The evening world., 1922-07-25
SISTER RISKS LIFE
TO SAVE BABY IN
BRONX EXPLOSION
Lifts Little Brother From Man
hole Cover as Blast Hurts
1t in Air.
LIGHT ARE INJURED.
Child Blown From Carriage-
Neighborhood in Terror
as Reserves Arrive.

Margaret Whitley, fifteen. No. 1oa8
Washington Avenue, the Bronx, had
been keeping a watchful eye on her
thrcc-year- stepbrothcr, Billy Fog
arty. who had been bouncing ball at
169th Street and Third Avenue last
night, but suddenly she missed him
Margaret looked anxiousy up and
down the street. She spied Billy chas-
ing his ball down the asphalt road
way. She saw the ball stop on a man p
hole cover. She saw Billy reach tor
it. She started toward him and saw,
too, the manhole cover rising aud fall-
ing as If it were the top of steaming
Kettle. She heard a kissing sound
coming from the sewer.
She knew what that kissing sound
meant and, regardless of the danger
70 herself Margaret ran harder toward
the child. She took him quickly into
her arms and turned her back on the
man"ole cover. She had taken one or
two steps toward the curb when a
terr &c eNplnsIor followed
The manhole cover shot into the
air A great burst of blue flame
swept from the oporins N tho street
and mushrOomed about II, subsiding
almost instantly, bU, during its brief
activity it burned Margaret. her step.
brother Rilly and six other persons.
Two-year- old Helen Siedner, who
was being wheeled in a carriage by
her mother, Mrs. Kate Siedner Of
No. 1861 Third Avenue, was blown
from her cart halfway across the
street. The child was only slightly
burned. but her mother was burned
painfully about the arms and face.
The others burned were Anna Sled
ner No. 20lO Seventh Avenue: Max
Bores, No. 1245 Washington Avenue.
the Bronx: Israel Benson, No. 1927
Boston Road. the Bronx. and Sylvia
Cohen. twelve. No. 1851 Third Ave
nue..
All were taken to Lincoln Hospi-
tai, but this morning the only ones
remaining there for continued treat
ment were Margaret and little Billy.
Billy had been struck also by a
piece of flying metal and Margaret's
burns about her body were painful
but not serious.
HooASNtlllN lbASll ~ <ANlOl llCJ iQulBlGS
OF the Bronx, il was announced. will
make an investigation of the explo-
sion, which caused terror throughout
the neighborhood. The force of 1t set
off a fire alarm at 169th Street and
Franklin Avenue and extinguished the
lights in the Bronx Hospital, at l69th
Street and Fulton Avenue.
Some one telephoned to Lincoln
Hospital. which sent three ambu-
lances, and to the Morrisanla Police
Station, from which the reserves were
sent.
The policemen, the physicians and
the firemen found the eight injured
people lying half unconscious in the
street.
Mrs. Siedner was the first to rouse
herself. She hardly realized she had
been burned and started frantically to
search for her baby. She staggered
across the street and almost collided
with a stranger who had picked up
the child almost from beneath the
wheels of a trolley car and was hunt
ing for a doctor 10 care for IL,
Little Billy and Margaret were
found closest to the manhole opening
lying prone on the ground, Margars,
with her body completely shelterins
his.
The plocie stated the explosion wa
caused by a short circuit which first
developed in lG6th Street and Third
Avenue and travelled north. They
thought IT likely that the explosion
at l69th Street set fire to the gas
mains or the sewer gas.
Patrolman James McGannon OF the
Bathgate Avenue Station SAID that
just a few minutes before the explo-
sion he saw an employee of the New
York Edison Company trying TO re-
pair an arc light near the mnnhole
and then give up the job. remark
ing; This needs more than can
do for IT,"
GEN. MAiSTHE DIES ~ PARfS,
PARIS, July 25.-Grn, MAESTRO. com
mandor OF ii group Of armies at the .-o.
ond battle OF tho Marne. and llsson