The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-23
BOILER EXPLOSION SHAKES
BUILDINGS AND DEALS IN.
JURY TO SCORES.
IN NEW YORK POWER HOUSE
Others Are Hurt.-Many MiracuI-
ousIy Escape in the Nearby
Building

New York, Dec. z1-Thirteen per-
sons lost their lives, at least 80 were
injured and fully 900 badly shaken
up in an explosion of car lighting gas
tanks and dynamite in the new six
story power station of the New York
Central railroad, under course of con
structlon. The scene is neal the heart
OF the city. Nine bodies have been
recovered and the bodies of four work
men are in the ~wreckage.
A trolley car filled with high school
students was blown from the tracks
on Lexington avenue. Four
were Killed and the others were in
jured. The car fell off on an automo-
bile which had been hurled before it
by the force of the explosion.
Panic as Buildings Totter.
Fire Chief Croker says that in his
opinion the first explosion was that
OF lighting gas n the second explo-
sion tina of 100 pounds of dynamite
which lay within so feet of the gas
tank. The force of the explosion shat
tered hundreds of windows in the big
hotels and apartment houses in the
neighborhood of the big railroad term
lnal, causing alarm among the guests.
Walls, In many cases, were cracked.
A cloud of smoke hung over the scene
and bodies were scattered here and
there. The Grand Central cut. where
new rack levels are being excayated.
looked as if a battle had been fought
in it.
Fire Engine House Wrecked.
The shock, which could be felt for
many blocks. partly wrecked the fire
engine house nearby and prevented
he firemen from getting their appa
ratus into the street. Monsignors
Lapette and Hayes and Fathers O'Con-
nor, McQuade, Sinnott and Byrnes. OF
st. Patrick's cathedral hurried to the
scene n administered the last rites
OF the church to many of the injured
AT the postOffice S~ubstation, Fortieth
street n Madison avenue. the explo.
sion slightly injured several clerks
and scattered the mail over the floor
In the New York Nursery and Child's
hospital ceilings were partly shaken
down and the windows broken. but
o. OF the @ children was badly
hurt.
The po~werhouse, which is OF stone
and brick, and six stories high, caught
fire after the explosions and the in
terror was practically burned out.
Just what caused the double explosion
probably may be never known.
Scores Thrown to Floor.
In the Bible teachers training
school on Lexington avenue. directly
opposite the power house, 125 men
and women who We're on their way to
breakfast were thrown to the floor by
the blast. Many of the men and
women were injured and several of
them were taken to hospitals. All the
windows in the building were blown
in and the ceilings fell.
The damage TO the power house and
other buildings has not been estimat
ed. but it was stated that it will likely
exceed $500 900.
Of the II firemen in the fire house
opposite only n was injured. A lit
tie school girl was about to enter a
candy store OF Fifty-firSt street when
the blast came. She was picked up
bodily and carried through the plate
glass door Of the store and dropped
uninjured in front of the candy coun-
ter.
District Attorney Whitman visited
the scene Of the disaster and conferred
with a number of officials of the New
York Central. He said the explosion
was caused by Illuminating gas. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt also made an in
vestigation.