The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-05-11
DYNAMITE DISASTER.
Extraordinary Explosion in Jersey City


New York, May Late last night
this city was startled by loud report
caused by an explosion of giant powder in
Jersey City, and the residents in the lower
part Of that city and Hoboken soon after
learned that the powder magazine of the
new Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
railroad on jersey City Heights had ex-
ploded with such terrible force as to cause
houses 70 be upset and almost totally.
WRECKED FOR MILES
And miles around. In a short time the
Palisades, along the brow Of the hill, were
crowded by people from Union Hill, West
End Hoboken and New York, who had
| seen the effects of the explosion and hurried
to the spot where the explosion took place
The place called the magazine, at which
the explosion occurred, was a small brick
bul ling about six feet square and ten feet
in height, was used by the contractors of
the tunnel as . storeroom for giant powder
and nitro-glycerine. There were also stored
in the building nearly 5000 cartridges
made of compound Of the giant powder
and nitro-glycerine, called
'RENDROCK,"
/ And it Is thought these caused the explo-
sion.
/ The theory advanced by an old employee
I of the tunnel, and the one which is more
believed than others, IS that some Of the
cartridges became dry from long standing
and exploded, setting the others off at the
same time. In support of this theory the
man stated that the cartridges when made
/ are kept damp until used, and if allowed to
stand without being dampened for period
| Of two weeks they viii explode from com
bustion. This i the theory supported by
the police and residents in the neighbor-
/ hood. Owing TO the lateness Of the hour,
no definite idea of the loss resulting from
( the explosion could be ascertained, but the
/ buildings within a circuit Of three miles
around. and particular in Jersey City, Ho-
boken and Jersey City Heights, are nearly
I all damaged, aud the foundations having
/ been shaken, a number Of these viii doubt
/ less have to come down. At the time of
the explosion the Hudson County
CENTENNIAL COMMISSIONERS.
Were in meeting in the City Hall, Jersey
/ Citv. and the report blew out the gas
throughout the building, leaving the COM
/ u.issioners in darkness. At No. 522 Grove
street. two miles from the tunnel, Law
/ renee Mckensy, a segar dealer, was
BLOWN FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER,
Through a door into an adjoining room,
while his windows were blown to the op-
posite side Of the street. The windows OF
/ ex-Freehoder O'Gradys house, corner OF
Grove and Twelfth streets, were entirely
/ blown out At Freebooter McPhllllps'
house, on Grove street. the doors and win
dows were blown down. In Hoboken, the
l windows Of Louis Bellof-s saloon, on
! Newark street, were blown out and the bar
overturned A large pane Of French glass
was blown from a window on the corner OF
\ Sixth and Washington streets, and, together
| with the sash. was carried over two blocks
! away. while the windows Of all the stores
on the east side Of the street were blown
| out. Along Palisade avenue, on jersey
4 City Heights, the buildings from Newark
avenue to the West Hoboken boundary
line. among them some of the finest houses
i In the county. were almost totally destroyed
and will have to be rebuilt. A Union Hill
car that was being driven on board the ele-
! vator at Ferry street, at the time Of the
explosion. was turned over on Its side
\ throwing the driver and conductor out OF
the tracks and badly injuring the horses
An AFTERLooK.
! New YoRK, May Over forty thous
and people visited the scene of the explo
sion in Jersey City to day. Absence O.
dangerous injury to any person is some
thing wonderful, when the riddled house.
in the neighborhood are seen. ManJ
bricks were hurled through walls within !
foot or 50 of sleepers' heads. The polle'
Il failed to trace anything that leads them t
1 suppose the strikers were the perpetrator'
of the deed. The opinion is becoming
general that spontaneous combustion wa
1.-The cause. The damage which Is still only
guessed at, consists chiefly Of broken glas;