Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-21
Occurs 10 Fifty Foot WaAr MAJ
Excavation 4 Stock
Of Surface.
m{N BURIED Br loosEnfo EARTH
More Than Score Lose Their Lives
Upheaval Occurs Then Street Is
Crowded With School Children
Woman and Five Children Among
Entombed.


(By ASSOclatFd fTeSS.'
NEW YORK. Nov. .0.-Twrnty-h'"
persons AZ" believed, to har" los; th"i
lives in an explosion of gas. Which
lore up 4 @r.-a' :"ctiun OF Coo street
ErooHlyn today.
II Is definitely known :..a; - per
SONS were buried urGtr the hundreds
OF tons OF earth and timber that We're
thrown into the air by III" explosion
and ten nor" persons ara, reported
q: missing.
Tn. exact number of dead cannot
b. determined until tomorrow lor the
workers 10 recover the -ntombed boo
les must dig. through 81 feet of dirt.
and rock ard tangle of pipes anu
timberS.
Explosion In Excavation.
The explosion occurred in 4 D" foot
deep excavation that had been mai"
in Gold street between forh ana
Front streets. where a water main
was being laid.
The gas main recently sprung
leak ard in manner unknown
spark came in contact with escaping
gas today. Immediately there was
terrific explosion that lifted the sur
face of the stree; for half block
in both directions and hurried dir
paving stones and debris into the air
When the smoke and dust cleared
away il was seen that the street had
been opened from doorstep to dor
step over an area Of nearly a block.
Buried BY Loosened Earth.
The lo2srned earth and dc!ris had
fallen into the excavation burying IN"
scer. Of labOr+rs. who were at "orH
when the accident happened. Great
Tongues of flames shot out Of Crevice3
in the street and beside them
the ssysers Of water l.aped into the
air from a water main that had been
shattered by the explosion. TWO bodies
were sticking GU, Of tn" wreckage
Gold street was crowded with schoo.
children when the accident occurred
and that scores OF children were no
Killed or injured was remarkable. A
woman and thres. children were al
most opposite the excavation when
The earth erumb!ed under their feet
uad they were swept down into the
hole under tons of wreckaSe. TWO
other children were on the opposite
side CT the street when the street
caved in and they lost their lives.
Dies Trying to Save.
Samuel Trout, foreman OF the gang
OF iaborers who were laying the wa
ter main, waS near the woman ami
three children who los, their lives. He
rushed forward as be- felt the street
trembl,, In an endeavor to save item,
bu, he too. was drawn into the death
hole. His body was the first to be
recovered.
Trout had been roasted 10 4 c'rdc-.
Only Four Escape
Only four Of the men working IN
the. excavation escaped and their es-
cape vas remarkable. They were Ar
thur Strand. Frank Rnhnwo!d, john
Grain and an Italian iaborer Known
As John"
These men We're digging lear me
openiuC Ct a four foot sewer aud the
force OF the explosion blew The II 10
tn. entrance Of it. Strsng was iruricd
farthest and he pull, d tie oth"r three
men after him.
Water from the broken main H'can
10 pour irto the sewer and the iou'
men. in danger Of b+ing droS R"i
started to run toward the river where
there vas an C,:tict TO the sewer.
Houses Shaken for Socks
The explosion stock houses ;or
blocks around
Thousands Of p"rsoCS we're dttrac''
81 10 the scene. Women. living IL
the neighborhood. whose children had
been on the stree. when the ga, main
blew up. rris:ed TO the scene. and ran
about the excavation wriug!rg Their
hands an! calling for their little on"s
In many Instances they found ia"t'
children. after a hricf s"arCh but a
number o. boys and E.rls had bec7
taken ito a school nearby. and their
parents were frantic b. the t.Eac ta"!
were found.
The gas and water supply were
turned OF shorty after re explosion
\ force Of leo ar. 5en wss then
Put To work digging for bcSiies. bu;
tho task was pccrsSsrfy SLOW. nc
cause CT 'bc wrcckage which had o.
b. removed.
Killed ard Nissine.
Among those known 20 bs d.sl ars:
Samuel rout. foreman; Frederick