New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-19
BLOCK WRECKED BY GAS
ONE WOlIAN NAY. DIE.
Thirty People Injured by Explosion
IN CrOzcded Tenement House.

An explosion Of gas which blew out the fronts
Of half dozen stores in the buildings at Nos.
403 and 400 Williams avenue. East New York,
injured thirty persons last evening, and prob
ably will cause the death Of Mrs. Marion Bern
stein No. COZ williams avenue. The accident
followed within few hours OF examine
ton made by agents of the gas company. who
visited the flats late yesterday afternoon.
The explosion was Of a nature to puzzle the
ordinary protectors Of East New York. 1t took
only a moment for it to do its work. A fire
alarm was turned in as a matter Of course, but
the men who responded TO the call were
occupied only in helping injured persons to
the ambulances. which had been called
from the Bradford Street and st. Mary's hos
pitfalls. There fire, although the ex-
plosion had been accompanied by n roar and a
gust Of air which swept passersby off their
feet
So far as could he learned by the fremen, the
explosion was caused by a congestion Of gas in
the cellars OF the two big tenement buses. It
lifted the first floors from their beams and
smashed the windows outward IN thousands OF
splinters.
The most seriously injured person was Mrs
Bernstein. whose skull was fractured and who
was taken unconscious TO the Bradford Street
Hospital The Others who were taken in charge
by ambulance surgeons were Henry Bernstein,
of no. 405 Williams avenue; Rosie Rubenstein,
sixteen, Of No. 1S7 Williams avenue; Minnie
Cutler thirty-eight Of No 800 Williams avenue;
Lizzie Cutler, nineteen; Molly Cutler. nine, ard
Florence Cutler. five; Dira Krasnowsky nine IF
No. 401 Williams avenue: Fannie Lerner twenty.
OF No. 363 Williams avenue; Elliott Mailer,
eleven Of No. 4O3 Williams avenue; Rose Mailer.
and May Bernstein, Of No 800 Williams avenue.
Nearly all Of these were hurt by flying glass
and splinters Of wood which had been scattered
by the force of the explosion. For a time there
a panic in this crowded East New York
district, and a rumor that several persons had
beer burned to death caused much excitement.
By the time that the rumor of the explosion
persons had been killed. The got to
Coney Island that fourteen were dead, and scores
Of those who live in that district left their mer-
rymaking at the island to rush home. when
they heard this story.
The police and firemen who investigated the
explosion unable to ascertain the exact
cause. They finally decided that in the repairs
10 the pipes made yesterday afternoon some
important vent had been overlooked
When the explosion occurred nearly all the
residents of the two tenement houses were at
home Samuel LerueT. jant0r AT No. 400. was
cut about the face and hands. for he was stand
ing near the cellar stairs when the blast burst
forth. Louis Feldnan, OF No 342 Pennsylvania
avenue who was Nth MI Lerner at the time,
also was seriously injured.
TIE damage outside Of the injury TO persons
in the neighborhood, was confined TO the de-
st-lction of woodwork and plateglass windows.
Nevertheless, in the panic which followed, the
police reserves had great difficulty in control
ling the affrighted crowd.