The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-20
TERMINAL DISASTER
DUE TO NEGLIGENCE
Criminal Prosecution TO Fol-
low, Declares Coroner,
Discussing Explosion.
GOULD HAVE BEEN
AVOIDED" OPINION
View That Motornan Was Re-
sponsible Has Modified
Somewhat. p"

NEW YORK. Dec. 20.-Friends and
relatives Of twelve persons who were
employed in the New fck Central
DOwerhouse at Fiftieth street and Lex
ington avenue. which was wrecked by
terrific explosion yesterday, called at
the East Fifty-first street power station
today and reported them as missing.
Attnbuting the accident to criminal
negligence. the authorities expressed the
determination 10 prosecute c,riminaIlv
those who in any way. contributed to the
cause OF the disaster.
Officials OF the New York Central
railroad IN my opinion are responsible
for this terrible catastrophe sail Cor
oner HOltzhaUseT, in discussing the evi-
dence already accumulated of course.
the investigation is by no means COM
plste, but II has progressed 50 far that
the first view I took, which was that
the motorman was TO blame, has been
modified 10 a. certain degree I hold,
however, that the explosion could easily
have been avoided if the railroad had
stopped instantly the flow Of gas when
they were informed that the pipe had
been broken"
The tragedy was caused, so far as
tx EeAAN[ anu - -1AASlA AAOAALtl6lSEE
determine, by the clipping of OF a gas
pipe BY an electric train which ran
away in the yards The train crashed
into a bumper, tearing away the feed
pipe Half an hour later. with the
power house flled with gas fumes,
there was an explosion.
Felt for Blocks.
The effect Of the explosion was felt
from Fortieth street TO Sixtieth street
and for half q mile east and west 1t
tore out windows and doors Of buildings
OH all surrounding streets As FAR
south as Fortieth street and I'd 10
Fifueth street. and from Madison 10
Third avenues windows were broken
and plaster Knocked from walls
While the police have made no minute
calculation of the pro 9eFty- damaged, !
II was estimated last night that Il Will
reach at least S2.000.e00 Damage suits
Tor millions more for loss Of Bfe and
limb viii follow
OF the injured II the hospitals FIVE
have fractured skulls. and viii probably
die -Four others have serious fractures
OF limbs one man has lost one eve. and
VII probably lose the sight Of the other.
SRI has lost an eye, while many 9TH
ers are suffering from painful lacera-
tons.
Investigations.
The coroner and district attorney are
cooperating in their Investigation TO
fix the responsibility II now seems
certain that the disaster could have been
sverted had some one taken the precau-
ton TO III the sand box Of the electric
line which hauled the train that snapped
the PintSCh gas pipe. MOtornan Sea
CROFT has told the coroner that his train
over ran its distance because the rails |
were "SOapy, and he had no sand in
the box TO give his drivers a needed
The explosion damage runs into the
millions Some OF the structures are SO
wrecked that they VII have 70 be re-
built What the accident damages VIII /
De cannot be estimated The Park /
avenue tunnel wreck or several years
ago cost the Central more than a nil |
lion dollars for personal Injuries
Warrants Expected.
Never before IN the history Of New
York city have 50 many official investi- /
cations followed in the wake Of a dis /
sster-
The most important one IS under the I
personal direction OF District Attorney 1
Whitman CorOners HoItshauser and /
Fineberg are conducting an inquiry on |
behalf OF the corOner's office Of New |
York county. the police under First In 1
EpeCtor DriscoH have an inOuis1tiOn IN
der way TO furnish the municipality with 1
facts which may form the basis Of dam /
age suits; Fire Chief Croker has an ex- /
summation on foot. and so has the New
York Central Indictments for criminal 4
caTelessneSs are expected when tbs 4
grand jury takes up the case.
An army OF woTkmen was at work to- 4
day IN a snowstOrm digging furfOusly 1
into the tangled mass OF wreclage in 4
the new railroad yards at Fiftieth i
street and Lexington avenue, II being Il
feared that more bodies lie under the 1
debris
Although the investigators are today /
practically united in the belief that the 4
explosion was caused by gas and not I
by dynamite. nevertheless the members +
were detailed to investigate the disaster
rninutelv to ascertain whether or not il
some high-pover explosive, other than
gas. had caused the calamity
Against Officials.
The investigation today was directed 1
principally toward fixing the capabilIty
OF certain New York Central officials, I
whose statements made yesterday failed /
= agree.
William A WhitaIl, the official IN l
charge OF the Piatsch gas reservoirs,
declared that he did not know the gas
was escaping until twenty minutes after
the main had been broken. and that he i
used up half an hour hunting for the
leak without shutting of the supply at
the main tank
ing the accident, declared that II was
too early yet TO charge the officials
with gross carelessnsss. but that there
were certain statements which needed
explanation District Attorney Whit
man declared that il might be several
dsvs before any reasonable conclusion
can be attained. Il was to hasten mat
ters that he gave orders that 200 add
tionaI Workmen be employed in clear
ing away the wreckage- An army OF