Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-12-13
The Nitro-GIycerine Explosion at
YOnkers, n. "


YESTERDAY at noon 500 pounds of
nitro-glycerine exploded near the line of
the New York 81 Boston Railroad, in
Yonkers, killing George Hill, aged TWEEN
ty.one and Michael Gallagher, aged six
teen; mortally wounding John Donnolly,
aged nineteen, and seriously injuring
VIM. Terry, aged twenty-one. The New
York & Boston Railroad is to pass about
three miles east of the City of Yonkers,
and one mile west of BronXville. Blast
ing has been going on in that vicinity of
late, and as great amount of this work
is necessary, nitro -glycerine has been de-
posted at different points for use when
wanted. Yesterday Hill, Gallagher, Don
molly and Terry, while out cunning, found
five cans containing one hundred pounds
each. A pit about four feet deep had
been dug, and the cans placed in the ex-
| cavation. A strong fence had been built
around it, and on all sides were placards
bearing the words, danger, ""Beware, !"
'Nitro-Glycerine"
The boys walked around the fence COM
menting upon the improbability of dan
ger from such harmless looking cans, and
Hill proposed that as it was Evacuation
Day they should create some fun by
smashing the cans. The others readily
consented, and all four clambered to the
top of a large rock about fifty feet above
the glycerine, and, rolling a stone weigh.
ing about fifty pounds to the edge of the
rock, Hill aud Gallagher proposed to
tumble it iiGo the pit. Terry said the
darned thing might strike fire and blow
the stuff up. Hill laughingly said, "Let
| her blow; we'll have some fun anyway"
Terry seized Donnolly by the arm, and,
running away about two hundred feet,
they hid behind large tree, at the same
time jeered by Hill and Gallagher. Hill
then rolled the stone down. 1t struck the
cans, and the explosion which followed
was heard and felt for ten miles around.
Trees, stones, and great chunks of earth
were hurled in every direction. The
rock where Hill and Gallagher stood,
weighing hundreds of tons, was blown in.
to fragments. The ground was torn up
hundreds of feet around. A first.class
earthquake could not have created great
er havoc. Every pane of glass in houses
| for miles around was shattered, and the
inmates were terrified. The explosion
was heard in White Plains, Tarrytown,
fremont, Washington Heights, and even
over in New Jersey.
Workmen from the railroad hurried to
| the scene, we'll knowing what had hap
pened. They found Terry and Donnolly
with their clothing stripped from their
bodies, lying about two hundred feet from
the scene of the explosion, groaning in
agony. Donnolly's body was badly lac
Grated. His legs and one arm were bro.
ken, his body was black and blue, and
| one eye was gone. He was mortally
wounded. Terry was the least hurt and
will probably recover. He is the only
one left to give an account of the affair.
| When the smoke had cleared away
search was made for Hill and Gallagher
Hills body was blown to atoms. His en-
trails were suspended from the limbs of q
tree 500 feet away. Other parts of the
bodies were scattered for hundreds of feet
around. Only small part of his remains
however, had been found last night. Gal
lagher's body was not blown into so many
particles as Hills. His legs were founC
severed from his body, which was strip
ped perfectly nude. Even his boots haC
been torn to atoms and scattered among
the debris. The body, minus the armI
and head, lay about fifty feet from thu
legs. The scalp and face, without thu
skull, were found in another place Th'
arms were shattered, and only portions
were found. The skull is still missing.
Captain Mangin, of the Yonkers police
|
the wounded men. They were taken L
st. Johns Riverside hospital. Donnoll.
is insensible and will not recover TER,
was too badly injured to give a full an'
detailed account of the explosion las
night.
The excitement in Yonkers, and in fac
throughout the entire neighborhood, wa
terrific. All sorts of conjectures wer
advanced as to the explosion. Some in
sisted that He'll Gate had been broken up
while others thought there had been al
earthquake. The superstitious fell o.
their knees in prayer. The irreveren
trembled with fear, but everybody anX
iously inquired what the matter was
One old lady in the suburbs of Bronx
vile was in her yard when a piece of III
fence with the work danger fell a
her feet, and she tainted on the spot.
All four of the boys lived on what |
called Hug Hill, within the city limits o
Yonkers. They were of the poorer class
and worked at odd jobs in Yonkers.-A
| y Sun, Noe. 20.