New-York tribune., 1922-05-20
Rlast in Laboratory Kills
Student, Carpenter Next
Door and Injuries Men
IN Classroom Above
Rims Catch Fire
As Panic Prevails
Nearby Buildings Dam
AGED; Liquid Air and He.
Observation-Disclosures
,.e.a, DAsootcs to The Tvtoan,

fetesnl Dtspotck to The Tribune
rAHBRIDGE, Mass. May 19.-Two
90, we're killed and seven others were
..-;eu.Iy injured when an explosion
wrecked the center of the basement of
~. Jefferson physical laboratory at
usryard University in Cam bridge late
:sis afternoon.
those killed were: Atherton X. Dun
s,-. a research fellow in cryogenic
s-rineering al the university. and Will
Ism Connell, 4 carpenter employed in
tie building.
Dunbar was experimenting with
l,5uid air, IT was said, and this caused
he explosion.
The injured, who were taken to Cam
bridge hospitals, include: Paul l.. Nor
.on, Of Orient Heights, suffering from
broken leg; Instructor Paul L.
Hoover, contusions on the face and
aesd; Henry Reif. of 103 Park Ave
sgs, New York; David Cohan, of Rox-.
bury. Mass; Instructor Paul Harvey.
si Rathdrum, Idaho, internal injuries;
Instructor Barnett Dodge, Of Newton
sile, and Eugene Solow, of Salem.
Reiff and Solow were members of the
freshman class and roommatcs in
Persis Smith Hall. Reiff had a frac-
:ured ankle and Solow compound
fracture which necessitated an opera
ter to save his right foot.
Denies Liquid Air Exploded
Although the university authorities
sselare that an explosion of liquid
air tank was responsible. Professor
frederick A. Saunders, of the depart
nent OF physics, said tonight that
tere was no liquid air in the basement
pom in which Dunbar vas experi
Nnting.
The university zuthorities' state
can't, given without the thorough in
nat CATION which will be made to-
norrov- by Professor Theodore Lyman.
Director of the observatory, declared,
however, that the explosion was due to
The blowing UP Of liquid air tank on
which Dunbar was experimenting, and
that the explosion is said to have
heated some oxygen tanks in the
vicinity, which also exploded.
Danbar's body was literally torn to
pieces. The explosion forced out the
salls Of the room where he was work
ng and killed Connell, who was in the
rext room. The central portion of the
basement was wrecked and a neighbor-
lns wooden building demolished.
Directly above the laboratory was an
elementary class in physics conducted
by Paul L. Hoover 1t was here that
me toll OF minor injuries was OBJ
tanned.
Fire Breaks Out in Ruins
Fire broke out IN the ruins immedi-
ately after the explosion. The fire de-
partment was called out and the appa-
ratus from the Brattle Square station
arrived on the scene and extinguished
the blaze quickly.
The law school library in Langdel
Hall also was damaged and all the win
dows in the radio building we're broken.
President Emeritus Charles ". Eliot.
who vas nearby, went over to the
scene. The police, who were rushed to
the spot. threw line around the build
lng to hold the crowd back.
laurence B. Cummings, of Brook
line, student in the physics depart
ment, when the explosion occurred.
said: Suddenly there was a deafen-
ing roar The floor was hurled up. A
motor on table or which we we're
experimenting was blown into the air.
Inc windows were shattered and books
vent flying.
The men in the class ,eaped for
eAiss, with the room filed with debris,
*pilnters, papers. smoke and gas. Sew
efai OF the men fell to the floor, seri-
oasiy hurt. One fellow cried, MY legs
are brokenN There must have been
iouf or five fellows of our twenty
Continued next pase)