Gas explosion, corner of Boylston and Tremont Streets
Description:
This photograph shows the aftermath of the 1897 Tremont Street subway explosion, the result of a gas leak at the intersection of Tremont Street and Boylston Street. Due to the construction on the subway line at the intersection, an open cavity of timber and planking supporting surface-level tracks had caused gas to build up over two months from a rupture in a gas line along Boylston Street. On the morning of March 4th, a horse-drawn Mount Auburn trolley headed east towards Washington Street ignited the gas. Casualties included six fatalities and extensive property damage.
