The Republican journal., 1871-09-21
A errible Explosion.


The latest tragedy in New York was
caused by children's toys The explosion
OF those yillanous articles known as Union
torpedoes, in Reekman street, although
causing Il less number of deaths than the
Westtield disaster, was equally terrible
and demoralizing. 1t was about l o'clock.
when the street was crowded with passers-
by, that 4 truck loaded with these infer
nal machines. put up in neat and inno-
cent looking boxes, stood in front Of the
store OF the dealer. a boy, Henry Brown,
was scraping the old marks off the boxes,
and Mr.. Goldschmilt, the manufacturer
was redirecting them. In unloading. the
truckman happened to drop one Of the
cases, In an instant the truck and its
contents disappeared in Il cloud of smoke,
accompanied by the explosion that shook
thn adian"nt hnilainge TO thoir vory
foundations. Persons passing were dash
ed to the ground or blown into open
stores; windows and doors were hurled
from their tastenings for blocks around,
and houses rocked to and fro to such an
extent that their occupants, wild with
terror dashed into the street and sought
safety in flight. The great explosion was
followed by Il rattle, rs of small arms
caused by uneXploded torpedoes falling
upon the street on their return from their
journey skyward. For few moments a
sutfocating cloud of dust and smoke hung
like Il pail over the street, but as if slowly
swept away the full extent OF the disaster
was revealed. The crushed and mutilat-
ed body of the driver was found lying on
an iron awning, while the sidewalk was
streWn with the dead and dying, whose
groans and cries for help were agonizing
in the extreme. The boxes, with their
contents, had utterly disappeared only a
few pieces of the truck remained, the
street tor four blocks was strewn with
fragments torn from the nei ghboring
buildings, and all in the vicinity was a
wreck. The toys which caused this dis
aster are hollow globes of clay filled with
very powerful detonating mixture, said
to contain nitro -glycerne. Their sale
had been prohibited before this acc ident.
There was considerable excitement on
the main street Of Wheeling. West Vim
ginia, at noon Of last Wednesday, where
the sound of four pistol shots, fired in
rapid succession, heard in the Peoples
Bank, followed Immediately by the sight
OF two men rushing out, holding revolvers
IN their hands, which they pointed at who
ever attempted to stay their progress. Is
was simply another midday robbery, and
OF the most desperate and violent charac-
ter. At the noon hour, when only q
clerk, George Feeney, was in the bank,
two ordinarily-dresscd men entered, told
the clerk they had come to take possess
sion, and Immediately began shooting
match in which Feeney joined. Mean
time they found time to snatch packages
of money from the desk. The rapid fir
ing soon drew 4 crowd to the door, and
the robbers saw that their game was up.
Holding their pistols against the breasts
of those who stopped their egress, they
got out on to the street, when the cry of
'Stop thief called out Il great number
of persons. Alexander Laughlin made
an attempt to stop them on Main street,
but one of them levelled his pistol and
shouted Come on p and Alexander,
like sensible man didn't scome on
AS they turned up Mulberry alley they
met Joseph PAUL. The taller of the two
rascals placed the muzzle of his pistol
against Joes breast, shouting 'Let me
pass, slr." Joe instantly removed any
obstruction his presence might have been,
and said E'Pass on, stranger" In this
way they passed out of town, no one. him
dering, and the bank, after closing for
the day, couldn't make its cash balance
by S1536. But nobody was hurt