New-York tribune., 1919-02-15
City Shaken by
Gas Explosions
Manhole Covers Blown Off
for Two Miles on Upper
Part of Lexington Avenue
Traffic Halted, II Hurt
One Lid Hits Forty-sccond
Street Car; Ambulances,
Nurses and Police Called

Exploding gas in sewers and con-
duits which blew manhole covers high
into the air shook the East Side for
two miles north of the Grand Central
Terminal at the rush hour last night.
dozen or more persons were injured
by the explosions or in the panlcs
which followed. Several shop windows
and numerous aparement house win
doWs weresmashed One flying lid hit
Forty-second Street car. The police
halted the cars on that thoroughfarc
for an hour at the height of the bonn
bardment.
The first explosion was at Lexing-
ton Avenue and Forty second Street
The corner was thronged. Taxicabs
and other vehicles edged their way
through the street in close formation
and streetcars were running at rush
hour Roadway.
The iron manhole cover was blown
through a window of the Manhattan
Storage and Warehouse Company Of
flee, and fgragment of the wreckagc
hit Joseph Clark, a bookkeeper, cutting
his scalp. A telephone message was
sent to the East Fifty-frst Street po-
lice station. The crowd in the street
was ponicky. Cries of "a bomb" ;"
were heard.
Reserves Called Out
Several reserves were rushed to the
spot, Before they arrived the fusil-
lade was under way To the north and
to the east it spread with laundering
rattle of detonations. The heavy iron
lids were blown sometimes twenty-five
feet into the air Many of them were
shovered into small fragments by the
fall.
On Forty-second Street and north
ward on Lexington and Third Avenues,
people huddlod in frightened groups,
which were augmented rapidly as those
in houses and shops ran out to see what
was the matter. Street cars were emp
tied of their passengers even while they
rolld along at fair sped and many of
those who received first aid treatment
at drug stores were hurt either in
alighting from the moving vehicles or
in the rush to escape. Fprs, gloves and
pocketbooks were left behind by the pas
sengers and some of them had their
clothing torn in the jams.
John Fogarty, conductor Of the cross
town car on which a manhole cover
scored direct hit. was thrown into
the street by the impact. His neck was
cut. More reserves were sent from the
EdSU oISI otTeeJ StdtlOn ana unOSo OF
the East 35th Street station were order
ed out.
Ambulances and Nurses Sent
Captain William +. Duggon, of the
Emergency Home Defence, sent three
ambulances with women nurses and
three more were sent by Bellevue Hos
pital
While the volleying manholes' thun-
der was spreading northward seven at
Fortysecond Street and Third Avenue
that were within radius of twenty
feet of each other, let 90 a tremendous
salvo. 1t was then the police halted
traffic on the street.
The explosions extended to Eighty
fourth Street. All of them occurred in
the blocks bounded by Third and Lex
lngton Avenues. The last cover to 20
soaring was at Eighty fourth Street
and Lexington Avenue. 1t was driven
through window of John Kyle's
flower shop.
Among those who received medical
attention were Benjamin Britzler. OF
AZ East Fifteenth Street; Michael
O'Day, of 339 East Twenty-ninth
Street; August Potter, of 661 Third
Avenue; Michael France. Of 223 Bow
cry; Agnes Ravello, of 80 East Forty
second Street; May Warsanski, of 1902
First Avenue, and Michael Shea, of 161
Avenue A.