The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-11-25
SUDDEN DEATH
ReaDs Awful Harvest in a Brook
Iyn Street Friday.
TWENTY-FIVE DEAD

Catastrophe Caused by the Ignitio
Of Gas-Lcaking Pipes, Ad1i,
ting Flame, Responsible for tn
Disaster-Fire and Geysers Of Wa
ter Spurt in Air Through Debris
New York, Nov. 20.-Twenty-fv
persons are believed to have los
! thsir lives and an explosion of ga
which tore up a great section Of Gol'
street, Brookly-, today. 1t is de
fnitely known that Is persons wer'
buried under the hundreds OF ton
# earlh and timber that were thrown
into the air by the explosion. ane
10 more persons are reported a'
missing. Tie exact number OF deac
can not be determined until tomor
row, for those working to recover The
enton!bnd bottles m"et dig through
so feet oi dirt, rock and a tangle
of pipes and timbers.
The explCsicn occurred n an ex'
cavatioa so feet deep that had been
made in Gold street between York
and Front streets, where wat=l
mair was being laid. The gas main
recently sprung leak ard in +"
manner unknown a spark came in
contact with escaping gas today.
Immediately there was terrific ey'
plosicn ttat lifted the surfcce OF
the street for half block in both
directions and hurled dirt, paving
stones and debris into the air.
When the smoke and dust cleared
away it was seen that the street
had been opened from doorstep to
doorstep over an area Of nearly a
block. The loosened earth and de-
bris had fallen int, the excavation,
buryins the score Of lehorers who
wer- a work wnen 'he accident h. D
nencd. Great tongues OF flames shot
out Of crevices IN the street AID be-
tween them geysers Of water spurt-
ed into the air from WAFER main
that had been shattered by the ~
ploSion. Two bodies were sticking
out of the wreckag-.
Gold street was crowded with
scshool children when the explosion
occurred, and that scores Of children
were not killed or injured was re-
markable A woman and three
children were almost opposite the
excavation when the earth crumbled
under their feet and they were
swept down into the hole under tens
OF wreckage. Two other children
were on the opposite side Of the
street when the street cRved in and
they lost their lives.
Samuel Trout, foreman OF the
gang Of laborers who were laying thu
water main, was near the women and
three children who lost their lives.
AS he felt the street trenble he rush
ed forward in an endeavor to save
them, but ne lost his life il the at
tempt. Trout's body was roasted tt
cinder.
Only four Of the men working =
the excavation escaped and their
escape was remarkable. They were
digging near the opening Of four
foot sewer and the force Of the ex-
plosion blew them to the entrance OF
it. Arthur Strand was hurled far
therest and he pulled the other three
men after him.
Water from the broken main be.
gan to pour into the sewer and the
four men, in danger Of being drown
ed, started to run toward the river
where there was an outlet to the
sewer.
The explosion shook houses fo>
blocks around. Thousands OF per
sons were attracted to the scene.
Women living in the nej2 ej2E5o:hco.;
who:e children had been on th'
street when the gas main blew up
rushed to the scene and ran abou
The excavation wrjnging their hand:
and calling for their little ones. l!
many instances they found thei
children after a brief search. but ;
number Of boys and girls had bees
taken into school nearby and thei
parents were frantic by the time the.
we're found.
The gas and water supplies wer
;urne! off shortly after the cXplo
5icn. a force of 100 fremen va
shen put to work digging fer bodie'
but the task was necessarily slow be
cause of the nature of the wrechag
which had to be removed.
Those known to be dead are
Samuel Trout, foreman; Fred Scheh
meyer, inspector Of sewers; Charlie
Farrell, foreman of concrete works
Gustave Anderson foreman of ca
: penters.
Missing: Unknown woman VIII
was with children; unknown gir
about years Of age; John O'Grad.
6 years old: William Dalton. 6 yea
old: Vincent Doherty, years old
, Ciarice Brady. 8 years old; Ale!
ander Johnson, laborer: Chris Co
inso. laborer; Emil Bachman, labo
er: Francisco Armando. lahorel
+, John Arman6o. la5orer: Charles Ne
son. laborer: Gus Wallo. laborel
O Felix Green. laborer, Gus Kane, la
orcr:: Samuel Abrams, laborer; Jol1
Crane, laborer; laborer known
Francisco; two italian lahore
known as No. 81 and 50; labor
known as Christopher.
The police arrested seven men WI
we're attached to the city depa1
:. ments in charge of the work bei1
done.
%,