The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-11-27
FIRE AND FLOOD
SPREAD DEATH
TWENTY-FIVE LIVES ARE LOST
BY EXPLOSION or GAS
IN STREET.
VICTIMS BURIED IN The EARTH
Many Women Ard Children Are
Among Desd.-Rsmsrkable Es
cape Of -Four Men.

NEW YORK, Nov. 29.-TWenty-hye
persons are believed 10 have lost their
lives in an explosion Of gas which tore
up a great section Of Gold street,
Brooklyn today. Il is definitely known
that fifteen persons we're buried IN
der the hundreds Of tons Of earth and
timber that were thrown into the air
By the explosion. and ten more per
sons are reported as missing The
exact number OF dead can not be de-
termined until tomorrow, for those
working to recover the entombed bod
les must dig through fifty feet Of rock
and tangle Of pipes and timbers.
The explosion occurred in a fifty
foot deep excavation that had been
made in Cold street between York
and Front streets, where a water main
was being laid. The gas main re-
Gently sprung a leak, and in a manner
unknown a spark came in contact with
escaping gas today Immediately
there was a terrific explosion that
lifted the surface Of the street for
half a 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 the door step to
door step over an area OF nearly
block. The Ioosened earth aad debris
had fallen into the excavation, burying
the scores of laborers who were at
work when the accident happened.
Great tongues Of fame shot out Of
crevices in the street, and beside
them geysers Of water leaped into the
air from a water main that had been
shattered by the explosion. Two bod
were sticking out Of the wreckage.
Gold street was crowded with school
when the explosion occurred,
and that scores of children were not
killed or injured was remarkable. A
woman and three children were al
most opposite the excavation when
he earth crumbled under their feet,
Ind they were swept down into the
lole under tons of wreckage. Two I
,ther children were on the opposite
ide of the street when the sidewalk
ayed in and they lost their lives.
Samuel Trout, foreman Of the gang
f laborers who were laying the water
1ain, was near the woman and three
hildren who lost their lives. He =
ushed forward as he felt the street -
-emble from the explosion In an en-
eavor to save them but he, too. was :,
rawn into the death note. His body -
as the first to be recovered. =
Only four Of the men working in the
zcavatfon escaped, and their escape
as remarkable. These men we're
gging near the opening of a four
ot sewer, and the force of the explo- ea
on blew them to the entrance of it.
alter from the broken main began to
,ur into the sewer, and the four men,
danger Of being drowned, started to u
N toward the river where there was
outlet to the sewer.
The explosion shook houses for -,
ocks around Thousands of persons -.
ere attracted to the scene, and the
lice had difficulty in keeping the
ople from crowding too close to the ~
loking pit of wreckage. The gas :.
d water supply was turned off short D.
after the explosion. A force of 100 tho
emen was then put to work digging ~,
r bodies, but the task was, neces-
rily, slow, because of the nature Of -.
"'oN the
wed. .h,,
Those known to be dead are:
SAMUEL TROUT, foreman.
SCHEFFMYER, In
ector of Sewers rie'
CHRALES FARRELL, foreman. pa
lUSTAvE ANDERSON, foreman. olo
More than twenty persons are miss pio
rhe police arrested seven men who RI
re attached to the city departments
charge of the work.
,heapest accident insurance-Dr