The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-22
GAS IN TANK CARS DANGEROUS
RAILROAD IS ASKED TO nd IT'S
CHARGING ELsEW HERE.

Explosives Hoard suggests Mott Haven
Hasn't Found Cause sf Explosion
city 10 Have New Rules Regard
ING Some Csmbustibies. weigio Says.
The Municipal Explosives Commission.
which has been inv estigAfing the gas
explosion IN the transformer house in
the Grand Central yards that killed ten
persons last Monday. made its report
yesterday. II decided that the danger
did not lie i'm storing gas in tanks in the
city. but rather in bringing the gas In
tank cars through tunnels to the Grand
Central yards. IL recommended that
hereafter the New York Central officials
arrange to charge all their cars with gas
at Mott Hav en-. where they have plant.
or somew here outside OF the city.
This Recommendation IL approved by
tho Mayor has practically the power Of
an ordinance. Ii would eliminate the
use Of gas tanks 1.-THE leakage from which
ID supposed 20 have caused Mondays
explosion) for lighting cars in the Grand
Central terminal yards.
The commissions report sent 70 Fire
Commissioner Waldo follows:
In compliance with your request the
Municipal Explosives Commi ssion begs TO
report that its further examination intD the
explosion has disclosed no facts which
cause IL to modify or alter the opinion
expressed in its preliminary report. 10 the
effect that the damage was entirely due to
an explosion of Pintsch gas that had es-
capped from u broken pipe under high
pressure.
As TO the manner IN which this gas was
ixnted the commission has been unable
TO discover the specific cause
After an inspection OF the casing sys-
tenn of the New York Central Railroad at
the Grand Central Station and at Mott
Haven. as well a. OF the plant IL which the
gas Is manufactured at Port Morris. this
comm ission indicated 10 the officials Of the
railroad that /, will be necessary for them
TO arrange to gas all their cars n, Mott
Haven or some other point outside the
Borough of Manhattan. The danger in
this casing situation does not lie in the
fact that Pintsch gas IL any more infiam-
mab,e or explosive than ordinary Hunt
mating gas. but IN the pOss b,lIiy Of WRECK
Ing one OF the tank cars used IN Transporting
the gas through the PARK avenue tunnel
and the subsequent explosion Of the VOL
ume of gas thus released.
The explosion OF such o mass OF gas could
readily take place IN the tunnel. either from
lights or from the sCraring OF the contact
shoes th., tn ri rail
The comm ls-on has for some tune past
been consider the question Of the trans
portatton. storage. sale and Use NJ gases
under pressure IA the city Of New York. and
the new regulations covering this subject
will be Immediately completed and sent to
the Mayor for his approval
In regard 70 the last part Of the report
Fire Com 'lssioner Waldo said - err Law
thas he f. .na when he ca le INTO Office
that the res u.ai ions in reapert to COM
bustib.es and Pases under press ire anu
the like were ina.i..Iuate AMI out IL date
Inc sprinSiEy up OF count ,'Ass garages
all over the city had not been fnreseen
and there was no regulation co ering the
handling OF the newest CO NIB ustib 80 10
the Commissioner had a nels commission
OF eApiosi - appointed to draw UP such
regulations. and app lrcntIv Monda =
explosion has hurried them little
The Commissioner sSid thai Pintsch
Eas has never b.'.n liste - u cornbustibie
and that no special per nit for its Use hAs
been Required. lie sail thar rhe raiiroar
had, permits for storing Di.s that they
tsed 10 make the vas AZ Mott s.aven.
Little progress WAS maize in the inves,i-
cation ~ 10 the cause of the explosion
Yesterday. The railroad folks are sirtin,
up nights. ire Marshal Beers 10 having
an inquiry Of his Own. as - District At
torney whitman, and the Coroner il
waiting for the reports before he holds
an Inquest
The experts were wondering YESTERDAY
whether 'or not the accident could have
been overted ~ an 1riuy Of the valve
m the main that led from the three tanks
containing the gas. 1his valve IL near the
tanks and one of the investi gators said il
could have been reached IN the time that
A.IsO cubic feet Of gas WAS escaping. The
gauge IN the compressor house would
not indicate in which of the three tanks
the leakage was, but an engineer said
yesterday thar this could have been
ertained bv shutting OF the secondary
valves one by one until the dropping
pressure ceased.
James Lacombe. chief engineer for the
Department Of Water Supply. Gas and
Electricity said that airh 1ugh he hal
made no official investigation from what
he had learned by personal tigation
the 1900 feet Of escaped gas had spread
like a blanket over the surrounding
territory and that when II was set Of AZ
the transformer house II had the effect
OF fire damp.