Evening star., 1951-09-22
Suburb Cleaning Up
After Blast Killing
) Near Rochester
FouIty Cos Regulator
Blamed for Explosion
Thut Ruzed 16 Homes
BY the Assoeioied Press

ROCHESTER. N. Y, Sept. o.
Stunned citizens Of fashionable
suburban Brighton today half
heartedly began picking up debris
from a series of terrific natural
gas explosions that shredded or
set fire to 81 residences.
Three persons died yesterday in
the explosions, which sent homes
in an eight-block area booming
skyward with q noise 'like giant
string of flrecrackers." An esti-
mated 20 to Is persons were in
jured. Observers likened the dam
age and noise to that of block
buster bombs.
New York's State safety COM
missioner, Thomas w. Ryan. ar
rived early today to join many
pronged investigation into the
cause of the blast, which prob
ably caused damage of approx
mately 81 million.
Suggests Lantern Ignited Gas.
AS the State, Monroe County.
city and town of Brighton Off
cials began an investigation. the
president of the Rochester Gas
g. Electric Co. said a workman's S
lantern may have touched off the
chain reaction explosions.
Alexander NJ. Beebee added
that a regulator valve in prin-
cipal main apparently failed. He
said an explosive mixture may
have accumulated then in the
regulator vault beneath the street
and been ignited through a vent
by a lantern left nearby at a side
walk construction project.
Fifteen homes were demolished
and 16 others damaged by the ex-
plosions or resulting fires. Three
persons were hospitalized. Two of
the victims were burned seriously,
another cut by flying debris. The
injured included six firemen.
Blast Area Defined.
The blast area was bounded by
Highland avenue on the north,
Avalon drive on the south, West
land avenue on the west and
Winton road on the east.
Today shocked neighbors wan
Idered aimlessly about the streets,
|or gazed with awe at the devasta-
tion.
A police guard, to protect
against looting, was reinforced by
troops from Sampson Air Force
Base.
Daylight observations empha-
sized the peculiar "hedge-hopping"
character of the explosions. Some
shattered residences were as much
as four blocks apart. The Uttered
sites were squarely between homes
that appeared only slightly dam
aged by the conclusion of the
nearby blasts.
The first blast, at 1880 pm.
(EDT),, was followed by dozen
rapid explosions They blew up
houses, one witness said, 'like a
giant string of firecrackers."
Couldn't Cut 1t OFF.
At one home 8-year-old Mary
Anne Mas smelled gas and tele-
phoned her father, William Mas,
jr.. who told her to shut it of.
II tried to and it won't STOP"
she cried before she hung up, Mr..
Mas said later.
Seconds later the house ex-
lploded. The bodies of Mary Anne
and her 4-year-old brother, Will
liam Mas III, were found in the
debris, burned almost beyond rec
ignition.
Mrs. Louis A. Meyer, n, suf-
fered a fatal heart attack as she
was being removed from her
home.
Birthday Card Burned.
Damages to the other houses
varied. officials said, however,
that when personal belongings
were added the total might near
the 81 million mark.
In the ruins of the Mas home,
where Mary Anne celebrated her
9th birthday just one week ago,
ISearCherS found a caro-. IT read.
Like frosting on a birthday
(See EXPLOSION. Page A-3.)
a