New-York tribune., 1909-10-08
MANH0LES BLOWN UP
EXPLOSIONS CAUSE TER
ROR ON WEST SIDE.
Frightened Citi@ens, Rushing from
Houses, Haze Narrozc Escapes
Caused by GasOlene from Garages.

Panicstricken and terrified the occupants OF
factories. stores and tenement houses on Ninth
and Eleventh avenues, between 53d and 42d
streets. rushed TO the streets yesterday after
noon, when a series Of explosions shook the
neighberhood to it's foundations Their egress
from the buildings was blocked by those in the
streets who were rushing into the doOrways TO
escape from the falling manhoIe covers which
were being blown forty feet into the air.
Eighty manholes in the district blew UP. the
explosions shattering windows and striking fear
into all pedestrians who saw the tongues Of
fame shooting from the earth. No one was
killed, but there were many remarkable es-
capes and more less serious injuries marked
the path of the flying manhole covers.
The first explosion occurred in the manhOle
at 53d street and Tenth avenue, and was rap
idly followed by several others on the avenues
and side streets. Immediately follOyving the first
explosion storekeepers and women living in tene
ments along Ninth. Tenth and Eleventh ave-
nues and in the various streets. flocHed into the
streets. Hardly had those outside time to ex
plain what had happened before a second
plosion at 51st street and Tenth avenue shook
the neighborhood. and then followed a battery
of reports. while the covers blew in every -di-
rection, striking plate glass windows. lamp
posts and landing in dOOrways. in many cases
narrowly missing the frightened people.
RESERVES OUT TO KEEP ORDER.
BY this time the neghborhooC thoroughly
alarmed. and the residents did rot Lnow whether
TO seek shelter from the flying covers within
the houses or to remain out in the open in case
the trembling tenements should fall AS the
flames shot from the holes some turned in
a fire alarm. but the department could do moth
nd only added IN tha confusion
Benjamin Curry. foreman in the Department
Of Sewers was at 42d street and Eighth avenue
when the sounds Of the explosions reached him,
and he realized Immediately what wrong.
He ran to Ninth avenue in time to the
manhole cover at Ninth avenue and 42d street
bov off, and he telephoned to the repair depart
ment A large force of men was soon on the
scene with supply of covers and red lam
terms and apparatus for the protection of pass
ersby. A call was sent out for reserves. and
the squads from the West 37th. 4Tth, 6Sth and
East 5lst street stations were sent to restore
order.
Police lines were formed along Ninth avenue
from 42d street TO sd street There was
temporary tie-up of the surface car snes in the
district. The windows OF cars which were near
the explosions were shattered and several pas
sengers were cut by the flying glass.
With the first of the explosions came the in
jury of Emil Miller. seven years old. who lives
No. 546 West 57th street He was standing
on the manhole cover. at 51st street and Tenth
avenue, when it blew UP. He was thrown ten
feet in the air and fell to the sidewalk within
a foot of the hole. out of which flames were
shooting. He badly burned about the face
and body, and Dr. Lockwood, of the Flower Hos
pital, who attended him, said that his injuries
would probably prove fatal. as the boy had in
hailed some of the escaping gas.
Shortly after Emil was taken away crowd
of curious persons gathered about the hole and
Giuseppe Florentino, sixteen years old whose
address is not known, pushed into the hole
He was hauled out by the police and sent away
suffering from the shock owen McManus Of
No 6O1 West JOth street. was standing on the
manhole cover at 5Oth street and Tenth avenue
He was blown ten feet in the air. but suffered
no severe injury.
GAsOLENE BACKED UP IN SEWERS.
Every window smashed in the five story
double tenement house at No. 522 West 51st
stre by the shock of the explosions. The fall
ing manhole covers crashed through the plate
glass windows and glass awnings of several
saloons along the avenue. Some of the covers
broke into pieces and the flying fragments IN
jured persons in the streets
The explosions were caused. according to In
spector Curry. by gasOlene and oil from garages
and factories backing up in the pipes. AS the
tide was high during the afternoon the oil
could not drain off and a gas was formed in
the pipes which the men of the sewer depart
ment consider as powerful guncotton. A
lighted match dropped into a manhole would
have been enough TO ignite the gas.
While John Mcmahon, of No. 52S West J3d
street was out with his family investigating
the cause of the explosions three boys entered
his house and stole a revolver. canary bird
and SD which McMahons son Daniel had
saved Mcmahon returned and found the boys in
the house but they fought him off with knives
and he ran down TO the corner of 5lst street
and Tenth avenue where he found Peter
Trainor and Joseph Evans, plains clothes men
of the West 6Sth street station. When the de-
tectives arrived the boys had made their
cape over the roofs of the houses. They were
found later in q restaurant.
They denied their guilt when questioned by
the detectives. but the chirping of the canary
which was hidden in a box under the table
caused an investigation and their arrest They
caves their names as Charles Mannebach
thirteen years old, of No 423 West 56th street
and William and Joseph Ryan. fifteen and thr-
teen years of age. of No. 534 West sd street
They were taken to the West 6Sth street sta
tion and locked up.