New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-23

Explosion Spreads Panic an
East Side Street.

One man was blown TO pieces and MS
bro'her was injured yesterday afternoon
wien an oxygen tank exploded in garage
~ FIRST avenue and 74th street. The man
VINO was blown to his death was Arthur
Oofhher' twenty-six years old, of No 40
Harmon street, Brooklyn. The injured man
Is Henry Cormier. twenty-three years oid'
OF No. l9s Himrod street. Brooklyn.
Arthur Cormier and his brother were
employed as machinists In the garage,
which is one story structure. constructed
OF sheet iron. at No. Sol East 74th street,
owned by Z. r. Rosenbaum At the time
OF the explosion the brothers were engaged
in welding a broken automobile axle. In
heating the piece of metal they were using
a flame composed of oxygen and acetylene
gases, 10 obtain an intense heat.
The tank containing the oxygen was in
little shed in the rear of the garage, and
when the explosion occurred great pieces
of iron were hurled with tremendous force
in all directions. Many of these crashed
clear through the sheet iron walls of the
building
The sound Of the explosion was heard for
many blocks around, and buildings in the
neighborhood were shaken TO their founda-
tons. Many of the houses across the street
and directly behind the garage had their
windows shattered At the sound of the
explosion, and after sheets of flame burst
from the windows of the garage, a citizen
ran 10 fire alarm box and turned in an
alarm. Patrolman Egan, of the East 9th
street station, standing at the corner of
Second avenue and 18th street, also heard
the crash and rushed into the burning
building
Cropping his way through the mass of
ing about the floor of the garage, appar-
entity demented. One man staggered up to
him through the smoke and steam and
pointed mutely to a far corner of the room.
where lay Cormier's body.
He's dead. He's dead,' he moaned,
then rushed away. wringing his hands.
Egan did not wait to investigate further.
but ran to the street and sent in hurry
call for an ambulance from the Presby-
terrain Hospital. When DR.. Patten arrived
at the garage and glanced at the inert
form on the floor he turned away and
shook his head: there was no need of his
services in that direction. The physician
then turned his attention to Henry, the in
jured brother. who was painfully cut by
bits of metal and pieces of flying glass.
He was sent home after receiving treat
ment.
As Henry Cormier was being taken away
in the ambulance, the fremen arrived and
went TO work to put out the fire The
flames had made little Roadway, and were
soon extinguished.
The explosion caused intense excitement
in the neighborhood. and women rushed to
the street carrying their babies in their
arms. Alarming reports of a bomb eK-
plosion added to the panic, and within five
minutes the whole street was choked with
the frightened crowds. The reserves from
the East 9th street station had hard work
in restoring quiet.
The tank that caused the damage was
twenty inches in diameter and four feet
high 1t was said that it was recently
tested to a pressure of $50 pounds to the
square inch, and that at the time of the
explosion was subjected to a pressure of
only $50 pounds.