The New York herald., 1876-09-09
1HE HE'LL GAIE DISASTER.
R. W. Warren's Testimony Before
the Coroner Yesterday.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
Where Nitro-Gycerne Is Made and How
It is Transported.
POP u LAR r N D G N Att ON.
VERDICT OF THE JURY
POP LAR INDIG GNATION

Gate disaster. The urst called was Joseph A.
Hand clerk in the employ of Mr. Warren. who testi-
fed that Mr. Warren usually sent tho glyccrne the
government works in his boats; they were row.
boats, that could be sailed well
Francis Cofty. member OF the jury, excused
from that position order 10 testify his knowl.
edge OF the OF the explosion. He repeated in
effect the story that published in yesterdays
HERALD
H. W. Warren, being sworn, said IL am engaged In
the manufacture OF nitro-g yccrine; office, No.
Bowling Green, Ncx York city; have been tho
habit supplying the United States works at Hallets
Pom, with nitro gycerne; usually sent the gycerne
by my own boats ana by my own men, except four
occasions that can remember since 1871; /
CURED by the agreement Of 1871 remove all tho
gyccrnc used alter the blast; have sent It two
three times week; tho summer OF 1872
have known the government to have transported
the glycerne by their men; I cannot place the
date OF any other OCCASION except the last when gly.
cerinc was taken from my factory by government
employees; delivered this order myself 10 Doyle; he
came to me at about seven O'Clock, at Black Tom
Island. where the factory Is situated; he said to me:
"Mr Warren, why did you not send the glycerine we
ordered" ?" told him that had forgotten II; then
told ono OF my men 10 put fifteen pounds in
properly boxed; Doyle objected carrying The box;
said would send II at once; no asked pack II
the gyccrne tin with cork shoppers there
six all the had holes in them Tor tho
purpose o! pinnug tho corks in their places; l in-
structed all my TO keep nitro gycerne uncorkeu
and covered with water; Doyle tried each can before
he had thcm put IN paper to that
corkcd too tight, tho cans were packed up in PAPER
and sawdust, that there should be friction
my men handed the packages to Doyle the boat; F.
Hansen was working With me at tho time OF Doyle's
coming and heard the first part OF the conversation;
have up To He'll Gate myself with gycernc;
when deliver nitro alycerine put up in fifty pound
packages, packed in wooden box; think the eakage
OF the the means Of the explosion, nitro
gyccrine upon outside probably coming into con
tact with a metal In my opinion the friction the
CORK could not have produced the explosion.
Mr. Warren remarked, at the close OF his testimony
that he had personally fear OF when
II handled with any degree Of care He SAID that
lie had carried bottle about with HIM, in his trunk
from 1869 10 1871
H. Halsey was next sworn. He stated that he was
employe ut the government works at He'll Gate;
saw Doyle bring package and lay it down front OF
the diving house; Henry Lurson inside the house
ut the time; he tod Doyle to pick up the package and
give 10 him; Doyle did ana went into the snanty
stood sidow from the diving house; then
blown away, and remember nothing further OF the
ploson; +. Cofty could have Lursou from where
ho Stood in my opinion; Doyle was employed the
scow exclusively.
John POST an cmploye board the scow, was
swo worn but his testimony elected nothing new or i'm
portant
The last witness James A. Hampstead, who tcs-
tilted as folows:-I am ticket agent on the Morrisa-
Mia line oil boats at ASTORIA l remember seeing John
Doyle coming oil the boat at Astoria upon the
Ing OF the exploslon 1t was the 40 boat from Fulton
slp II takes half an hour 10 mako the run was per-
sOnay acquainted with Doyle aud spoke TO him that
morning;
about eighteen by six inches in size, ana rolled up in
brown paper have him carry packages bcioro on
The boats they looked a, II they might be d1y goods
month ago; never knew what the packages
contained; all the carrying has beer done since
scow has been here's she was here last summer for Two
three months; positive that saw him Of
the boat upon the day OF the explosion
THE VERDICT.
