Evening star., 1946-01-07
Blast That Killed
Man, Razed Gas
Station Probed
Three Persons Hurt,
Glass in Southeast
Homes Shattered -

0l0Ss IN Southeast
Homes Shattered
Fire Marshal Raymond Rob-
erts and District Building In
spector John w. Oehmann today
were investigating an explosion
which flattened the Mattingly
Bros. filling station at First and
Atlantic streets Sc. yesterday
afternoon, killing one man and
seriously injuring three others.
The blast, which police said, oc-
CURED at 4:29 pm, shattered win-
dows in homes and stores within
a radius of several blocks. The shock
was felt more than two miles away.
Leo Mattingly. 81, of 200 Missis-
sippi avenue Sc, one of the pro-
prietors, died at Casualty Hospital
of his injuries at 6 pm. yesterday.
He suffered shock, lacerations of
the head and a fractured right leg.
Co-owner Is Injured.
Francis Mattingly, rs, brother Of
the dead man and co-owner of the
station, is in Casualty Hospital with
multiple cuts and bruises aud srf-
fering from shock. A discharged
Marine, he lives at 1891 First street
Sc.
Navy Warrant Oficer william
Pick of 1890 First street S.E. was
taken to the Navy Dispensary at
Bellevue Research Laboratory in ar,
Army jeep. He is in undetermined
condition with multiple cuts and
bruises to the head, arms, legs and
back
James De Stefano, 80, of gil Tenth
street Sc, was treated at Casualty
Hospital for a broken left leg, pos
sible fractures Of the left shoulder
and right forearm and head cuts.
His condition is said to be serious.
Both Mr.. De Stefano and Mr.. Pick
were customers.
The station had 10 underground
gasoline tanks, none of which ex-
ploded. Firemen said they believed
gasoline fumes seeping into the
basement were ignited by a spark
from the motor of an air COM
preSsor.
Empty Of Customers.
An even worse tragedy was pre-
vented, according to police, be-
cause the station was practically
empty of customers when the ex-
plosion occurred The station had
been jammed with motorists most
of the day, neighbors said.
Thousands of Southeast residents
were alarmed by the blast and the
cloud of black smoke which hung
over the area afterward Many
thought the Navy powder maga-
zine at Bellevue had blown up. Po-
lice received a number of calls. At
Boiling Field, miles away, officers
said buildings shook and windows
ratified. The noise caused many to
fear that the blast was on the field
Police reserves from the fourth
fifth and ninth precincts aidec
eleventh precinct officers. Fire
equipment was called to widely scat
tered parts of the city but the ex-
plosion was not followed by fire.
Area residents were puzzled by
the fact that these living closer to
the filling station did not feel the
shock as much as persons a distance
from the scene.
Wires Are Guarded.
Guards were placed over high
tension wires blown down by the
explosion, and military police as
sisted policemen in handling the
crowd which gathered within few
minutes of the blast.
Inspectors from the Washington
Gas Light Co. were on the scene
but could not discover any illuminat.
ing gas connections in the build
ing. nor did their records disclose
any. Potomac Electric Power Co
workmen cut away high tension
wires hanging dangerously near the
crowd Telephone workers removed
/ telephone lines.
Rescue workers continued to dis
in the ruins more than four hours
later, but a thorough check of nearby
residents indicated only four mer
were on the premises when the ex.
plosion occurred.
| A small truck parked over the oil
pit, panel truck and two automo.
biles in the driveway were wrecked
Although glass was broken in home,
many blocks away, glass was dam
aged in only one of the six ga
pumps.
4 Albert Dennison, of 3937 Fourth
street Sc. was originally listed as ;
casualty because his car-driven b,
. his brother-in- -law-was seen in thl
station little while before tn,
tragedy occurred. When polio,
came to his home to report his be
ing injured, Mr.. Dennison met then
at the door. He is a former EN-
Iploye at the filling station
Heard Sudden Boom.
The alarm that summoned fire
fighters was turned in by Rudolph
Becker. who lives above his grocer,
store diagonally across the stree
from the wrecked station.
He gave this account of the blast
Il heard a sudden, dull boom, ant
then there was a terrific flash o.
light, and then I heard the sounc
of broken glass from the Windows
falling.
Il rushed to the stairway to see Il
my wife was all right. then I hur.
ried out the front door
"The station was gone.
pieces of wood and brick were
falling all around me, and risins
from the spot where the station hac
been was a great cloud of black
smoke. Everybody in the neighbor.
hood felt the shock.
II rushed across the street to the
station. There were two men lying
on the ground. I went to help one
and he told me to wait until an am.
bulance came. He said his leg was
broken and he was afraid his back
was hurt"
Leo Mattingly was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. zack Mattingly of Comp.
ton, Md In addition to Francis, hi