The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-23
Terrible Effects Of Nitro glycerine Ex.
plOSiOn.
New York Hera d. 18th

The bodies of the unfortunate men and DO,
, who were burned to death by the nitro-glyc,
rine explosion on the island known as ..Biac
Tom" in the bay, were taken early yesterda
morning to Speels Morgue in Jersey city.
more sickening sight can not we'll be cor
jured up. Were they deposited by the way
side not one person in hundred who woul
pass would suppose that they were the re
mains of beings who had lived in the fles
and borne the human form. Suffice it to stat
that every an whose sensbilties are not en-
tirely blunted would wish from the bottom O
his heart he might never witness such an
other spectacle.
When q Herald reporter visited the Moreue
last evening" he was shown down into cellar
the temporary abode Of the dead. There on a
broad plank lay three objects which resem-
bled legs of charcoal. ''pon't be incredulous, >
said the keeper, "these are the bodies. There
were four here, but one Of them-that of the
boy Laverty-was taken home by his father
to Lafayette. 1t was q horrible sight, and |
advised the father not to let the mother of the
unfortunate boy see it. What makes the case
worse is, the father told me he was standing
only twenty feet off when the explosion oc-
Cured. He was the only person left on the
island to tell the dreadful tale
The reporter asked how it was possible one
of the charred Jumps could be identified
from another as this or that man, and the re-
ply was. ''Well, you see this is smaller than
that. 1t is known that there were two bows
and three men at work on the island. LAYER
ty, whose body was taken away this morning.
was only seventeen years of age The other
boy was Alfred Hopkins, Of Hoboken, aud
that must be his body there. It will be
absolutely impossible to identify the other
two bodies, which must be those of George
Brown, Of No. 339 Sixth street, JERSEY CITY.
and William Lowe, of Brooklyn.
1t is terrible to contemplate the possibility
Of the relatives of one taking to their home
the body of the other. The legs and arms
are burned to stumps, the faces and upper
portions Of the skulls eaten away, and the
bodies so completely carbonized that not the
slightest trace Of Identification exists The
heat must have been intense, as the Jaw bones
# one body must have been calcined at a
White heat, showing startling contrast to the
black mass attached. None of the friends of
hese ill-fated individuals have called vet to
lain their bodies. The body of the fifth
nan, whose name is still unknown, has not |
'een recovered.
When the explosion occurred he ran to the |
oat and put out, but the boat filled rapidly |
Nth water and the man sank to rise no more. /,
is supposed he was injured by the explo-
ion. The shed in which the explosion oc-
urred was twenty by ten feet but nothing
emains of it. 1t was the only building on
ne island. Much of the nitro-g lycerine used
4 the operations at He'll Gate was manufac-
lred here. For weeks past the workmen
ere kept unusually busy. The only work
ian absent on Saturday was Henry Ntzhugh,,
Lafayette, and he has cause for congratula-
on. The cause of the explosion is still
lystery. The only survivor of the six who
no were on the island is the father of the
oy Tayertv ,