Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-15
THREE WOMEN HURT
Scared by Explosion, They
Leap From Factory Windows.
ACCIDENT AT PAPER PLANT
Flaw in Steam Pipe Believed to Have
Caused Disaster-The
Injured.

A slight flaw on the inside of a steam
fitting on the second floor Of the building
of the District of Columbia Paper Com
pany, Potomac and K streets, is believed
to have caused an explosion yesterday
afternoon. The deafening noise and the
escaping steam greatly alarmed the per-
sons-15O in number-employed in the
building, and three frightened women
jumped from the second floor to the
street and were injured They reached
the windows and leaped out before the
men in the building could prevent it.
Others would have made a similar effort
to get from the panic-stricken crowd had
they not been restrained.
List Of the Injured.
The women who leaped and were in
jured are Mrs. Maggie Comasky, fifty
five years old. 1913 ~ street southwest:
Miss Matte Kidd. seventeen years. 1925
New Jersey avenue southeast, and Miss
Ethel Burrows. nineteen years, 1881 Cis-
sell court northwest.
Mrs. Comasky, who was the most Sc
riously injured, suffered a broken arm,
sprained ankle and slight bruises about
her body. Miss Burrows and Miss Kidd
received painful cuts and bruises, the for
mer cutting her left arm on the broken
glass and spraining her left wrist.
Police Capt. Schneider was among the
officers who responded to the alarm of
fire, and assisted in the removal Of the
three injured persons to Georgetown Uni
versity Hospital. 1t is said at the hospital
that none Of the injured ones was dan
gerously hurt, and that they would re-
cover, although Mrs. Comaskys broken
arm would cause her trouble for several
weeks.
Probable Cause of Explosion.
The explosion occurred in the dead end
of five-inch pipe. where, it is thought,
water had been trapped preventing the
steam from reaching the safety valve.
Boiler Inspector Frank Vermillion was
making an inspection at the plant at the
time, although he was not near the pipe
in which the explosion occurred.
New steam pipes we're recently installed
in the building. The pipe in which the
explosion occurred was connected directly
with the power plant and 1t carried a
heavy pressure of steam. Inspector YER
million made an examination OF the brok-
en- pipe and found a slight flaw in 1t.
D. A. Smith, general manager of the
factory, hurried to the assistance Of the
injured women. having them taken into
the building and given care until the po-
lice could convey them to the hospital.
MI. gave ulTeCllOUS IIdL IHey
should receive the best care possible.
Show Remarkable Nerve.
Capt. Schneider said that most of the
women employed in the building showed
remarkable nerve. They were apparent
ly not alarmed to any great extent. he
said. and fifteen minutes after the explo-
sion occurred many of them were back at
work.
Considerable excitement was caused in
the neighborhood Of the paper company
plant. residents Of that section hurrying
to the building and rendering their serv-
ices. The excitement was quickly over,
however, and as soon as the fire COM
panies left the scene there was nothing
to hold the spectators.
Miss Kidd and Miss Burrows left the
hospital yesterday afternoon shortly after
their injuries had been dressed. Mrs.
Camasky will remain several days.