Dangers Of Natural Gas

There was greaU excitement in Buffalo, N. Y., the ot-her inorning. The natural gas for some reason ran away f rom the company and luid the town at its mercy. Consumers were startled, houses were filled with Ras, meters exploded, flres broke out ar it. Paui's Catholic church, the most bc; tl il church in Western New York, .as destroyed. The edifico was the ]ridu of Buffalo, and, situated In the midst of the business heart of the city, it was a splendid break in the piles of business and municipal buildings with which it was surrounded. ACT.SO in the morning the poople on Main street were startled by seeing lames bursting f rom the stained glass Windows and inslantanoously, alinost, the entire interior was a mass of raging flamo. An explosión had occurred in the basement, The furnace was supplied tvith natural gas, and its f orce was so great as to tear off and blow out the heavy doors on the Erie and Pearl street sides. People ran to soe what was the matter, and a few entered the vestibule of tho church, only to be drivon out by the flercely irounting llames. In half an hour from the time of discovery the interior of the noble church was completely destroyed. But it was evident the massive walls and tho tower would stand. The church was considered the cathedral church of tho diocese and contained tho bishop's chair, which faced the nave at the en trance of the chancel. Tho consecration of the building took place under Bishop DeLancey, October 23, 1S57. It was not entirely linished, however, until about 1870. The church was valued at about $250,000. Explosiona also occured in the kitchen of Pieree's Sanitarum and did considerable damage. The Westminster Presbyterian church on Delaware avenne, escaped narrowly from the fate which overtook St. Paul's. It was prevented by the timely prosence of the sexton, who, after the explosión, turned the gas off at the meter. Similar explosiona are reported at North and Asbury churches and at the state Normal school, but in each case the gas was turned off before material damage had been done. Supt. Daly of the natural gas company, thought the trouble was caused by something in the pipes keeping the valves open, but the general opinión is that the gas company should have forese en that the occurrence oí two or threo warm days would cause the simultaneous shutting off of the gas from sundry boilers, furnaces and ranges, and the consequent largo increaso of pressure on pijcs and meters, and should have had sufficient pressure gauges and safety valves at headquarters to indícate and relieve such increase of pressure.