The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-21
SPARK lGNITES GAS
 WHILE WORKMEN ARE
 ENCHANTING 4 STREET
Flames Shoot Out of the Debris. Fol lowed By Sheets of Water From Broken Main-Workmen
 Escape Through a
 Sewer.

New York, November 2o.-Twenty.ive persons are believed to have lost their lives in an explosion of gas which tore up a great section of Gold street. Brook lyn, today. Ii Is definitely known that 10 persons were buried under the hum dreds of tons of earth and timber that. were thrown into the air by the explosion, and 10 more persons are reported as miss ing. The exact number of dead cannot be determined until tomorrow, for those working to recover the entombed bodies must dig through 50 feet of dirt, rock and tangle of pipes and timbers.
 The explosion occurred in a 50-foot deep excavation that had been made in Gold street between York and Front streets, where a water main was being laid. The gas main recently sprung leak and in q 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 block in both directions and hurled dirt, paw ing stones and debris into the ain The loosened earth and debris had fallen into the excavation, bltrying the score of laborers who were at work when the ac- cident happened. Great tongues of flames shot out of crevices in the street, and beside them geysers of water 1eaped into the air from water main that i.st. Decn shattered by the eApt4t.o5. ar.9 nodles were sticking out of the wrecl1sge.
 Children Destroyed. Gold street was crowded with school children when the explosion occurred, and that scores Of children were not killed or injured was remarkable. A woman and three children were almost opposite the excavation when the earth crumbled un- der their feet and they were swept down into the hole under tons of wreckage. Two other children were on the opposite side of the street when the street caved in. and they lost their lives. Samuel Trout, foreman of the gang of laborers who were laying the water main, was near the woman and three children who lost their lives. He rushed forward as he felt the street tremble, in an endeavor to save them, but he, too, was drawn into the death hole. His body was the first to be recovered. Trout had been roasted to a cinder. Only four of the men working in the excavation escaped, and their es- cape was remarkable. They were digging near the opening of four-foot sewer and the force of the explosion blew them to the entrance of it. Arthur Strand. was hurled farthest and he pulled the other three men after him.
 Water Pours In.
 Water from the broken main began to pour into the sewer and the four men, in danger of being drowned, started to run toward the river where there was an out let to the sewer. They escaped after the water had risen to their necks
 The explosion shook houses for blocks around. Thousands of persons were at tracted to the scene.
 Women living in the neighborhood whose children had been on the street when the gas main blew up, rushed to the scene and ran about the excavation, wringing their hands and calling for their little ones In many instances they found their children after a brief search, but a number of boys and girls had been taken into a school nearby and their parents were frantic by the time they were found.
 The gas and water supply were turned off shortly after the explosion. A force of 100 firemen was then put to work digging for bodies but the task was necessarily slow because of the nature of the wreckage which had to be removed. List of the Dead.
 Those known to be dead are:
 Samuel Trout, foreman. Frederick Scheffmeyer, inspector of sew CTS.
 Chapes Farrell, foreman of concrete workers.
 Gustave Anderson, foreman of car penters.
 The missing:
 Unknown woman, who was with chill dren.
 Unknown girle about 5 years old
 John O'Grady, years old.
 William Dalton, years old.
 Vincent Doherty, years old.
 Clarice Brady, years old.
 Alexander Johnson, laboreI.
 Christ Cosino, laborer.
 Emile Blachman, laborer.
 Francisco Armando, laborer.
 John Armando laborer.
 Charles Nelson, laborer.
 Gus Wall, laborer. Felix Green, laborer.
 Gus Kane. laborer.
 Samuel Abrahams, laborer
 Laborer known as Francisco.
 Two Italian laborers known as Nos. 5l and 52
 Laborer known as Christopher.
 The police arrested seven men who were attached to the city departments in charge of the work that was being done.