Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-12-23
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Illuminating Gas Wrecks Power
House,

House.
New York, Dec. 2O.-Searching in.
quiry by three municipal departments,
the coroner, the district attorneys office
and the fire department. failed today to
throw any new light on the direct cause
of the explosion yester day in the power
sub-station of the Grand Central station,
which resulted in the death OF 10 per-
sons, the injury of more than hundred
others and property damage estimated
at $4,000 600. Each investigation was
conducted independently; dozens of wit
nesses were examined; every inch of
ground about the scence was explored
again and again, yet 80 far as can be
told no Roadway was made toward fixing
the blame for the disaster.
District Attorney Whitman said to-
night
"As yet, there is 10 evidence in my
possession, which justifies the making of
any arrest or the preferring of any
criminal negligence. 1 expect to engage
the services of the best experts obtains-
BILE to determine, il possible, just how
the explosion took place. II explosives
were improperly stored or illegally
kept npon the premises. there is a viola
ton OF law and it is the duty of the dis
trict attorney to bring it to the attention
Of the jury.
An examination of buildings in the
vicinity of the explosion was begun by
the building department today. OF the
structures inspected, it was found nee.
essary to shore up only one. In this
structure crack was found in the walls
extending from roof to cellar. All build
ings in the direct vicinity will be ex.
amined.
The unidentified body removed from
the ruins yesterday has been identified
as that of Frank j. Maggie, a plumbers
helper. This completes the list Of the
dead at 10. No additional bodies were
found in the ruins today.
Although the exact source of the dis
aster has not been determined, it may
be found that handful of sand or the
different placing of timber pile would
have prevented the catastrophe. 1t is
generally conceded that the first cause
of the upheavel was runaway train
of electric cars in the central cut near
Fiftieth street and Lexington avenue
that crashed over bumper against the
power house, broke a feed pipe and
caused large quantity of gas to ac-
cumulate in the power house basement.
This was detonated possibly by an
electric spark from short circuit. The
motorman of the train, Albert Sea-
graft, was unable to stop the cars in
time to avoid their disastrous crash into
the bumper. The whole trouble may
be decided to have been due to slippery
rails or to some apparently trivial cause
Investigation by Coroner Holtzhauser
and the other authorities who are max
ing independent inquiries is proceeding
with a view to developing the circum-
stances of the first break in the feed pipe,
the time which elapsed between the
rupture and the explosion, the preven-
tive means to avert an explosion and all
other details
The streets in the devastated area
looked somewhat less like a battle
ground or the scene of an earthquake
today, but evidences of the explosions
terrific force were still visible far and
wide.
1t is estimated by the police that
nearly 300 persons received some sort of
injury. Half dozen additional cases
were reported today, those injured re-
ceiving small cuts which had been treat
ed by physicians. The authorities be-
lieve that the number of deaths will not
go over eleven. Ten are known to be
dead.
Workmen were given a scare this
morning when there was an explosion IN
the wreckage. This was due to guam
tity of gas and the shock knocked down
two Italian laborers nearby who were
working in the debris. They were not
hurt.