1946 — Feb 19, Natural Gas Explosion and Fire, apartment building, New Orleans, LA–  7 

Latest edit 11-8-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–7  NFPA. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 294-295.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “Apartments, New Orleans, La., Feb. 19, 1946

“Seven persons were killed and thirty-eight injured when a natural gas explosion blew out the lower floor walls of a three-story brick negro housing project.  The cause has been laid to a leakage of gas caused by the corrosion of an underground pipe. A local ordinance requiring that these pipes be encased in cement (because of peculiar soil conditions) was partially complied with, but a short length was not so protected. Gas filled an open area under the building and entered one of the ground floor apartments through a pipe hole. When one of the tenants started to prepare breakfast at 6:50 a.m., the blast occurred. Cement columns held the building upright, but the falling walls and concrete flooring crushed seven of the occupants.  Only sporadic fires in combustible furniture followed the explosion.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 294-295.)

Newspapers

Feb 19: “New Orleans, Feb. 19 (AP) A terrific explosion, followed by fire, leveled a three-story apartment building in the downtown residential area here today, killing an undetermined number of persons and injuring a score of others. Fire Chief Frank Rivard and police estimated that a score or more persons, all negroes, lost their lives in the blast or fire, while a score of others were injured.  They said the building housed 53 residents, most of whom were trapped inside when the blast occurred at 6:35 a.m. while the occupants were getting breakfast or preparing to go to work. Those rescued were taken to Charity Hospital suffering from burns. Witnesses said it was believed a number of persons had either been burned to death or were trapped in the wreckage.  Some bodies could be seen among the ruins.

“Army and Navy ambulances were called into service to augment city ambulances in rescue work.  Service men from the Port of Embarkation and the Navy also aided police and firemen.

“The building is a unit of a federal housing project located at St. Bernard Avenue and Milton Street in the Downtown area.

“The cause of the explosion was undetermined but Chief Frank Rivard said it possibly resulted from an accumulation of gas. One person who escaped declared that ‘we smelled gas in the house and somebody struck a match.’ Another witness said the explosion made a thunderous noise and then the building burst into flames.

“The explosion was heard for miles around and attracted thousands of spectators. Windows were

shattered and furnishings were upset over a considerable area. State Fire Marshal Campbell Palfrey said an investigation would be made of the blast.

“The interior of the structure was a mass of flames when firemen arrived and Fire Chief Frank Rivarde would not permit firemen to enter the wreckage. The first floor gave way and the second and third floors collapsed. 

“Every available ambulance in the city was rushed to the scene to carry on rescue work.

“The building contained six one-bedroom apartments on the first floor and eight two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors.  The building was of brick construction.  One witness, Wilson Sterling, who lives in another unit of the housing project described the explosion as ‘something that sounded like a blast of thunder.’ ‘I went to the window of my apartment and as I looked out I saw one end of the housing unit collapse, and then the flames shot into the sky, Sterling said. He said that from his point of view he saw only two persons leave the building.” (Daily Herald, Biloxi & Gulfport, MS. “Many Die in Blast. Explosion, Fire…” 2-19-1946, p. 1.)

Feb 20:  “New Orleans, Feb. 20 (AP) The list of known dead reached five today from an explosion that demolished a 14-apartment dwelling in the St. Bernard negro housing project here yesterday.  Thirty-eight other occupants were recovering from injuries suffered in the blast and fire, while three additional occupants of the three-story brick building were still unaccounted for. Rescuers had removed one body by mid-day. It was that of a 17-year-old youth identified by police reports as Willie Lee Johnson.” (Daily Herald, Biloxi & Gulfport, MS. “Five Known Dead in New Orleans Apartment Blast.” 2-20-1946, p. 1.)

Sources

Daily Herald, Biloxi & Gulfport, MS. “Five Known Dead in New Orleans Apartment Blast.” 2-20-1946, p. 1. http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=184418639&sterm=

Daily Herald, Biloxi & Gulfport, MS. “Many Die in Blast. Explosion, Fire…” 2-19-1946, p. 1.

Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=184418629&sterm

National Fire Protection Association.  “Gas Explosions.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1950, pp. 287-309.