Dynamite Disaster in New York.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7070, 16 February 1893, Page 2

Dynamite Disaster in New York.

, New York, Dec. 28. Long Island City was to-d»,y tbe scene of a disastrous dynamite explosion, by which six persons lost their lives and many others were terribly injured, while enormous damage was i done to property, 'ihe explosion occurred in the yards of the New York and Long Island Tunnel Company. A large quantity of dynamite was stored in the yard for blasting purposes in connection with the tunnel works. i and it was this accumulat ion of tbe dangerous substance which caused tba disaster. At eight o’clock this morning the eiry on tho other side of East Hirer was startled by a tremendous report. For a square miie around the ground quivered, and buildings swayed to end fro as if in an earthquake. Some tenement houses immediately caught fire, and tho walls of many others crackeo in all directions. All the widdows in the vicinity were shariered to atoms, and ia most iustan- , ces the frames themselves were splintered and blown out. Inside the houses the havoc was fearful, furniture and crockery being burled about and broken to pieces, while in several rooms the stoves were overturned, and the burning coals, being scattered about the floor, ignited tbe debris. Ihe basement of one of tbe buildings was used as a poet office, and here the clerks on duty were hurled headlong from their stools, and tho letter cases were knocked to strips, one of the most important mails being utterly destroyed. Tbe district in which the explosion occurred is tbe most thickly populated in the city, and for a time a perfect panic prevailed among the people, who rushod pell-mell into the streets ia their anxiety to escape what seamed (ho impending ruin. Two of the occupants of the model dwellings were killed where they were. One was lying on a sofa when a glass immediately overhead shivered into fragments, a large piece cutting the unfortunate person’s throat from ear to ear, while tho face was terribly mutilated by the falling splintsrs. The second victim also met death through being horribly cut by broken glass. Many others were also more or less hurt, all being cut by glass, besides being otherwise injured. Some have lost their arms while others had their eyes gouged out. The destruction of glass was immense, scarcely a bouse for a mile along Jackson and Yernon-avenues having a whole window pane left. A Refrigerator Factory in Fourt-street, opposite the scene of tho explosion, was reduced to a more wreck; It appears that tbe explosion was caused by tbe men placing frozen cartridges on a steam chest, which, from oome unknown cause, became overheated. Tbe Italian foreman alleged to be responsible for the occurrence has teen arrested.