New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-29
HURTS5
Brewery Explosion Hurls Dying
Man to Jacob Ruppert'S Feet.
WERE TESTING NEW FLUID
Kenlon Leads Men Through
Deadly Fumes in Engine House
and Closes Valves.

Suffocating ammonia fumes hung heaVy
in the air for half dozen blocks yesIeluaS
afternoon an hour after an explosion III
the engine house of the JACOB hupper'
Brewery, Third avenue and East ga street
which killed one man and Injured hVe otn-
srs. three OF them seriously. typewriter
girl in the Office of the brewery across the
way was thrown into series OF fainting
SMELLS by the explosion, from which she
was with difficulty revived by Or. Copp, OF
the Reception Hospital She is Alice Blatz'
Of No. l72 East 92d street. A list OF the
dead and injured follows:
DEAD.
TABER. Max No. 2Oi East Goth street assist
ant engineer.
BADRo. Bernard. No. 2s5 Wooster street;
bruises of left arm: treated by Dr. BARI OF
Reception Hospital home
BECHT, John No. 3OS East oath street; cuts
on face and neck; treated by DIR. Barr
home.
HOCH. Otto. No East s4th street; taken In
Unconscious condition TO German Hos,
pital by friend. Frank Wagner OF NO oZf
East 6Sth street.
OBERST. Christ. No 3O7 East oath street; cuts
on tongue and injury Of lungs from nhahns
fumes German Hospital.
PARSONS. W. f.. No. SIS De Graw avenue,
Newark. scalp WOUNDS ana INJURY OF lungs
from inhaling fumes; German Hospital
The explosion occurred at $40 O'Clock
from the blowing out Of the head OF
COMPRISING cylinder on the first floor or
the engine house II was thirty minutes
later before the supply Of the volatile fluid
was cut off by Fire Chief Kenlon and
three Of his aids, who followed him into
the deadly building Several hours elapsed
after that before the fumes had escaped
sufficiently to allow a thorough inspection
Of the damage.
The man who was killed was one Of
group Of engineers who at the moment Of
the explosion was testing the ammonia
mixture a supply OF new liquid having
recently been run into the pipes. When
the cylinder head blew off his companions
made 'or the door. and succeeded in effect
Ing their escape before the fumes exploded.
He. however was caught in the explosion
and was blown through the front door OF
the engine house landing on the sidewalk
almost at the feet OF Jacob Rupert. owner
Of the brewery. who happened 10 be coming
along 92d street az the time
Mr. Rupert explained that an appreci-
able period followed the blowing out OF
the cylinder head and the explosion OF
TIE gases So released. allowing most Of the
men to reach a place Of safety
The direct cause Of the explosion, he said
was the mixing Of the sweeping fumes
with the heated air Of the engine room,
until the confined space could no longer
Withstand their expansion. What caused
the cylinder head 10 blow out, he said,
would never be known. II might have been
due to a leak or 10 too great pressure or
to numerous other causes.
Patroman John Hayden Of the East Sth
street station. sent I'm IRE alarm, which
brought Acting Battalion Chief Michael
Rudy 10 tho scene with his command.
The pulling Of one hrebox three times in
quick succession and Of another twice
told chief Konlor. at headquarters. in East
s7th street. that something unusual was up.
and he arrived soon after An effort was
made Ia send men into the 92d street wing
Of the building. where the explosion &C
Cured with smoke masks on and ropes
around their bodies I'm case they were over
come.
Tho chief then turned his attention to the
Third avenue side and I'm company with
Chief Rudy. Engineer Rankin and Fire
man Blessing. entered the cellar and sue
Ceeded I'm closing the six supply valves
there Rankin went In wearing a smoke
mask. but came out minus It. He said the
fumes CONCEALED on the glass and pre-
vented him from seeing The four men had
dash ~ rs feet through the escaping
fumes. while the indicator registered a
pressure OF l20 pounds
Parsons and Oberst. among the injured,
were among those testing the ammonia
when the cylinder head blew out The
fumes which they inhaled left them in a
serious condition, but II was said at the
hospital last night that they probably
would recover