New-York tribune., 1903-05-22
SCORE INJURED BY EXPLOSIONS
MANY BURNED By BLAZING GASOLINE "
AUTOMOBILE TANK BLOWS UP
Labo Killed Several Hurt in Fire in Gas
trail Railroad Shops Destroyd-Enhre Meo Yard Threatened
SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS.
Fragments of Wrecked Cars Hit
Fire Fighters.

The loss of one life, the injury OF several per-
sons and the destruction of property OF much
value were caused yesterday afternoon by a
fire and explosion Of oil tanks in the New-York
Centrals yards at Melrose. The excitement was
intense In that part of the city, and for time
enormous destruction of life and property
feared One man, Joseph Careno. Ital-
Ian laborer, was struck by fragments Of car
and died while being carried to an ambulance.
The injured
CALLAHAN. Captain Daniel Engine Company No. Al.
chest by blazing fragment OF caF' clothing
COLLINS Jewell superintendent OF gas works. severely
sToKER Leonard electrician shoulder dsloca,ed by
WAGNER Frederick Iaachinist severely burned; went
wEYIETl, John machnist, severely burned and partly
buried under fragments Of car dangerous condition
at Lebanon Hospital
The yards extend from One-hundred- -and-for-
ty-ninth-st to e-hundred-and- sixty t-sa,
and many cars are usually stalled on the fifteen
parallel tracks there. At One-hundred-an and-f1f-
ty-ffth-st. are the works of the Pintsch Gas
Comprising Company. at which gas is manu-
factured from oil and compressed into tanks of
cars which use the Pintsch light Oil tanks
mounted on fatcars were stalled yesterday on
track near the gas plant. and In line with sew
eral small shops of the railroad company. the
fire started in some barrels of hydro-caTbolene
standing near the generating house OF the gas
works II was discovered at 12:13 p. m. More
than one hundred were employed IN the
buildings near by.
While the fremen and workmen were trying
to extinguish the flames at the gas works an
oil tank on a flatcar near the works suddenly
exploded. scattering burning oil far and wide.
Fragments of the car were hurled three hun
dred feet and one of the fragments crushed the
skull Of Careno who was at One-hundred-and-
hfty-fourth-st
The explosion of the first oil tank was fol-
lowed by others and the spectacle presented as
one oil tank after another blew UP was remark
able The men at work fed in panic as the
blaze spread to the small shops Several OF these
shops were entirely destroyed and at one time
II appeared as If the big machine shop would
go. too. but by strenuous efforts the fremen
managed TO save it
AS soon as Inspector Titus heard of the mag
nitude of the blaze he ordered out the police re-
serves from all The Bronx precincts and took
: personal charge himself. The police were kept
busy in keeping the crowds Of sightseers away
from the danger zone The fire was one OF IN
tense heat and this additional trouble TO
the fremen- Acting Chief Purroy said that the
blaze was one the f1ercest in his long expert
ence
The fire practically burned itself out in about
two hours. although engines remained and
pIayed on the debris for some time afterward
The losses were variousy estimated at from
$4,000 to 100000. At one time roundhouse
in which are stored several locomotives was
threatened. The explosions caused much dam
age to window glass in the neighborhood. and 1t
is estimated that glass worth fully $1,000 was
broken.
| At the office Of the division superintendent at
| the Grand Central Station it was said there had
been no delay in trains and that the Twentieth
Century Limited started on its regular time,
| 245 -. m.
The Pullman Car Company reported that 1t
had suffered no loss because of the fire.
| Vice-President Dixon, OF the Pintsch Gas
Compression Company, at No. 100 Broadway,
said that the gas would be in complete
: oneration again at night The work of remov-
ing the debris began last evening, men LOADING
it on fiat for transportation TO west Al
! bany.