Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-19
AUTOMOBILE is CRUSHED
UNDER THE FALLING CAR
People in Nearby Houses Thrown
From Feet by Blast.
CAUSE Is NOT DETERMINED
Double. Explosion Is Accounted for
by Fact That Dynamite Was
Stored Near Gas
Tanks.

NEW YORK. December l9-Thirteea
persons were killed, two OF them women
and fifty were injured in a double eu
piosion OF gas and dynamite in the new
electric power house Of the New Yori
Central railroad shortly after o'clocE
this morning. Nine bodies have been re-
covered and the bodies OF four workmsn
are believed to be in the ruins
The force of the explosion shattered
hundreds of windows in the hotels and
apartment houses in the neighborhood a
the big railroad terminal, causing much
excitement among the guests. The dynas
mite blast picked up a northbound troll.
ley car, lifted it into the air and sent
it crashing down upon an automobile
which was passing along the other sldd
of the street. Four of the passengers
were killed and every one i'm the cas-
was injured.
The railroad service was only tenn
porarily interrupted.
The new substation power house, where
the explosion occurred, is at JOth street
and Lexington avenue, which is half Q
dozen blocks north of the Grand Central
station.
Official List of Dead.
The official list of the dead follows:
E. B. Livermore, New York Central
inspector Of Pullman cars.
Mary b. Pope.
c. McMarrow.
Patrick Jordan, track foreman
Thomas Stagg. watchman At pswsA
house.
John Ryan, clerk.
William Poetschke, Corona, l.. L
Edith Offner, stenographer.
Charles Roberts, clerk in Adams -
press Company.
The explosion which could be heard fop
many blocks. partly wrecked the fire
engine house nearby and prevented this
firemen from getting their apparatus into
the street.
Monsignors Lapette and Hayes and FAe
theirs OConnor, McQuade, Sinnot and
Byrnes Of ST. Patrick's Cathedral hurS
ried to the scene and administered the
last rites of the church to the more ssriA
ously injured.
At the post Office substation at 4vth
street and Madison avenue the explosion
slightly injured several clerks and threw
the mail all over the floor. In the New
York Nursery and Child's Hospital ceii-
ings were partly shaken down and the
windows broken, but fortunately none %
the 800 children was badly hurt
The power house, which Is built ID
stone and brick end six stories high. took
fire after the explosion and the interior
was practically burned out Just what
caused the double explosion may prob
ably never be known. Fortunately for
the thousands of commuters on the New
York Central lines, the force of the dyna-
mite blasts was directed In an opposite
direction from the railroad tracks, oth-
erwise the loaded incoming trains might
have been wrecked
Oficials of the New York Central rails
road learned that there were many work.
men in the building at the time Of the exc
plosion and that very few of these had
been accounted for.
Windows Are Blown In.
In the Bible teachers training school
on Lexington avenue directly opposite
the power house l25 men and womeu
who were on their way to breakfast were
thrown to the floor by the blast.
Many of the men and women were ins
hospitals. All the windows in the builds
ing were blown in and the ceilings fell.
The damage to the power house ana
other buildings has not been estimateds
but 1t was stated that il will likely
exceed SJOO,OOO
big boilers In the plant had given way
and that this in turn had caused a series
of explosions. Ambulances were sums
moned from several hospitals police re,
cor
gagged on the new Central terminal left
their work to assist in the rescue.
There was much excitement in the larSa
hotels In the vicinity Of the Grand Gene
trail station, as the force OF the explosion
ratified the windows. Traffic along the
line of the New York Central was pars
TALLY delayed by the explosion.
Company Issues Statement.
A statement issued from the Offices sf
the New York Central railroad at o20
o o'clock is as follows:
.At $40 o'clock this morning explos
sion occurred in an electric substatio4
building which furnishes power to the
thrd-rail system Of the New York Cen.
trail railroad. The substation is located
at 5Oth street, adjoining the tracks of the
railroad.
''The explosion was of great violence
and was Immediately followed by fire.
The, list OF the dead and injured will be
large 1t is not believed that the number
Of dead will exceed three. however. The
number of seriously injured will probably
reach twenty-four.
1.-The employees Of the railroad have bee0
unable thus far definitely to assign the
cause of the explosion, but II is believed
that q large quantity of dynamite stored
In magazines close to the substation Wa4
responsible for the greater part OF thA
damage.
.'The building was q solidly built struos
ture Of stone and brick. six stories In
height and about 80 feet long by 50 feet
wide.
Battery Room Completely Wrecked.
"The brunt of the explosion was taken
by the portion OF the building known ~
the battery rooms. which were completei9
wrecked. The walls Of the building fo4
the most part stood, but the partitions