Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-08
MEET HORRIBLE DEATH.
Four Men Victims Of Explo-
sion and Fire.
BODIES BADLY BURNED
ACCIDENT AT PINTSCH GAS
WORKS THIS MORNING.
Cause Not Yet Ascertained One In
jured Man Dies in Emer-
gency Hospital.

gency Hospital.
sion and fire were removed to the morgue
this morning from the plant of the Pintsch
Gas Company, at 1917 and E streets south
west, and a fourth man was removed to
the Emergency Hospital suffering from
burns, which subsequently proved fatal.
The explosion occurred at about 4;3o
o'clock, and not a man who was In the en-
gine room at the time escaped its force,
all failing to escape before the flames had
done their deadly work. The dead are
Joseph Cumberland. Stephen Henson and
an unidentified colored man. Charles
Griggsby was the one conveyed to the nos
pital. Henson was the engineer in charge
Of the engine room this morning and Cum
berland was his fireman. Grggsby was
employed as an extra helper. There were
other men employed in the building at the
time, but they were not in the engine room.
and were therefore not injured. warren
Horstman was just outside the engine
room and the force of the shock threw MIN
down, but he jumped to his feet and ran 10
a point where he was safe from the blaze.
What caused the explosion no one seems
to know Mr.. G. H. Reilley, superintendent
of the works, says he has no IDEA OF tne
cause. If anybody did know the cause II
was one of those who had been Killed Mr.
Reilley was at home when the accident oc-
Cured, but he reached the building shortly
afterward and had a force of men at work
clearing away the debris. Besides the dam
age to the engine the south wall OF the
second story of the building was blown out,
causing the damage that can hardly be re-
paired in less than a weeks time. While
the repairs are being made the cars Will
get their supply of gas from the Baltl-
more plant. new plant is now being
erected between Brookland and lexington
and will be in operation about the first
part of September. Pipe lines run from
this plant to the depots and New Jersey
avenue yard, and many of the buoys along
the Potomac river receive their supply OF
gas there.
Plant Run Night and Day.
Because of the immense amount of gas
the local plant is required to furnish the
work in the building has been carried on
night and day Those who were on duty
at the time the explosion occurred had been
there all night. Henson, Cumberland and
Griggsby were on duty in the engine room
while the others were in the boiler room,
or just outside the building. Horstman's
duties called him outside, and. he saw the
colored man when he appeared. The latter
stopped at the door and was standing there
with his hands resting against the facings
when there came the flash which was fol-
lower by a loud report and the falling Oh
the upper portion of the south wall. The
colored spectator had not been there more
than minute when he was blown ten or
fifteen feet away. He was not thrown far
enough away, however, to put him out OF
reach of the flames and he was burned to
death. When his charred body was picked
up there was just enough skin left on his
body to tell his color. His clothing had
been burned completely from him, but one
shoe had not been destroyed. His body was
picked up In front of the engine room.
The Dead Employees.
Cumberland, whose body was charred
beyond recognition, was caught beneath
some of the bricks and iron and pinned
to the floor, where he could not possibly
have escaped the fury of the blaze. In Or
der to get his body out it was necessary
to remove the mass Of debris and then one
of his legs was missing. This d1smembered
portion was found in the debris about lO
o'clock and taken to the morgue Cumber-
land was twenty-eight years old and un-
married. He lived at the house of his Sis
ter not far from where he lost his life.
Henson, the engineer, was about forty
five years old, and lived in South WASH
ington, on M street He was formerly em-
ployed by one of the local express COM
panies. His body was burned from head to
foot but. as already stated, there was
enough left of his face to identify him. 1t
has been but a short time since he was
badly injured by an explosion in the build
ing where he lost his life.
Horribly Burned.
Griggsby, who was taken to the hospital,
where he died, was in the small engine
room with his fellow workmen. His cloth
ing caught fire, but he managed to get
outside the structure. His clothing was
Ill
and it was practically impossible for him
to prevent inhaling the flame. When he
reached the outside of the building there
was a colored man there, who threw a
blanket about the form of the man, who
was fast burning to death, and extin-
guished the flames. Griggsby was uncon-
scious, and those who gathered about the
scene of the fire did all in their power to
ease his pain until the arrival Of the ambu-
lance, when he was hurried to the hospi-
tai. DR.. White took him to the emergency
room when the hospital was reached and
he was placed in a ward, his death result
ing about IL o'clock.
Policemen from the fourth precinct
reached the scene of the fire short time
after the explosion occurred, and several
companies of the fire department responded
to an alarm turned in from box All.
Very Hot Fire.
The task of the fremen was a dangerous
one because of the close proximity of the
big gasometer and the presence of oils and
other infiammable material in the building
1t was only hard and courageous work
on the part of the fremen that prevented
loss OF additional lives, and also prevented
the destruction of the entire building The
firemen succeeded In a short time in ex-
tinguishing the flames and returned to
their quarters when all danger of further
trouble had passed.
The force Of the explosion had aroused
many people living in the vicinity Of the
north end of the Long bridge and was fell
by residents of Virginia. Despite the early
! morning hour at which the accident oc
CURED several hundred people soon gather
ed. Women feared they had been deprived
of their husbands, and parents were or
hand to make certain that their sons had
not been burned to death. Some men who
belonged to the force on duty last night
had been excused, and their friends and
relatives feared they had been burned tc
death, as they knew nothing Of their hay.
ing taken q night off.
During the entire forenoon relatives OF
men In the employ Of the comapny called
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