Evening star., 1948-07-26
CauseSought
In Buckingham
Kitchen Blast
Woman Badly Burned
As Explosion Rips Out
Wall of Apartment
(Picture on Page A-4.)

Arlington authorities today were
seeking the cause of q mysterious
Sunday afternoon blast which criti-
cally injured woman resident of
Buckingham Community and badly
damaged her apartment and one
adjoining it.
The blast, which rocked surround
ing buildings in the large develop
ment, occurred few minutes before
4 O'Clock in the kitchen of an apart
ment at 349 North Glebe road, burn
ing Miss Esther Williams, 43, an
Army Department employe.
Miss Williams, who was clad in
shorts and halter, was burned over
most of her body and her face. She
was taken to Arlington Hospital,
where physicians worked over her
in the emergency room for almost
three hours. Her condition was de-
scribed as critical.
Arlington police said Miss Will
liams told them the explosion oc-
Cured as she started to light the gas
range
Neighbors rushed to the scene as
the explosion shattered the after
noon quiet, helped Miss Williams
from the kitchen and extinguished
the fire which followed the blast.
Nurse Helps Put Out Fire.
Royal E. Rostenbach, 319 North
Quincy street, and Mrs. Gene Wor-
ley, wife of Representative Worley,
Democrat, of Texas, were credited
by others with helping the injured
woman from the apartment.
A registered nurse, Mrs. William
j. Leen, 319 North Quincy street,
helped Mr.. Rostenbach and Mrs.
Worley extinguish the flames which |
set fire to the victims attire. They
rolled her in blanket furnished
by another neighbor.
DR.. ]. B. Leary, 3l07 Columbia
pike, Arlington, who was driving
along Glebe road when the explo-
sion occurred, gave first aid.
Among those who were first
to reach the apartment were Mrs.
r. M. Gillis, Mr.. and Mrs. Stanley
Field, Mrs. Rostenbach and Gordon
L, Kluge, all of Buckingham.
Blast Knocks Out Wall.
The blast knocked out the wall
between the kitchen of Miss Will
liams' apartment and that Of Mrs.
Eleanor NJ Whitehead, as we'll as
the rear door and window of the
Williams apartment and a section
of tile and concrete wall under the
window. 1t also cracked the wall
over the kitchen sink, blew of the
door between the kitchen and the
living room and smashed the living
room windows.
Fire broke out in a broom closet
and also ignited materials on the
kitchen counters. The building was
not damaged by fire. Neighbors
formed bucket brigade and extin-
guished the flames. They were COM
mended by Deputy County Fire
Chief Percy Finisecy, who declared
they did an excellent job" and had
the fire out when firemen arrived.
Mrs. Whitehead and her two
children, William, 7, and Patricia, s..
were in a nearby theater when the
blast occurred.
Neighbor Smelled Gas.
Later, Mrs. Whitehead, whose
husband Is an Army major on duty
In Japan, told reporters she smelled
gas as she was leaving her apart
ment about o'clock and stopped
to check the pilot light of her
kitchen range. Finding it all right,
she went on to the movie.
William K. MacMahon, manager
of the Rosslyn Gas Co., said tests
made by his workmen indicated |!
that the natural gas furnished by
the company was not the cause Of
the explosion. He said workmen
found no leaks in the ranges or gas
pipes In either apartment.
No one was home in the apart
ment directly above the Williams
apartment, but Mrs William F..
Hoppe, who lives in the apartment
over the Whiteheads, said, Il
thought an airplane had hit the
roof"
Mrs. Hoppe, who was in her kitch-
en- at the time, said she thought
the roof was going ito fail in" Mr..
Hoppe was mapping in the living
room and thought the noise which
awakened him was caused by an
automobile accident.
Police said the injured woman is
the daughter of Mrs. Mary T. Will
liams of Dunellen, N. j., who was
notified by telegram.