New-York tribune., 1908-11-08
EXPLOSION SKATERS
APARTMENT HOUSE
FLAMES ENUR1P WOUAN
IN BL4ZING ROOM.
Forty-seCeH Families Escape IN
Panic-GIass Shozcsr IHjures
PaSsers an Street.

A terrific explosion occurred last night in tbs
clare Arms an apartment house at the north
east corner of Broadway and 124th street Il
blew the windows on three floors into the street
Fire followed. and many OF the forty-seveE fam
HES living in the big seven story building es-
caped TO the street with difficulty BY stairs. eIe-
vator and fire escapes
Miss Eta Rainney- in whose apartment the
explosion occurred. was seriously burned. She
was removed to the J. Hood Wright Hospital,
where Dr. Dubois said her condition was critI-
cal
A Ieaky gas pipe caused the explosion
Soon after O'Clock Miss Rainney. Who lives
on the second fOor with her aged mother.
thought she detected the odor OF escaping gas
and went to a small closet to investigate Be-
fore opening the door Of the closet she liz A
match When she opened the closet door there
was an explosion that was heard a block away
Many persons in the street were injured by ths
flying fragments Of broken glass
Mrs J W Dunn and her 1ve-year-0ld daus1-
ter Virginia Who were in an apartment on the
same Aoor as the one IN which the explosion oc-
CURED. were violently thrown down and badly
bruised
Great tongues OF fame darted at Miss Rainney
as she drew away from the door OF the closet
and her garments caught fire. Not wishing 70
alarm her mother who is an invalid. she darted
into the hallway. her clothes mass of harnes'
and screamed for help at the top of her voice
The flames spread rapidly n the Rainnsy apart
r1ent and soon it was a roaring furnace Mrs
Rainney vas removed with great difficulty
The cry OF fire rang through the house, and
the occupants became panicstrtcken- Many or
them took 20 the fire escapes Others ran down
the stairs without paying the slightest attention
To the woman in the hall, whose sUIertnss and
cries were intense The elevator boy. Thomas
BuIeer. continued 70 run the elevator. carrying
passengers down from the top floors 20 ths
street
Frank Dyer. an express man. was on the SKIN
floor delivering a trunk when the explosion
occurred When he heard the woman's screams
on the second floor he ran quickly to her aid
He hastily grabbed blanket from one OF the
deserted apartments and. wrapping II around
Miss Rainney. extinguished the flames He car
ried her downstairs and into the street. where
Patrolnau Mcknight. II the West t25th street
police station. sent for Hnsesd OIL and bandagss.
which he applied before the arrival Of the am
bulance surgeon
When the dremen arrived tLey found tFsy rad
2 stubborn blaze 70 contend With Tie fre had
made its way to the third hoor. directly over
the apartment occupied by Tire Rai1neys, but by
hard work tfcz succeeded IT preventing II FROM
spreading TO orfer parts Of the apartment house.
Mrs Rainner's loss is about $4,000. and Darcy
Quinn. Who occ-pfes the apartment overhead.
had his furniture damaged 20 the extent of $500
The first floor IT the building is occupied As
restaurant and many persons we're dining q hen
the explosion occurred They lied to the street
in a panic their terror heightened by the crash
If glass. the cries of FIRE. and tte mad rush 0t
the other ter-artz in The house 70 escape