The Washington times., 1904-04-08

about 5000 damages was OccasiOned at
the Pintsch Gas Works, Thirteen-and-
a-haIf and E Streets southwest. by an
| explosion in the engine room Of the
plant about 4:35 O'Clock this morning.
| The origin of the explosion is a mys-
/ terry, as only one man on the night shift
of the works got out unEurt, and he Is
unable TO tell how it happened The
entire southwestern district of the city
was shaken by the force OF the explo-
sion The dead are:
STEVENSON HENSON, fifty years old.
JOSEPH CUMBERLAND. rwe-y-eight years
CHARLES W. GRIGsBY. twenty-seyen years
An unknown negro who was lettering around
the plant
Charles W. Grigsby, twenty-seyen years
old employed at the plant, attempted TO
save the life of Cumberland. and was
horribly burned about the face, neck,
breast, and hands. He died at the Emer
gency Hospital seven hours later.
The charred and unrecognizable re-
mains Of the men who lost their lives
were taken TO the morgue, where COrO-
ner hewitt viii hold an inquest tomor-
row or Monday.
II the Boiler Room
/ The explosion occurred in the boiler
room in the southern portion of the
building fronting on Water Street. and
/ the entire publication plant WAS ruined
I BY the fire. which started Immediately
sfterward. The parts Of tho engine were
burned and warped by being chilled by
water when they were red hot and it is
believed a new engine viii be needed
The Pintsch company furnished the
L 60
with lighting gas, and as a result Of
{ ing, II IS probable that some OF the
trains may be in darkness this even
( Ing and until other arrangements can
be made There Is quantity of gas
in the tank at the plant. bur it viii
not last more than a day, and there
are not sufficient facilities for manu-
featuring more al the plant in its
present condition
About 4 clock this morning Hen
/ son, Cumberland and the negro We're
IN the engine room standing on the
south side of the engine ana chatting
about the races. Grlgsby and Warren
HOrstman. the last named being the
only one TO escape injury. who We're
I stationed in the boiler room where the
| fires are kept up, were in a room IN
| building one OF the men said he
slnelled gas escaping, but upon inves-
/ tigaUon the leak could not be found.
Deafening Report.
! Half an hour later. while the men were
/ leaning against the wall, there was &
deafening report. The entire top and
south side Of the engine room was blown
/ out into Water Street, the negro was en-
NeiCped IN names. and blown over near
a turn table on the Southern Railroad
/ and Cumberland and Henson were
/ caught between the wall and the engine
a space about two feet wide. Immedi-
! ately the names which nIled the room
| caught The raIters OF the ceiling and
/ spread 10 the purltication plant On the
! second floor. GrissDy says ne heard the
/ report and hurried 10 the engine room.
| he did not see Cumberland Or Henson
I on the outside OF the building, and.
! thinking he might be able 10 save one
/ or them, he rushed INTO the den OF
/ names, catching hOId OF Cumberland ;
! arm and enCcavorlnS to drag him Out.
! Cumberland WAS awe at ChdL uIae and
/ between SrOdnS SAID 'CharIe, Tor God
sake get Inc out o. tnis.
y quantity OF bricks and other debris
/ was on MN at the time, ana OSrigsDy )
| Efforts were in vain. After tTylng TO
eXtricate his IeilOW-workiaesn, GrIgsby
discovered that he was on nre hImseII.
man only when the firerIen arrived and
tore him away ana SmOUnered the
| flames from his BODY. ne WAS then
| round to be horribly burned, and was
/ taken 10 the Emergency t1OspIJal he
was CONSCIOUS on the way TO the hos
pital, and told me physician In charge
OF the am ouIance ali ne knew OF the
] aTfair
Grigsby's Account.
Il know very little, doctor. The ex-
plosiOn and fire were caused by the gas
getting too high, and the men were un-
able - ind the leak. The room must
have been full. and the gas kept rising
as the roof was blown or It's terrible
} but We can help it,
Al the nUspItai GrlSsby was treated
for ms burns, and afJer soothing poui-
| tees were applied, ne IeIl lnCO a See
/ or stupor, unG renamed IN that condI-
uOE until u:55 o clock this morning
when he died, without resainIng con-
sc.ousness. dis wlIe ana enid, who
i've at "a Rhode island Avenue. Were
by h-s side when the end came but he
was unable 10 recognize them.
An alarm was turned in by q police
man from box AZ. ana several engines
and truck companies OF The Fire De-
/ partment quickly responded. The ar
for 800 feet around was foul with the
fumes OF gas, and IL was with great
/ dIfnculty that the firemen put OUT The
! flames, which We're confined TO the en-
gine room and the publication plant.
After a few moments. however. they
goL near enough 10 play several streams
upon the burning building and eXt-h-
guished the tire.
Search for Bodies.
The firemen learned that several men
We're in the room at the time of the
| explosion, and search was Immediately
made for their bodies. Cumberland s