The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-12-23

bile, Crushing Out he
Four-1OOo Shaken Up by Detons'
ton.
Nine persons lost their lives, 200 9TH .
ers we're injured, many OF them not \
seriously. and 1000 or more were snaN-
on M in New York in an explosion OF
ear lighting gas tanks and dynamite
The explosion occurred in the ne"
six-story power station Of the New
York Central railroad under course OF
construction at Fiftieth street and Lex
ineton avenue. The power house TOOK
Ere after the explosion and the IN
terror was practically burned out.
On a technical charge Of homicide
the police took into custody Albert
Segaratt, motorman Of a train Which
bumped into and broke one Of the gas
pines near the sub-station. This acci-
dent ~ blamed by New York Central
officials for the explosion.
Seearaut said he tried TO stop me
train with his brakes and reversing
levers. but could not do so. The eAplo-
sion occurred twenty-seyen minutes al
terward.
The dynamite explosion picked up a
northbound trolley car, carrying about
& dozen high school students. lifted II
in the air and sent it crashing down
unon an automobile which was passing
along the other side of the street. -Four
of the passengers were killed and ey-
ervone in the car was injured. One oil
the passengers killed was a woman.
what became of the chauffeur and
occupants of the automobile, II any,
could not be determined. The body oil
man found on the sidewalk nearby
was believed to be that Of the chaut-
feur.
Ceilings and windows in hospitals
schools and apartment houses Tor
many squares about were shattered
by the explosion, which caused IN
Vulnerable minor hurts Of workmen
and persons in the affected territory
Fire Chief Croker says that in his
opinion the first explosion was that OF
lighting gas and the second explosion
that OF a hundred weight OF dynamic
that lay within flty feet of the gas
tank.
The windows of all the buildings
overlooking the excavation were shat
tered; walls we're smoke-blackened,
and in many cases cracked and riven;
a cloud of smoke hung over the scene;
bodies were scattered here and there,
and there was the incessant clatter OF
ambulance gongs The Grand Central
cut looked as If a battle had been
fought in It,
Clamoring hundreds besieged the
Fiftv-frst street police station, where
the dead were taken. There were many
piteous scenes as the identifiCations
were made. The police had all they
could do to calm anxious mothers,
wives and relations of persons who
were thought TO have been IN the VI
cinity at the time OF the disaster
Fortunately for the thousands OF
commuters on the New York Central
lines. the force OF the dynamite blasts
was directed in an opposite direction
from the railroad tracks. otherwise the
loaded incoming trains might have
been wrecked.
The damage to the power house and
other buildings has not been estimat-
ed. but it was stated that 1t Will likely
exceed 100000.
ington avenue when the shock came
Just ahead of him a girl was killed.
onesof her legs being blown off, while
Toomey himself was blown across the
street and his uniform almost com
pletely torn from him. He got up and
was starting 10 help in the rescue
work. when he fell unconscious.
A gang of more than fifty bricklay
ers sixty feet TO the air on the big
power building near the scene OF the
explosion. bad a remarkable escape
from death OF serious injury. An ain
cushion formed by the explosion be
low. hoisted up the big scaflold Oh
which they were working, tilted in
wardly and tossed the men over the
wall they were building and upon q
firm scanolding on the inside Only one
man of the gang was injured and h'
only slightly.
One woman in the wrecked TROLLEY
car had her hair caught and held in
firm grip between jammed portions O
the wreckage she had tainted anC
could not be lifted out Hoffman, fire
man, took his penknife and while
fellow fireman adjusted the hair 81
that the woman would be caused tn
least possible pain. Hoffman hacked of
the coil. The woman was released ant
taken 10 a hospital. where she wa
found TO be only slightly hurt. TIT
long coil Of hair is at the fire hous
awaiting its owner.
A little school girl was about 10 en-
ter a candy store on Fifty-frst stree
IL.