New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-21
SIX PERSONS INJURED
BY BOILER EXPLOSION
Destruction of 20-Ton Affair in
Cold Storage Plant Rips Up
Sidewalk for Nearly Block.
ENGINEERS UNDER ARREST
Police Say New Men in Charge
Caused Bursting by Ignorant
Handling of Ammonia
Tank.

boiler weighing twenty tons, in the
plant Of the Greenwich Cold Storage
Company. at Nos. 402 and 404 Green
wich street, exploded shortly before mid
night last night and ripped up the side
walk for nearly a block. The heavy
! 1agstones were blown so high as to
strike the elevated structure, and pieces
of the metal from the boiler carried as
far as the tenement house at Nos. 39S
and 400 Greenwich street. and not few
ot the tenants were awakened from their
sleep by the disturbance.
The injured follow:
| BEHAN. Bridget: lacerated wound Of right ey.
| and possible internal injuries.
! BEHAN; William. three years old. cut ab,u
| BEHAN William. sr; probable internal in
jures
MURPHY. Daniel No. 27a4 Eighth avenue: lac
Grated right eye and possible internal IN
iures
WALLACE. George, No cs3 West 1asth street
laceration Of the right hip and possible in
ternal injuries
WARD Joseph. patrolman; fractured right leg
All of the injured persons were taken
to the Hudson Street Hospital and all OF
them were sent home later. except Pa
trolman Ward
The engineers have been accounted
for They are John Cavanaugh. of No.
of No. 300 West 1921 street Both were
locked up charged with criminal negli-
gence. The police say they are new men
in the building.
Another report was that the explosion
was caused by the bursting of an am
monia tank. The police say that the
two engineers did not understand the
ammonia tanks. and while trying to ex-
pertinent caused the explosion.
The sidewalk and street were SO badly
ripped up that it was feared that the
pillars Of the elevated railroad had be-
come loosened. II took an hour for in
spectors of the company to determine
that they were safe. and during that
time traffic was held up on the road.
The ammonia and gas fumes were so
nauseating that the fremen. who re-
sponded at once, had much difficulty in
getting around the building.
No. 406, the adjoining building on the
north side and standing at Hubert
street. is occupied by George Fieman.
teas and coffees. EXCEPT in the basement
whore there is wine cellar. Much dam
age was done to the wine cellar. on
the other corner Of Greenwich and HUI
bert streets, No. 40S Greenwich street
there is saloon kept by Thomas Lins-
key. Bricks were hurled by the force
Of the explosion through the saloon vim
dows and the saloon was wrecked.
No. 394, on the other side Of the stor-
age plant, is four story tenement
house. occupied by twelve families
thrown out Of bed.
The Behan family. the members Of
which were injured. lived across the
street from the scene of the explosion.
As result Of the explosion the water
mains broke, and for some time geysers
spouted into the air The gas mains
also were torn apart and a blaze started,
which leaped as high as the elevated
structure. The fremen on the scene
were powerless. and it was not unlil an
hour had passed that a gas company
crew arrived to fight the flames. The
firemen assisted in the work Of eXtin-
gushing the blaze by throwing a stream
of water. which served TO protect the
gas companys employees in their work.