The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-20
D0RILTON FULL OF AMMONIA.
TANK BURST IN TiLL APART
MENT HOUSE CELLAR.
Elevator Boys Desert the shafts Tenants
Try the street for Fresh Air Police
AMI Ambulance Called Engineer, in

The ammonia tank used for refrigera,ing
purposes In the Dorilton Apartments at
Broadway and Seventy-frst street burst
at 1880 O'Clock last night and the ammonia
fumes In the twelve story building made the
people living there panicky.
TO add to their fright the colored help,
such as the beliboys, doormen and elevator
boys. became 80 frightened that they quit
their posts, 1t was not until long after
the police arrived that the colored en-
ployees could be induced to 20 back to
work.
What burst the tank no one could tell
last night but It was not long before a strong
odor Of ammonia was all through the build
ing. 1t increased steadily and the tenants
who got it first lost no time In getting out
to the street.
One Of them telephoned to Police Head
quarters shortly before midnight and
asked that the reserves Of the nearest sta
ton be sent to the Dorilton as soon as pos
sible. Six or seven men from the West
Sixty-eighth street station were sent around.
Before they arrived Policeman Sexton
had turned up. He found the negro help
out on the stoop trying to get all the fresh
air they could. They told Sexton that the
ammonia tank had burst and that they did
not intend to take any chances,
Some OF the tenants had already begun
to leave the building and they kept ringing
the elevator hells. Sexton tried to induce
the elevator boys to work the elevators,
but they wouldn't. Then he began to run
an elevator himself He made several trips
to the top OF the building and brought
down any one who wanted to ride
After he had done this he nabbed the
negro switchboard operator and had him
ring up all the forty apartments and tell
the tenants what had happened, Those
who had not paid any attention to the
fumes up to that time soon joined the ranks
Of those who had already become pa nicky.
When the reserves arrived they found
people struggling through the halls and
making for the street and the courtyard.
More than one woman seemed to be suffer-
ing from the strong fumes. Mrs, j. A.
Joseph had been assisted down stairs by
her husband. They had to walk down.
The ammonia fumes had affected her so
much that her husband asked for a doctor.
An ambula nee from Roosevelt Hospital
was summoned and DR., Clark soon brought
Mrs. Joseph around, saying that the am
monia had not affected her nearly as much
as the scare No one else needed the at
tention Of the surgeon. After telling the
tenants that the fumes would not hurt
them he went away, leaving about every
one in the Dorilton weeping or shifting.
Sexton opened the sliylights Of the build
ing and all the windows were opened, too
Down In the sub-cellar William HAYS, the
engineer, was doing all he could to drive
away the fumes.
Hays is a pretty wise citizen and since he
has worked in u building with an ammonia.
tank he has always kept divers helmet
near. When the tank burst last night,
Hays put on the helmet and went about
in the thick Of the fumes without any dis
comfort He lessened the fumes con-
siderably and finally got rid of them alto
gether by playing a hose on the spilled
ammonia.
Not all the tenants left the building, but
the ma ority OF them did. There are over
700 people living in the building, including
servants. Among those no live there are
Mr. and Mrs,George Whelan, f.. j, Travis.
Frederick P. Addicks. Mr.. and Mrs ii.
Underhll, NJ l.. Arnsein and Hector II.
Havemeyer