The New York herald., 1921-09-17
FUMES OF AMMONIA
R0U7 5,0O0SLEEPING
TENANTS FROM BEDS
More Than 1000 Choked by
Gas Restored by First
Aid Methods.
SIX BLOCKS AFFECTED
SIX BLOCKS AFFECTED
Sixty Persons Treated in
Hospitals = Patr0lman
Dickie Badly Burned.
FIREMEN ARE OVERCOME
Cylinder Head Blows Out at
Knickerbocker Ice Plant,
Avenue A and 10th st.

The cylinder head of Ice machine
NO OF the hnickerbocker Ice Com
pany's plant at Avenue A and Seven
tieth street blew off last night at 40
O'Clock under the pressure of $50
pounds of steam. and released more
than 100000 cubic feet OF ammoni,.
gas, formed from 1000 pounds of
liquid ammonia. The fumes of the
ammonia seeped into tenements within
a radius Of half a dozen blocks, driv-
ing more than 5000 persons from their
homes and injuring 1000 OF them SO
seriously that they had to be treated
by twenty ambulance surgeons.
All the injured were able to move
at once out of the danger zone after
they had been treated with the ex-
ception of sixty who did not respond
at once to the emergency treatment.
These were rushed to hospitals. prin-
cipally to Flower Hospital, for further
treatment. Within two hours after
the explosion, however, all had re-
turned home excepting Patrolman
Peter Dickey of the Arsenal station,
who is still in Flower Hospital in a
serious condition. Patrolman Dickey
collapsed from suffocation and burns
after he had gone through the tene-
ments without a mask and carried
a score or more of women and chill
dren to the first aid station estab-
lished by the surgeons.
Excitement IL Tremendous.
The district affected by the fumes Or
nue A to Exterior avenue. west to Third
avenue and north and south to about
Seventy-third and Slxty-seventh streets.
Virtually every tenement In that section.
housing many thousands of persons. was
cmptied by firemen and policemen. who.
wearing masks furnished by the Fire
Departments rescue squads, went
through the house, banging on doors
with their nlghtsticks and warning the
old women were carried out by the fire.
men and the patrolmcn. as well as hun
dreds of babies too young TO walk down
the stairs or descend the fire escapes
The population of this district Is largely
foreign, and the excitement was tremen-
dous
Few of the people affected knew what
It was that burned throats and made
their eyes swell shut with pain. They.
- "a. -.x1
like squirrels down the fire escapes,
most of them In their nightclothing, but
hundreds carrying their belongings. In
til the policemen put stop to 1t the
streets were piled high with bedding and
pieces OF furniture. and crowds Of
frightened persons huddled together or
ran shrieking about, tearing at their
burning throats and crying for help. The
the reserves Of the East
Sixty-seventh street station-fnally
herded them into long lines and marched
them to Sixty-nlnth street and Avenue
A, where eleven ambulances stood wait
ing. the surgeons having established
first aid station.
Scare Lasted Two Hours.
There the doctors gave them soothing
drinks for their burning throats and
dressings for their bodies. Then those
that were not seriously affected were
sent on toward Second and Third ave-
nucs beyond the police lines. while those
whose suffering was intense or who
complained of pains after the emer-
8 gancy treatment were bundled into
and hurried TO hospitals.
Within two hours after the explosion
startled the nelghborhood and sent the
fumes OF the ammonia sweeping into the
tcnements the flow OF gas had been
cut off, the injured had been treated.
and the entire population OF the district
was marching back into their homes be-
tween lines OF policemen and firemen.
burned and sore. but still
or 5uty.
The Ice machine from which the CYL
inder head blew off was on the around
floor Of the ice company's plant. Along
side II, working on machine No. 8,
was an oiler. Steve Pupchyck OF ii3
East Scventieth street. At the Instant
Of the explosion this man realized what
had happened and he icaped forward
to try 10 shut Off the flow Of ammonia
which the blowing out of the cylinder
head had released. He failed bt1aust
the gas came up in such huge quantities
and he staggered back. blinded. burned
and choking, and managed 20 make his
way into the street. There A policeman
Continued on ktvyb poa1