The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-23
THE HOOsICK TUNNEL DISASTER.

u
the Kiiied-The Heroism OF survivor-The
Cause of the Explosion UnknOwn-iIeavy
Loss Of Property and Obstruction of Work.
Correspondents Springfield Republican, Oct a.
NORTH ADAMS, Oct 20-P NJ.
The community Of this place have been horrinsd by
Of the most terrible disasters that have oc
carred in Massachusetts, and with few exceptions, 10
this countrya disaster by which thirteen ed
men, full Of health and vigor, were ushsrsd with;
out note or warning into eternity. The news that
OF the shafts OF the Hoosick spread like widare
yesterday; and last night and to-day, the crowds OF
as s sn ~ IS !,
sands, coming from all sections far and near.
The great central shaft. which is TO tap the tunnel
about SIX miss Of this town, Florida mountain
which at that point thousand feet above the level Of
an assistant; minutes after one O'Clock on Saur-
day afternoon they had como up 70 the surface and
gang Of thirteen 's men had gone down 70 I load
The nrst bucket had reached the upper platform.
whom, from some unexplained reason. the gaso.
line In the gasometer took nre and the flames
spread with lightning rapdity completely enveloped
the building which had been erected the mouth Of
the shaft The engineer and others in the building
compelled 70 dee from the flames before the bucket
could be unoadsd, and in less than half an hour
the entire structure fell with orash and the last hope
earth beneath, gene Half ton Of drills and
and the bucket loaded with broken rock standing
thus hurled down the abyss The majority II not all Of
the at the bottom have been crushed death
and any did escape they soon after either persisted
from eufocaton the supply OF fresh air constantly
sent down By the blowers cut on, drowned
in the which accommodates very rapidly whom not
The names OF the victims are Patrick Connolly, who
leaves wife and SIX children, James Bennett James
and rsok con
Michael Whalen. James Carvenough, who leaves wife
aud two children. John Curran, Thomas Cook. who
leaves wife and two children, James Mccormick, and
10 seph Messler, Freedman. Most of them were
young men, between twenty I'VE and thirty years Of
forty aud they were generally steady and industrious
Tho work Is carried on night and day by three different
sets of hands and each set numbers about fifteen men,
exclusive Of the foreman.
The fre continued to burn for several hours and
finally put out by engine which was taken up from
this place Besides the building with its entire
tents including the books and papers In the ece,
800 of wood also destroyed When finally the
over the shaft rope adjusted and one OF the
mel hands, gallant fellow named Thomas Mallory,
to descend at three O'Clock 10 the morning.
the yawnng pit with its mouth choked with charred and
blackened tmbers and tho friRhfu realization or thir
teen corpses at Its bottom. The rope dashed first
the other hand holding . lantern. With the I'M
minent peril before him OF deadly vapors and OF
twenty feet OF bottom BY the faint glisr Of the
uncertain light he could distinguish the water,
feet deep, covered with floating ruins but sign
Of his lost companions They then raised him up and
when he reached the free air again his courage ana
strength which had borne him safely through trying
ordeal any would wish TO encounter, left him
and he tainted away.
The itself is oval in form, It's dimensions
Is by q feet II has already sunk the depth OF
five hundred and eighty feet and 1t will have go down
To- hundred and dtty fect farther before the level
Of the grade is reached Every twentyhve feet floor
Ing Ii made upon which rest the tanks for catch ng
the water that flows through the seams OF the rock,
and through them are cut holes for the working
Of the ickets and down. This water Is raised to the
surface by means Of a steam pump and buckets, and
when left to flow acumulates ~ the bottom very rap
& OF nsss oO M as ,es ~
fire downwards The man building at the top, which
enveloped the mouth Of the shaft, about forty by
sixty feet one story high, nat roof and was substan
italy built with strong aud heavy tmbers II contained
the office Of the contractors, Messra Dali. Gowsn
White the en- CINE room, machine shop, drying room
store room, &c. and ali the paraphernaia for carryin
on the great work. Beneath the main floor tho gas
ometer, where the nre originated. was situated and
was enclosed In neavy casing laid In cement.
since the beginning OF the present contractors ad-
ministraton Il seems the gasoline or naptha gas has
been used, although II was formerly used by tho
State and all the works furnished with pipe suit
able for It, Lstey, hight has been furnished by kero.
sene The day before the accident however, quantity
OF naptha gasoline which had been ordered by the
State commissioners for the contractors ana which had
carried the mountain and Saturday was placed in
the tanks which stood about sevenyve feet from the
building, and was let into the meter Is had been the
custom generate gas for the evening lmmedi-
atey before the fire broke out r. Peet the clerk, who
been the snaft for three years, formerly the
employ OF the state and laltery retained BY the
contractors who is thoroughly with the
gas and It's working, went with another man to examine
the meter wheu the door Of tue casing was
opened the gasoline, for some unknown flashed
into an exp oson and the barely had time to
escape, the head and face of one being somewhat
burned as Il VAS What the Cause Of the combustion,
for 1t rather that than an explosion, WAS
say, with any certainty even guess. Those who
present do not pretend TO be able to give any
PLANTATION. II might nave been caused by leakage,
by the accumulation OF dampness In the long disused
meter, combined wi b other Circumstances but IL Ia
plain. however, that no possible wisdom could have
foreseen or forestaed the accident
Attempts will be begun at he bodies,
though Is doubtful they succeed Tor considerable
length Of tme The water is cons antly growing deeper
in tho bottom OF the shaft and there rs means OF
pumping 1t out In me the bodies would ri-e OF their
accord. but most them probably buried or al
least partially and held down by the stone ron &C.,
that fell upon them II Is proposed 10 lower boat to-
morrow and grapple for them, and some that NOT
borne down BY too great a weight may perhaps be re-
covered this way.
The loss by destruction OF property cannot yet be
determined but II Is vesy heavy, aud IL will seriously
reafd the progress both VI the SHAFT itself and to some
extent OF the tunnel Besides the bu ling large and
powerful eng and al the peculiar machinery
sary to carry the work and must have neces-
STATED immense outlay of money to procure and put
In working order have been utterly DESTROY Cd. To
place has been Consumed and bring TO their
former condition and get the work again under head
way will require the labor OF months
THE TYPHOID FEVER IN NEW HAVEN.