New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-28
ONE DEAD, SIX INJURED.
EXPLOSION IN GAS PLANT.
Men Hurled About in Consolidated
Generating House.

One man is dead, three others were take: Il
Roosevelt Hospital suffering from burns. bruises
and decorations. and several others were hurt
by an explosion about a m. yesterday in the
generating house of the Consolidated Gas Com
pany's plant in West Forty-fourth-st., between
Eleventh and Twelfth ayes
The explosion was followed by a report and
conclusion which were heard and felt all owe
thst portion of the West Side. and which gaze
rise TO fears OF a worse catastrophe Safety
precautions. provided for just such an explosion
however. prevented injury and possible ignition
and consequent further explosions. IN the big
gas holders in the same block.
Tie conclusion in the generating house was
so terrific 10 send wcTkrnen flying fifty feet
away. knocking them up against the walls 1t
smashed every window in the building. blowing
them ont in fragments. and similarly smashed
the windows in the cOmpany's Office building, adj
joining.
The dead:
KANE James T. trsnty-seven year. old 57s Flew
enth-sve-. fractured face and hands burned
The injured:
BARRY Patrick. thsrty-nine years old. No 500 West
Fifty-second-st-, right hand and left leg lacerated
BURNS. James twenty years old. No. 554 West Forty
eighth-st. face and hands burned
EDsAL4 Thomas. engineer bruised
HAWTHORNE. william !. superintendent bruised and
H'MAHoN. David. forty-one years DID, No COS West
FoTty-third-st, arms lscerstsd-
sooNAN John twenty-ons years old, No. 44o West
Forfy-ainth-st- hands and face burned
The explosion occurred when forty men were
st work in the generating house. It's cause is
3 mystery, but the trouble somewhere in
the 1s-inch MAR carrying the freshly made
gas from six huge generators, in the fOOc of
the house. to the purifiers. whence it goes TO
big steel holders.
Explosions in this main. from cause or
another. are not uncommon. and it is built with
view to making the damage as small as pos
sible VIXEN trouble does happen One end of
This main stops abruptly at the end of the gen
Grating house nearest Eleventh-aVe. 1t is
closed by a wooden cover. resembling barrel
head. which is rather loosely clamped
The object of this is that when explosion
occurs in the main. the expanding ignited gases
inside viii blow off this loosely fastened cover,
thus preventing them from seeking outlet by
breaking open the main some other point.
There is similar wooden cover on an arm of
the main. at the other end OF the generating
house, toward Twelfth-aVe. The main then
goes on TO the purifiers
Kane was working directly in front of one Of
the ends Of the receiving main which is about
three feet above the floor. Two or three other
workmen. including Edsall. the engineer. and
superintendent t1aWtnOTne, were near him.
With crashing report. as the gnited gas
sought exit. the wooden cover, blown into
fragments. struck Kane in the head, and
knocked him twenty feet away Edsan was
caught in the outrush of gas and blown, still
keeping his feet in way he afterward mar
yelled at. sixty feet across the building, and up
against the wall. The breath was knocked out
Of him for moment, and he was bruised
The blowing off of the covers at both safety
openings was accompanied by the shooting
forth Of a column of flame. one east and the
other west These flaming columns shot a hum
dred feet either way, flashing out into the yard
on either side of the building. and burning the
sills Of The windows through which they passed.
A group Of workInen about the other safety
opening, opposite where Kane was was SINH
larry thrown down and burned. Superintendent
Hawthorne, though fortunately not directly in
line with the outrush of flame. lost the seat OF
his trousers. which was burned off
Kane never regained his senses. A policeman
sent word to Sergeant McCann in the West
Forty-seventh-st. station, and he telephoned TO
Roosevelt and Bellevue hospitals for ambu-
iances Four ambulances with Dr. Elrnore, OF
Roosevelt ana Drs Elrnere and Enderne of
Bellevue, responded. They took to Roosevelt
Hospital Kane. Burns, Noonan and McMahoy
and treated the others hurt
Acting Captain Fitzpatrick of the West For
ty-seventh-st- station, with a squad Of reserves
was dispatched TO the scene 10 control the crowd
that gathered.
The plant was disabled for a few hours. but
as there was plenty Of gas in the holders, the
section Of the West Side which the plant feeds
was not affected. By early afternoon the gen
Grating plant was again in working order
Persons living near the gas plant and police
men on the beats nearby said that about
a. m an explosion OF lesser strength occurred
in the generating house. Soon after ward they
say carriages went to the gate of the plant
and took away several men, who appeared IN
have been hurt. Superintendent Hawthorne
denied knowing anything about a previous ex-
plosion,
Mr.. Hawthorne was arrested early last night
At his home, No. 59l Tenth-ave. on the techni-
cal charge of homicide. Coroner Scholer gc-
cepted $500 bail for his appearance in the West
Side Court this morning