The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-26
TORPEDO EXPLOSION IN NEW ORLEANS.

The New York Explosion Rcpcntcd-One Man
Killed and several Wounded-The Patent
UaiOn TOrpedoes More Dangerous than
NitrO-fsI j ccrine.
from the New Orleans Times, Oct. 90.
AT ten minutes past ten O'Clock OH thur sday
morning the community was startled by the report
that twenty-one boxes of iorpedoes loaded ON q
dray had exploded at the corner or Madison ana
Decatur streets Just opposite the centre OF the Beef
Market, instantly killing one man and wonnding
several Others. The dull clang OF the IRE alarm
brought almost instant confirmation to the story
llurrylng through the Recorders Office, and OBJ
tainiDR admission through The guarded gate 10 the
courtyard IN the rear. our reporter found himself In
presence OF the dead.
height, but now 1t lay, naked TO the waist on =
black dc or which was supported by two implanted
benchcs;. red 1annel SHIRT gathered up under ms
arms and sprinkled with white sand crcled pallld
face, with thin, sandy mustache, and thin. sandy
whskers. LIS eyes were closed It's mouth wide
open. and behind, crimsoning the rude pallet, was
o great gouJ OF blood One loot was wrapped in a
fragment OF cotn, red with blood; purple stock
ing covered the otner, pair of blue cottonade
trowsers covered his knees and battered felt nat
lay near them. Small knots OF pallld men gathered
r9nnd, him, and shrinking bac. sMfeni the lrigalW
by Que into the yard. Seated IN an oaken char,
perhaps ten feet OIL, was pale.iaccd man In a red
rannel shirt and gray trowsers. his head was bound
up with dark brown handkerchief and MS neck
was red with gore. The crowd stood apart Tor be-
side him sat priest hearing MS confession
Far on In q corner, on long, unpanted bench,
lay an ott,e bundle, wrapped in brown paper and
newspaper. The covering seemed stepped with
something moist, and at the ends IT was crimsoned
Win blood. Though the spectators gaZeu At IL from
distance none approached nearer than hall dozen
yards, Tor 1t was human leg. ~.
into e Clerks ose q learn u the Sonty Of these
unhappy VICTIMS. The dead man proved to be Tim
otno CQhnors, resident OF Jefferson parish and q
was Jaques C0uogne, Frenchman, thirty years OF
age ana residing on Frencnmen street. between
Josephine and Celestine.
THE EXPLOSION.
At ten minutes past ten O'Clock. as before stated
two drays, each loaded with twenty one boxes OF
torpedOes, taken few minutes before from the
ship George Hurlburt, lying at the head OF Hospital
street. the drst one driven by party as yet ur,
the corner OF Decatur and Madison streets.
How the accident occurred VIII, perhaps, never
neighbOrno0d was startled by frgn tu explosion.
1t IS described by those present as more resembling
tnan awning to which they can compare it, The
air was suddenly filed With smoke and dust The
building ON the northwest corner OF DECATUR t ana
a cOIlceh0use and residence was shaken to
us foundation. Every artcle of crockery, every
piece OF glass, was broken, while the plaster
shOwereu down from the was and ceilings In
fakes. AT the colieenouse on the opposite corner
tnlrty tumblers and bottles were shivercd Or
course panic prevailed throughout the entire
e Of s AS the
smoke cleared away policeman running up, dls
covered nearly naked man lying oead IN the
q broken wheel, q hub and pile OF chips aud
mortar Another man, jacques Coulogne, was over
the banqucte 18th almost the entire back oil his
head blown Oh, and a draY loaded with torpedoes
was quite the nearest spectator proved to be
the driver OF the Old Levee street Cars, vino
was about twelve PAGES behind The last dray-the
on which the accident occurred.
He says that his attention had been occupied III
locking out Tor passengers on both sides OF the
street, and that he had barely glanced at the draY
when suddenly he was stupeted by terrific roar
and blinded by a cloud or smoke. lnsunctiyey he
stcppeu back into the car: lie heard rattle Of flying
fragments against the iron dashboard, and then tle
mule with Slight start, continued on It's way until
the car was stopped by the debris Of the dray.
