The San Francisco call., 1910-12-20

IEW YORK, Dec. l9.-The heart
N OF Manhattan island was shaken
this morning by terrific ex-
plosion of Illuminating gas in the aux
iliary power house of the Grand Cen
tral station. Ten persons, two of
them women, were killed, 125 were
injured and property was damaged to
the extent of S5OO,OOO
-Four workmen, who are missing, are
believed TO have perished, and of Us
injured % were removed to hospitals.
OF those, eight may die An investi-
cation by the police is under way.
Traffic on the New York Central
railroad ceased entirely for some hours,
and was disorganized for the rest of
the day. but the new station. under con-
struction. was not damaged. The dead:
NicoH GaIucci, laborer.
Patrick Jordan, Iaborer
f. r. Livermore, Pullman car in
spector.
c. Mcmahon, 1abOrer.
Edith Ofner, stenographer.
Mary b. Pope OF Boston. Mass.
Charles Roberts, expressman.
Prank staEg, watchman.
John Ryan, laborer.
Gufher JOhnstOne. electrician.
The injured include laborers and
other employees Of the railroad, pedes-
Brians. bystanders and others who were
PIN the vicinity Of the accident
Car Overturned
A passing surface car, carrying seven
passengers, was lifted from its tracks
and hurled against an automobile run
ming aIon gside. -Four Of the seven pas
sengers were killed outright. but the
chauffeur Of the motor car was only cut
and bruised.
OF the nearly 100 in hospitals the fol-
lowing are the most seriously injured:
Unidentified woman, fractured skull.
Michael Ryan, fractured skull and in
ternal injuries.
Yetta Abrahamson, fractured skull
and internal injuries.
Theresa Lotta, fractured skull and
shoulder
John smith, injuries to the head.
Francis Kelly, policeman, burned and
bruised.
John CUNNING ham, burned.
For some hours it was believed dyna-
mite alone could have wrought such
instantaneous and demolishing havoc,
but late in the afternoon Fire Chief
Croker said he was convinced the ex-
plosion was due to a mixture of air
and Illuminating gas, used in lighting
railroad cars. being touched of by an
electric spark The gas had accumu-
lated in the auxiliary peower house
4 from a broken pipe snapped of by a
una wal. passenger car.
y The force Of the explosion ran north
and south from one to two miles along
he rocky ridge that is the backbone
If the island, and east and west later
ally for a mile.
Foundations Jared
Foundations were Jared, walls were
shaken out Of plumb, windows were
blown in by the thousands, ceilings
came crashing down on the heads of
those beneath, and the pavements were
Uttered with pulverized glass.
The fun amount Of the property
damage is yet Unavailable and may ex-
ceed s5Oo.Oo0 The loss to the New
York Central railroad company in
cludes the physical damage done to
the power house. which was wrecked,
the delay to construction work and the
damage done to cars standing near the
power house.
AS nearly as can be determined this
is how the accident occurred:
A train Of empty passenger cars,
hauled By an electric car. in charge
Of Albert seagroatt. got out of con-
troll. crashed into steel and concrete
burer post. snapped it off and rammed
nile OF lumber behind it into a gas
main connecting with the taps from
! which the tanks Of the passenger cars
are charged
By the testimony Of the motorman
and Of John J. Quinn. brick layer
working on the main power house ad-
Joining the auxiliary house, the time
Of the break in the PIPE was about s
o'clock Two clocks stopped by the
iarNSx the tine Of the explosion itself
at 4 p.
In the interval the broken main had
ample time to pour high pressure gas