New-York tribune., 1910-12-22
P|NTScH GAS BLAMED
Investigators Agree It Caused
New York Central Explosion.
ITS STORAGE RESTRICTED
Municipal Explosives Comnnis
sion Decides to Bar It from
Manhattan Island

Tbs first official report in the investiga-
ton Of the disastrous explosion of the New
York Centrals sub-ste-ion poverhouse at
Lexington avenue and 9th street on Mon
day was submitted yesterday 20 Fire Com
missioner Waldo by the Municipal Explo-
sives Commission The report. in which the
commissioners say that they have formu-
lated new regulations prohibiting the trans
po-tation and storage OF Pintsch gas within
ths city limits. was made public last night
In view ct the new regulations, the COM
mission yesterday informed the officials of
the New York Central that Il would be
necessary for them in the future 10 gas
al their cars et Mott Haven. or some other
point outside the Borough of Manhattan Il
was said et the compeny's Offices that II
had originally been intended to remove the
gas plant in the Lexington avenue yards
sonns time before the first Of the year, but
that construction conditions on the neT
terminal had UnavoidabIy caused a delay
The anger in this gassing situation - the
report ends, docs not lie in the fact that
Pintsch gas is any more inlananahle or
explosive than ordinary Illuminating gas,
but in Lhe possibility Of wrecking enc Of
the tank cars used IN Transporting the gas
through tbs Park avenue tunnel. and the
subsequent explosion Of the volume Of gas
thus released The explosion Of such g
mass Of gas could readily take place in the
tunnel, either from lights or from the scrap
ing Of the contact shoes on the third rail-
Commissions waldo said he expected 2
report to-day from, Fire Marshal Beers,
-ho is trying to determine whether there
Tas any criminal negligence connected with
the explosion The question Of criminal
negligence, IS far as the evidence adduced
IN this investigation is concerned, II was
said, resolves itself into an explanation OF
why the gas supply was not Immediately
turned Of at the four big rerainers at 9Th
street when - was first discovered by the
gauges that there was an unusual leakage
somewhere in the yards.
The testimony Of the men II charge Of
the retainers, Il Has said, shows that they
went down into the yards 10 lock fer the
leak instead Of -Csorting 70 the quickest
and safest remedy by turning eff tbs whole
supply st tbs tanks
One Of the Fire Department experts said
yesterday that it would have been posi-
tIe for tbs man in charge Of the CON
p-esso- house where the tanks a-e situ-
areo, ID tell approximately where the leak
wes ~ the yards without going 10 look
fo- r. Each Of the four retaine-s Vas
supplied with valves, 50 that any cce Of
they could have been cur cut from ths
supply to the main pipe, and al the smaller
pipes going out into the yards had valves
attached
BY shutting of these valves separately
the man in charge could have noted on
the gauges where the unusual loss of gas
came from. even e he had not thought 70
shut off the main supply at once, y was
said As matter Of fact, one OF the
tanks had been cut out, and the supply OF
gas at the tine Of the explosion was com
ing from the other three, which would
have made Il easier to ind the leak
District Attorney Whitman continued his
investigation yesterday. He said he would
not attempt te bring the matter to the at
rention Of the grand jury before the police
and the Fire Department completed their
investigations and he received the report Of
his assistant, Er. LaveI1e
Coroner Eoltzhauser has not yet set 2
date for rhe inquest over the ten victims
% the explosion. He said he was awaiting
the results CT the injuries Of the persons in
The hospitals who are in 2 serious condi-
tton and the completion CT scnne OF tbs
ether Investigations
Charles f Eacombe chief engineer OF tbs
Department Of Water Supply, Gas and
Electricity. said yesterday that in his
opinion. the explosion was due entirely 10
Pinusch gas He said that fifteen thousand
cubic feet OF the gas. the amount which IS
said to have escaped from the retainars,
when mixed with the ai-. 50 as 70 become
explosive. could easily have dons the ex-
tensive damage which vas caused The
Ptntsch gas vould have q similar effect 70
black damp under these conditions, he said.
and probably spread irssls IN z blarkst
fern for sone distance away from tbs
actual leak There might have been some
over the streets or near the neighboring
Buildings where the shock was felt the
worst, hs declared