The Washington times., 1910-12-19

pedestrians thought that an earthquake
had struck the city.
The inmates Of the Nursery and Chill
dren's Hospital. at 81 Lexington ave
nue., nearby. were thrown into frenzy
OF fear and two children We're badly
injured in the stampede which followed
Every window in the building was
broken
A score Of anbuIances were called to
the scene and the streets were jammed
with fire apparatus. for the explosion
occurred in the heart Of a thickly built
I'd district
Hurry Call for Reserves
In q few minutes thousands Of per
sons were gathered on the scene. and
hurry calls we're sent in for reserves
Ever. policeman in the East Fifty-first
street sis-s9n was rushed TO Fiftieth
street. and ambulance calls sent 20
llree hospitals SIX ambuIances were
soon on the scene. and two more ar
rived shortly after
The hospital doctors were utterly IN
able - take care Of all the wounded,
and three patrol wagons were pushed
into service as ambUlances- Several of
the in ured were rushed TO the East
Fifty-f--st street station, where they
were attended
Many were not injured seriously
enough 20 be removed 10 hospitals and
were at =eEded on the ground for their
injuries and bruises
II was thought al first that the walls
OF the old Grand Central station would
toppIe. and police were rushed there 10
keep incoming passengers from making
their exit through the partly demolished
structure
Streets damned With Humanity.
The explosion occurred during the
morning rush horr, when the Grand
Central and the streets about were
jammed with humanity. Many persons
were literally hurled from their feet
and tnc shock was so severe that the
walls OF tLe temporary structure which
is answering until the new Grand Cen
Jrrd dsD,t is built were bulged and
cracked
Two Of those who were killed lost
their lives when the Lexington avenue
trolley car which was passing the pow
erhouse at the tine of the explosion
was hurled over on its side The vic
tins were Il man and 4 boy
About thirty persons were in the DOW
erhOUse at the tine the explosion OC-
CURED The building was a two-story
one, with a carpenter shop OF the sec
ond floor The first fOor and basement
were used for boiler, engines and dyna-
mos which supplied most OF the power
for the third-rail system Of the New
York Central road
Twenty carpenters worked on The sec
ond fOCr- On the first fOOT and IN the
basement were ten fremeur engineers
and taeir assistants
Came without Warning.
The explosion came without warning
With terrific report the big boliel
burst, completely wrecking the power
house and breaking windows for blocks
around
Those who were IN the powerhous'
did not have q chance to fee Wher
the boiler burst the floors and walls
collapsed Those who esCaVed happened
to be beneath some object that with.
stood the downfall OF brick. steel, and
mortar
Firemen did heroic work IN going int
the ruins and saving injured men Bat
talon Chief John Duffy was severely
injured while aiding in this work
4he nrSt OF the dead 10 De ldenJlneC
vas Thomas StaEg- a watchman en-
ployed At the rowerhoUse.
ChiIdren's Legs Cut Of.
Two children were picked I'D in
Lexington avenue car after the explo
sion with their legs cut of Besides
man and q boy, who were killed whel
the surface car overturned, several pas
Eengers were injured
Among the first 10 get into the ruin
was Father AIcQuaide of St Patrick
Cathedral he administered the las
rites Of the Catholic Church to sever
men
A guest sleeping on the twelfth foo
OF the Hotel Belmont, at Forty-secOn'
q - 3