
itself to a glow, and on two occasions
heretofore it had been discovered to be
on fire. AS, from all that can be learned,
no matches, or anything else liable to
set fire to the gas. was taken into the
room by the Workmcn, it is thought
that the cause Of the explosion yester-
day was the heating of the oxide.
The verdict of the coroner's jury was
that Mr. Hogan met his death by acci-
dent and that no blame could be attached
A POPULAR MAN.
Mr.. Hogan. who was killed, was one
Of the best. known and most highly re-
spected citizens of the East End. He,
was a native Of Ireland and had been
a resident of Fulton since his arrival in
this city thirty-f1ye years ago
He had been an employe of the
gas works for the past twenty-five
years and was held in highest esteem by
both employers and associated worknen..
He was 81 years Of age and is sur
vived by his widow and the following
children: Messrs. J. A., Dan and Michael
Hogan, and Misses Maggie. Katie, Mary
and Julia Hogan. all of whom reside at
the residence of Mr.. Hogan. No. SalO Les
ter Street. Deceased was treasurer Of
Division No. 1. A. o. H.. and also an off
Ger of the Catholic knights of America
The remains We're turned over to Jas
McDcnough e Co., undertakers TO be pre-
pared for burial. The funeral will take
place from ST. Patricks Church Tuesday
morning at $50 o'clock with requiem
mass. The interment will be made in
Mt. Calvary Cemetery.