A streicher and CHAIR were At once procured, and
ODd district station followed by an immense crowd.
Another young man, wounded In the arm was
taken TO drug store Oh Royal street. and the null
tltude commenced exami ning the damage.
Mi. Blasco, VINO had heard the explosion and was
running 10 the spot while passing throush Jackson
lect lodged, hear In tree. Upon closer investi-
CATION 1t proved to he the leg of the unfortunate
When our reporter reached the market che engines
were already on the spot, aud ropes mad been
meni across the approaches. Inc dray driven by
Connors anu sun loaded with torpedoes, mad been
moved INTO Madison street, and u brennan was sat
urallng the boxes with waller
Henry Miller, u tailor, residing at 3I3 Old LeveJ
street, While passing was struck IN the right side and
arm and severely wounded. he WAS conveyed tc
his residence.
Car 1855 OF tho Levee ana Barracks line was at the
corner OF Dumaine and uld Levee when the expIo-
sion occurred and the lying missiles struck the drl
yer, Jonn JOY. WIN such force as TO knock MIN
back ward some distance upon the floor Of NE car,
AMI frightened tnc,passengers, VINO ned.
Tie iron dashboard oil the was bent out OF shape
and the forward part OF the vehicle generally con-
sideraby demolished.
August M,kon, butcher at stall No. 143 Beer Mar
ket, was struck IN the side 10y piece OF flying wood
aud severely nurt. lie was taken nome.
John Foster, laborer in the Street Department,
while ut work IN the vicinity, struck on the
foot, but not seriously injured.
woman occupying a stall in the Beet Marked
was badly cut ON the head ana carried TO her resi-
dence.
Henry Dutrey, keeper OF the coiIeehouse corner
OF Madison ana Levee streets, received Commissions
Hs FsH Sc Ssh! areS f s00" joint Of
Several other persons were more or less injured,
but their Injuries not being serious names could not
The deadly torpeloes were part OF the cargo of
the ship Hurburt, lying P0st No. Is, loot OF Hos
pital street, 10 which spot our reporter fastened,
and found the mate OF the ship still engaged In I'M
loading The cargo, there beng piled ON the wharf
already over TWO hundred boxes.
The consignment OF lorpedoeS consisted of 800
boxes, shipped from New York To Morris McGraw,
corner Of rcnoupnoulas anu Gravler streets the
OF October The harbor police soon arriving
stopped the work OF dlscharging ana immediately
placed an officer IN charge or tue ship and the goods
traitor Cockrem, reached tho spot as Our reporter
was leaving.
Upon his arrival al the evee where the IIurlburi
had discharged her cargo. the Mayor ordered ins
torpedoes on the evee, together with those sim III
the ship, 10 be Immediately removed IRON the cit,
by water ana under no circumstances TO be move
except TO be put aboard the vessel.
Since the above was written we have been called
upon by Mr.. Morris McGraw VINO states that some
time ago he received a bill OF ladIng from Messrs
| kluber Goldsmith, manufacturers OF the "paten
| Union t0rpedues,n or New York. consigning tire
hundred cases OF these explosives 10 him. He IA
once returned the bin OF adlng, and Informed TIL
| firm that he would have nothing whatever to IL
with the consignment, It's storing tlansshipment
Ihe ship arrived and several cases OF the torpedoe
were carried out on The levee, when representa-
tive OF the New York house arrived ana TOOK charge
of them. He engaged Timothy Connors TO shil
then 10 one OF tue barges, ana it was while carry
| Ing The first ioaa the explosion occurred.
We understand that several OF the torpedoes have
| been given 10 Dr. A. W. Smytn. OF the CharIg,
1 Hospital Tor chemical analysis Should lie lin,
' iney lie destroyed In that way, IL IL pr0babl,
inat the entire lot VIII he thrown INTO the river
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