The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-20

? splendid househoId premiums. Sc.
an iron girder burst through the wall.
knocking him down and badly bruis-
ing MIN. lie got the men TO handage
him ana went TO work Immediately.
In the Bible teachers training school
founded by Miss Helen Gould. on lex
lhBton avenue. fifty young men and
women were eating breakfast. Those
lied that there had been a serious ac-
cldeut when. in looking toward the
street. they saw the napery on the
tables nearest the windows dabbIod
with blood. Fully half the students
were painfully cut by flying glass.
In the babies hospital At Fiftv-ninth
street and Lexington avenue the in
rants were being given their morn
Ing bath Nurses were thrown TO the
floor with babies in their arms. other
babies were tipped out Of their cribs
aud in two Instances babies weTs
popped upward out Of their tubs as II
they mad been drawn out by a power
tul suction.
MotOrman Arrested.
Albert Seagroatt. the motorman OF the
train that rammed the bumper and
broke the gas main. was held by the
coroner on a technical charge Of homf-
eide. lie said he smelt gas after the
coliision and notified the yardmaster.
WUrkmen were digging at the ruins
AL night, looking for the four missing
workmen, and Assistant District At
torney George Lavelle, accompanied by
Guy W. Culgin, an engineer OF tho
building department, continued an in
Nesttgation far into the evening.
FIRE commissioner Waldo. who
reached the scene Of the explosion
within twenty-five minutes after IL oc-
CURED, and ordered the heads OF the
divisions Of the fire department TO
statement tonight
All OF the Investigators from this
department agree in the general state
ment that the explosion was caused bv
a train backing into the bumper and
breaking the two-inch supply main car
Fylng the gas 10 the various points i'm
the yardS, he said. The escaping
gas permeated the pOwcrhousc until it
formed an explosive mixture by COM
binatiOn with the air.
There was no trace Of any other eN-
ploStNc at that point. When the leak
age was discovered. there had oscar ped
from $4,000 TO 10000 cubic feet A
large quantity became condensed under
the floors and through the power
house
Discovered Too Late.
lie adds that the leak was discovered
about fifteen minutes after the break
occurred By William a. MIthalI. an en-
ploye OF the railroad. Withau started
Tor tile power house TO report o.. but
the explosion occurred before he ar
rived.
A report Of the municipal explosives
committee. of Which Commissioner
Waldo rs eN-officio chairman. is SINH
lar in tone to the commissioners re-
What the exact cause Of the ignition
or this gas was. we are unable to say"
says the report.
Commissioner Waldo said ono import
ant feature OF his investigation viii be
to look to the future safety in the use
OF this gas, so that life may not again
be endangered in this way. This Is the
official eNpls nation of the New York
central, as given out by Vice PrCsi-
dent .. i. DAILY this afternoon
Careful Investigation made by Chief
Engineer Kittrcdge. Construction En-
gtnecr HsrwoOd. Electrical Engineer
Katie and Manager Whalcy of the
Grand Central terminal indicates that
the explosion WAS the result OF an cleo
trio train backing over humping post
in the storage yard. breaking a gas
pipe, the escape from which penetrated
the lower part Of the substatiOn power
house and became iEnited there from
some cause unknown"
The Central officials at that hour
said that the fatalities from their In
formation stood at nine known dead
with possible additions to the list OF
missing employees, although search Of
the ruins, which was approaching COM
pletion. had failed to reveal any more
bodies.
Hurried estimates during the day
placed the damage at not more than
half a million dollars. but a canvass OF
the neighborhOOd showed that few
structures had escaped. Windows were
smashed literally by the crowds and a
nice problem is raised as TO the liabili-
" OF the insurance companies under
tho circumstances.
handsome residence fronts were dec
GRATED with blankets. sheets, newsps-
pers, burlap or old rugs as the quickest
substitute for window glass. Several
institutions in the neighborhOOd have
appealed for aid TO effect repairs, and
order viii not be restored for weeks.
The Tiffany studios at Fortieth street
aud Madison avenue. fully half a mile
from the scene. suffered. Valuable
stained glass windows. valued at S10.-
600. were smas shed one was a memo
rial piece worth 5000 Another on the
FAR side OF the building from the eN-
plOsion was bent outward and then
broken. Il was worth about $500.
Albert Seagroatt. the engineer OF the
motor car, which broke the pipe line.
was released on parole tonight at the
instance OF District Attorney Whitman.
who says there Is no evidence to war
rant his being held. II was the coron-
ers office which ordered his arrest. and
had planned TO hold him in $4,000
bail.