The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-20
OVER A HUNDRED INJURED
In Addition to Ten Known Dead in
Explosion Yesterday.

Explosion Yesterday.
New York, Dec. 2O2 AT least ten
men and women were killed outright
On the explosion yesterday at the New
York Cenuals sub station at Fifth
street and Lexington avenue. 9th
ers, still unaccountei for are be-
lieyed to be lying under tons OF iron
brick and splinlcred wood. which is
all that remains of the east end OF
the sub-stati0n.
One hundred and seventeen men,
women and children were badly in
iured. some of them so seriously that
they may die, aud were sent either 10
hospitals or their homes. Others
were hurt by lying glass or ffag
ments OF brick. or were bruised when
thrown from their feet By the force
OF the explosion, but got away from
the scene OF the accident before the
police could obtain their names.
Four passengers In the car were
killed outright and several injured
seriously Strange to say, the great
est loss OF life and the greatest mum.
Der Of injured were among those out
side the deep cut where the railroad
trains were on the Adings and where
the actual explosion is supposed to
have occurred. In what might be
termed the basement Of the sub-sta-
ton.
Had the explosion occurred twenty
minutes later than it did. hundreds OF
school children would have been on
the streets. There are two schools
not far from the east wing OF the sub
station one. in fact, the Cathedral
School. is lust across the street from
the main entrance TO the sub-station,
and another. public school, is
around the corner In Fitty-hrst street.
For some hours il was believed
that dynamite alone could have
wrought such instantaneous and pull
verifying havoc, but late In the after
noon Fire Chief Croker said he was
convinced that the whole explosion
was due to a mixture of air and II.
Illuminating gas, used In lighting rail
road cars. touched of by an electric
spark. The gas had accumulated in
the auxiliary power house from a
broken pipe snapped on by a runa'
way passenger car
The force Of the explosion ran
north and south for two miles along
the rocky ridge that Is the backbone
of the island, and east and west for
mile. Foundations were Jared,
walls were shaken out of plumb,
windows we're blown In by the thous-
and, ceilings came crashing down on
| the heads of those beneath and the
pavements were Uttered with pulver'
lied glass that tapped the shoe soles.
The full amount OF the property
damage is ms yet unavailable and may
exceed the rough and conservative
estimate Of s59e,000.
As nearly as can be determined
/ this Is how the accident occurred'
I A train load OF empty passenger cars
/ hauled by an electric motor, In charge
OF Albert Seagroatt, got out OF con.
/ troll of the brakes. crashed into a
steel and concrete buffet post, snap
ped the post on and rammed a pile Of
! lumber behind the post into a two
and one.half inch gas main, connect
1 ing with the taps from which the
tanks of the passenger cars are
charged at $50 pounds to the square
inch by the testimony of the motor.
man and that OF John ]. Quinn, a
bricklayer working on the main pow
er house. adjoining the auxiliary
house, the time Of the break In the
pipe Is Appropriated nc few mo-
ments after s o'clock. Two clocks
stopped by the jar fix the time Of the
explosion itself at S.22.
In the interval the broken main
had ample time to pour high pressure
gas into the lower levels Of the auxil'
larry power house. When workmen
set 20 clearing away the strewed
lumber. Il Is assumed that one OF
them dropped a steel tool across the
third rail. there was a flash OF cleo
tricity and the great reserve OF &C
cumulated gas exploded.