New Britain herald., 1926-08-17
Caught in Cloud of Hot Vapor After Making Night Repair Job at Main Factory
Frank Runt of Berlin and Ray Theide and John Paquin of This City Res cued by William Pierson and Alfred Champagny. 100 POUND PRESSURE
 FORCES OPEN PIPE

While three men lie critically burned, at New Britain General hos l pital as the result of the breaking of five inch pipe from which a volume of steam shot out and cover ed their bodies with soaring injur- les last night at the Landers. Frary and Clark factory. efforts were being made to determine &C., curately the cause of the accident but this afternoon, Vice. president Joseph F. Lamb said only theories had been arrived at.
 Frank Runt, aged S5, of Berlin: Raymond Theide, aged 21, of 66 City avenue; John Paquin, aged 30, of 10S Seymour street. and William Pierson, aged 4S, of 6S Linden street, employees at the factory, were standing in the stair tower near the tunnel which runs under the roadway on East Main street to the administration building at the corner of Center and East Main streets, about 10 o'clock, after they iliu lCP1lIC u ltcth III tut SltdIn pipe.
 Alfred Champagny of IT Dwight street had turned on the steam from the boiler house a few hun dred feet away and as the pressure gauge recorded 100 pounds, he heard noise as if an explosion had occurred. Hastily he shut off the steam and went to the stair tower. where a ghastly sight confronted him.
 Thrown 100 Feet
 Thrown almost 100 feet by the force of the escaping steam. from the point where the break occurred, were the injured men. All but Pier son were horribly burned. Runt was scalded from his waist to his face and Theide and Paquin were also painfully scalded. Their condition this afternoon at the hospital was said to be very critical. Their re- covery is problematical.
 According to Vice President Lamb, the ''T' pipe gave way un- der the heavy steam pressure. Pierson, he said, was saved from the fate of his companions by a door leading into the stair tower. The fact that the door was not in place undoubtedly saved the quar- tet from probably the most horri- ble death ever to claim victims in this city, MT. Lamb said. Had the door been closed, there would have been no outlet for the steam and the men would not have been alive three minutes after the break, he said. They probably would not have known what happened to them.
 Bursting Pipe Blamed
 MT. Lamb and others in au- thority at the plant spent the greater part of the day investigat- ing the accident. Insurance en- gineers were also at the factory and went over the entire ground, yet no explanation of the break can be definitely made. It is pos sible, Mr. Lamb said, that in re- pairing the leak. the men broke a flange. The casting which gave way appears to have ben strong and flawless. The joints were securely fastened and did not give way. Mr Lamb said. It was the pipe itself that broke.
 MT. Plerson. who is foreman of the night watchmen, discovered the leak early in the evening, and Runt, Paquin, Theide and Cham pagny were summoned to make repairs. Runt is foreman of the plumbing department and the others are plumbers. They worked until after o'clock and after re- pairing the leak. tested the pipe.
 Victims Have Fighting Chance
 MT. Lamb said today that the force of the steam was divided between the outlet offered by the open door. and the human target. Although the men are terribly burned. they have a fighting chance for their lives, which they would not have had but for Champagny's presence of mind and quick action in shutting off the steam the in- stant he heard the noise.
 Lieutenant Samuel Bamforth, at police Headquarters, received a re- quest for the ambulance about 1o:3o o'clock. He notified New Britain General hospital and the injured men were given immediate treat ment. Pierson's burns while pain ful, are not serious.
 Officials of the manufacturing company visited the hospital soon after the accident. They expressed concern over the condition over the condition of the victims and ordered that everything possible be done for them.
 The injured men are we'll known locally. All have been in the em- ploy of the concern a long time. Champagny. who is credited with excellent judgment in turning off the steam at once. served five years overseas with the Canadian armyr