The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-22
EXPLOSION IN THE MANHATTAN
HOTEL DARK, WOMAN KILLED,
NAV SCALDED.
Elevators Stop and Aghts Go Out When
steam 10 Turned on After the Burst
Ing Of . Feed Plpe--Guests Run 10
the street, Which 10 Fosgy win steam.

steam 10 Turned on After the Burst
ing Of . Feed Plpe--Guests Run TO
the Street, which 10 Foggy win Steam.
A feed tube In one OF the tubular boilers
OF the power plant In the sub-cellar OF the
Hotel Manhattan Madison avenue and
Forty street. was ruptured at 1880
O'Clock last night and there was a rush
Of steam that blinded and scalded the two
persons in the boiler room at the time.
Ono Of these was a woman and she was
scalded 40 badly that she died while on tho
way to Be llevue Hospital Tho other
Is q coal passer. Both were employed
in the hotel.
The woman Ia Mary Noon an; q laun-
dress She had no business In the boiler
room. 1t lie said that she had gone TO the
laundry in the subcellar TO lock 1t up for
tho night aud that on her nv UP stairs she
stopped at the door to talk with the coal
passer, who 10 James McQuaid and Is said
to be her cousin.
The rush OF steam from inside the jacket
OF the boiler was SO great that volumes
Of Il flooded the room instantly. other
McQuaid md the laundress inhaled so
much steam that they collapsed. After
falling McQuaid managed TO drag himself
to the door, and once out Of the steam zone
he cried out as loud "A he could. He climbed
up the stairs and into the mems CATS IN
the cellar where bis legs gave way.
His feeble cries had attracted the atten-
ton Of the men in the engine room, OF whom
there were dozen or more. They ran to
the steam filed room and saw the body Of
the woman lying across the threshold, and
dragged her out. She was Unconscious
and tho skin had peeled OF her face and
hands.
Assistant Engineer Stewart knew what
had happened, for a similar accident had
occurred only three weeks ago. With CON-
siderable danger to himself he ran into the
boiler room and turned OF the steam. Then
he telephoned to the Office to Manager
Patch.
When the steam was turned OF the cleo
trio lights in the hotel began to ffutter, and In
jiffy they we're out all through the house.
The elevators stopped running. The
lights were out only few minutes. Then
there was light again on every floor but the
Office. the parlor and the third and fifth
floors.
Manager Patch had candles lit on the
floors on which there was no light. These
candles were kept burning for twenty
minutes until the power plant was in full
working order again.
The shutting Of Of the light was the first
intimati that the guests had that thers
was any trouble. There had boon no sound
OF an explosion and tho escaping steam
had not got to the ohice floor. 1t did
pour out OF the openings on the street
in great waves and asoeAded as high as tho
fifth story.
Policeman Cook saw the gush of steam
on the street. When he heard that two
people had been soalded he asked Fire
Headquarters TO send two ambulances.
Calls we're sent TO New York and Bellevue
hospitals.
DR.. Carter came from Bellevue Hospital
to the firebox at Madison avsnue and
Forty first street, whence the call had been
sent. He could find nothing and was about
to drive back to the hospital again when he
was informed that there had been some
one hurt at the Hotel Manhattan. He
drove up to the Forty-thrd street side OF
the hotel, where he found MoQuaid and
the woman. He got both in the ambulance.
The woman died on the way to Bellevue.
McQuaid is badly scalded. but it IL ex-
pected he will recover. Before the arrival
OF the ambulance Dr. William f. Young,
who was In the hotel at the time, did what
he could for the two injured.
At least hundred of the guests came
pouring out Of the front door soon after the
steam began escaping. A lot of the wind ows
on the outside of the hotel on Madison
avenue were open and the steam got into
some of the rooms. There was so much
steam on the outside OF the hotel that Madi-
son avenue for block looked as II denss
fog had descended.