Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-11-21
FIFTEEN LIVES
LOST IN GAS
EXPLOSION
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER
IN BROOKLYN STREET.
Sewer Worknnen and PedeS-
trjanS Buried Under Tors of
Rock Hundreds Have Mirac-
uIouS Escape from Death,


N''Nt9 A-NNNf ~ llNlll CNNtNlli
tB, Morning journal Special Leased wireI
N,0 York, NOV. 20.-TwenU-fivo
persons are believed to have lost their
lives in am explosion Of gas which tore
up great section of Gold street,
Brooklyn, today It is definitely known
that fifteen persons were buried under
the hundreds of tons of earth and
timber thrown into the air. and ten
more are reported as missing The
exact number OF dead can not be de-
tcrmined untt tomorrow. for those
working to recover the cntomu-d
bodies must dig through fifty foet of
| dirt rock and "a tangle of pipes and
! timhers The explosion occurred in
! a fifty-foot deep excavation that had
been made in Gold street between
York ana Front streets, where a wa
| ter main was being lain. The gas
main recently sprung a leak and in
manner unknown spark came into
contact with the escaping gas. Inn
| mediatcly there WAS a terrific eXplo-
sion, which lifted the surface for half
| a block In both directions and lifted
| dirt paving stones and debris into the
! air when the smoke and dust
cleared away 1t was seen the street
had been opened from door step to
door step over an area of nearly a
| block The loosened sand and dirt
| had fallen into the excavation, bury
| ing the score Of laborers who were at
work when the accident happened
! Great tongues of flame shot out of
the crevices and beside them geysers
of water leapod into the air from a
water main that had been shattered
by the explosion.
Two bodies were sticking out of the
wreckage.
Gold street was crowded with school
children when the explosion occurred.
iHnd that scores were not killed or in
| turcd was remarkable A woman and
three children were almost over the
excavation when the earth crumblcd
under their feet, and they were swept
down into the hole under tons of
Wreckage. Two other children were
on tho opposite side of the street when
the sidewalk caved in, and they lost
their lives.
Samuel Trout, foreman of the gang
OF laborors was near the woman and
three children who lost their lives
He rushed forward in an endeavor to
save them, but he. too, was drawn
into the death hole His body was
the first recovered. It had been roast
ed 60 cmdor.
only four Of the men working in
the excavation escaped, and their cs-
cape was remarkable. They were
Frank Schwold John crane Arthur
strand ana an Italian laborcr known
ass John"
These men were digging near tho
opening of fuur-fnot sewer, and the
force of the explosion blew them into
the entrance Of IT, strand was hurled
farthcst in ana he pulled tho other
three men after him
Water from the broken main began
to pour into the sewer, and the four
men, iu danger of hcing drowned
started to run toward the river. whoro
there was an outlet of the sewer.
strand tells of their experience as fol-
lows.
'Our only chance was In reaching
the outlet of the sewer and We ran to-
ward the river. II was all dark and
We stumbled and fell over things that
had been left behind by wurkmrn. Tho
river was three blocks away BY the
time $50 reached the river the water
was up TO our waists We found q
,uIwark there which had been built
% Keep the water from coming i'm
while the sewer was being built We
.limbod To the top of this and from
he top reached the pier. The water
Iad reached our chins before We got
ut"
The explosion shook houses for
locks around Thousands of persons
.crc attracted 20 the scene. and the
olce had difficulty in keeping the
roplr from cruwdlng too close to the
noking pit of wreckage.
Women living IN the neighborbood
hose children had been on the street
.hcn the gas main blew up. rushed to
he scene, ran about the excavation
ringing their hands and calling for
heir little ones. In many Instances
hey found their children after a brief
carch but a number of boys. ana
iris had been taken into school
ear by. and their parents we're fran
ic bv the time they were found
The gas and water supply was
wncd Off shortly after the explo-
ion. \ fore, of 100 firemen was then
'ut 10 work digging for bodies. bnt
he task was necessarily slow. be-
aUsc OF the nature Of the wrcckagc
which had 10 be removed. The known
lead aye.
Samuel Trout foreman
Charles Farrell foreman Of con- /.
rete works. II
Fred Sehefemier Inspector Of sew
rs #tHf
Gustave Anderson. foreman of car
,entcrs
More than twenty persons are miss
ne
The police arrested seven men who
CONTINUED on Pase 2, Column Al