Evening star., 1948-06-16
New Manho|e Blasts
Occur as Workmen
Repair Earlier Damage

Two manhole covers were blown
out today in minor explosions two
miles apart, one of them indirectly
connected with series of explosions
msterday along Benning road NE
and at the Benning plant of the
P0tomac Electric Power Co.
Fire engine companies were sent
TO each of the explosions today, at
Nineteenth street and Benning road
NE. and New Jersey avenue and
M street Sc. In both cases smoke,
but no fire, was reported and no one
was injured.
@Pepco reported the Benning street
explosion occurred as workmen were
splicing a cable in repairing the
break made yesterday. The second
blast today was not related, but
WAS due to a local distribution
failure, it was said.
Pepco Employe Burned.
One Pepco employe was burned
electric current in Gallinger Hos
pital and several other buildings
disrupted and power was briefly cut
off in other areas as a result OF
Yesterdays explosions shortly after
/ pm.
Manhole covers were blown several
feet into the air along Benning
road and in the area of Thirteenth
street and Florida avenue NE. Wit
nesses saw flames shooting from the
holes and three of them turned in
fire alarms.
The first explosion yesterday oc-
Cured in a reactor on the second
floor of the Benning plants west
wing.
Short Circuit Blamed.
Pepco officials said a short circuit
In the device, huge wire coils which
act as a cushion for 10000 volts Of
current being sent into feeder lines,
caused the explosion.
Flames shot out from the re-
actor, but soon were brought under
control. No one was working near
the reactor at the time. but the
conclusion was heavy enough to
lift a book so feet away and send
It across the room.
Hammond L. Odor, 38, OF 1922
Lorain avenue, Silver Spring, an
administrative clerk at the plant,
was burned on the face, chest and
arms trying to extinguish fire in
a manhole on the plant grounds.
His condition was reported as good
at Garfield Hospital today.
Generators Sent to Gallinger.
When the reactor short circuited,
the full force of current suddenly
shot into the feeder lines set off
series of explosions, blowing man
hole covers of Benning road from
the plant to Seventeenth street.
At Gallinger Hospital the current
was of from 1872 until 3:45 pm,
DR.. Alvin L. Sweeney, superin-
tendent, reported.
Elevators and the laundry were
shut down and the kitchen handi-
capped during the period. Gas
equipment was utilized in the kit
chen to avert postponement of the
evening meal Three generators
were sent to the hospital for use
in the surgery and obsterical wards
and kitchens, but the power was
restored before they were needed.
Temporary Buildings Cut OFF.
The District Jail, morgue and Ma
tional Guard Armory as we'll as
temporary buildings x, Y, and z
also were without power for more
than two hours.
Power also was shut of for brief
time at Sibley Hospital. An opera
ton in progress at the time con-
tinued without interruption when
window shades were raised.
Frightened by manhole explo-
sion at Seventeenth street and
Benning road NE, Luther Robin
son, %, colored. of 5l1 South Cap
itol street. backed dump truck
into a station wagon driven by
Horace Beverly, SO, colored. of 1899
Sumner road Sc, causing consid-
erable damage.