The jury then, after u lew moments delberation,
agreed upon verdict the n John HEX
man John Doylo and Henry Lurson, came to their
deaths by the accidental explosion OF nitro glycerne
No recommendations oil any sort were made, though
Coroner Devln advised clause the verdict requiring
greater care by manufacturers aud companies In the
use and transportation OF nitro-glycerine.
WHERE SIrRoGLYoERiNE Is MADE.
rho late terrible explosion at He'll Gate, and
tho TACT, exposed by the HERALD, that en-
p.0ycs OF the works there havo at times
ried deadly explosives on the boats, have created
profound scnsation, particularly among the trav-
ellins community. The question has arisen in the
minds OF almost every one, to how great an
has this nitro glyc yccrinc been carried public,
and IN constant danger from Its careless trans
portation and handling? 10 the end that the public
may be familiar with the extent OF the manu.ac
turc and transportation OF nitro glycerne and eXpo-
made IRON II representative Of the HERALD
called the Office OF The largest nufaciurers OF tho
KIND the United States the Giant Powder Company
Seeing Mr. Rlx OF that company the following inter-
estihg conversation occurred,
"Mr Rix, believe the Giant Powder Company Is
the largest manufacturer OF nitro-gyccrlne IN the
countryy"
CISCO Cal, and one At Drakesvc, n. j. From the FAC
tory at Drakcsve We supply tho whole country cast
oi the Rocky Mountains"
"what average amount of nitro glycerino made
at Drakcsvllle in q month Y'
about rs, 900 pounds We first make the glyccrine
and conver. 1t into giant powder. The latter com.
posed Of seventy-1vc per cent n!tro-glyccrine aud
i~cniy-nve per cent ear'h-earth Of an absorbing,
''How will this mixture explode. and is it not very
dan gerousf"
mo 1t is not dangerous-pot nearly SO dangerous as
ordinary black powder 1t will not explode by fire. but
only by force. The force We use rs very highly
rapidly but Is u simple hrc-no explosion about IT, II
VIII not explode by aiIing or by anything falling on IT,
Nitro ogycernc pure will not even burn alone out with
wick WILL In that II resembles whale oil. P"
But Is not nitro-slycerine IN liquid state very
dangerousS"
state; Mr. Moubray, Of North Adams, Mass, is the
only manufacturer whom know mat uses II IN pure
highly sensitive and liable TO explode al any time,
when frozen however IL is less Iable to explode, and
he transports much OF IT IN that way"
"How many factories are there in this country ?"
at IS made on tho spot and used In the mines OF
Missouri There are also factories a. pompton n. j.,
Tom Island is nearest New York. Ihc Latin Rand
Powder Company also make IT, IL Is not used In Eu-
rope, except in the form OF dynamite"
"When is IL least dangerous, do you suppose 7"
"Whcn II mixed that IT does not leak nitro
glycerine consider almost perfectly secure against
all kinds OF concusson, except OF course sharp deto-
explosion rs Illuminate Tor example, The ordinary
blows received IN Transportation Will have effect
upon H. The manufacture OF dynamite giant pow.
der commenced IN 1867 and has rapidly Increased
There are now about IL 100000 pounds OF 1t made
nualiy.n
now IT rs TRANSFORMER
"How do you transport your explosivcs3 ?"
"weIl, in California use tue railroads In this |
section oil the country we use canals much possl-
bic and freight trains Wc never ship passenger
or express trains. The Hudson River Railroad would
never carry any explosives and since the Bergen
plosion the Morris and Essex upon which road our
iaciory IL situated. Will not carry II either"
"Do you ship 1t in pure state when Is most
Never. We allow pound OF II in its pure or
dangerous state to leave our factories "
"What s your opinion. then, oil the fact as devel
opcd by the HERALD, that has been carried He'll
Gate through the cuyyr