The New York herald., 1876-09-06
The He'll Cato Disaster.

We had hoped that this great undertaking,
which has been prosecuted with so much
energy and skill, would be brought to q sue
cessful completion without any of those ter
rible sacrifices of human life which not un-
frequently attend the carrying out of such
stupendous works. The great reef at Hal
let's Point, which forms such a dangerous
obstruction to the navigation Of the East
River, has been successfully chambered after
the expenditure of extraordinary labor and
at large expense Everything about the
work indicated that the reef would be COM
pletely destroyed in a few days and form no
more barrier to commerce But unfortu-
nately this bright prospect has been clouded
by an accident which has unhappily resulted
in the loss Of several lives. Pending an
investigation into the cause of the catas-
trophe we call this dreadful occurrence an
accident, but We do SO in spirit of bare JUS
tice to all the responsible parties, and not
from any conviction that an accident in the
strict sense of the word has occurred. There
are too many reasons to believe that it was
the result Of gross disregard of the caution
which should never be relaxed when such a
dangerous explosive as nitro-glycerine is in
use. From the particulars cleaned by our
reporter in the course Of his inquiries yes-
terday we are forced TO believe that many
instances Of criminal carelessness have oc-
Cured in the conveyance of nitro-glycerine
from the magazine to the He'll Gate works,
which but for the interpostion of
merciful Providence might have caused
fearful loss Of life. When such reckless in
difference to probable consequences has been
displayed by those engaged in the handling
and conveyance of a deadly explosive can
we be surprised that it should recoil on
themselves in a terrible manner? The un-
fortunate victims of the disaster that are dead
are past all reach Of censure. Their scarcely
less miserable fellow sufferers who have sur
vived are evidently not to blame, and even if
they are the penalty they have paid cancels
the debt they owed to justice. 1t is to those
in authority, who have not suffered from the
explosion. and who are legally responsible
for the acts of their subordnates that we
turn for an explanation as to its cause.
desire to conceal the identity of the culpa-
BILE should be set aside in the evidence
which the Coroner is about to receive. We
must know the manner in which this deadly
compound has been conveyed from the mag
azine; whether IL was commonly brought
to Astoria on the frequently crowded Har-
lem boats if it was not the custom to send
quantities of nitro-glycerine from point TO
point through the streets of New York in a
common cart if the boat in which it was
sometimes sent up the East River was not
ofton tied up while loaded to dock in the
lower part of the city, subject to shocks and
conclusions caused by the waves from pass
ing steamers what experiments were in
progress at the time Of the explosion /;
were the men engaged in handling the
nitro-glycerine experts at that work and
aware of the nature of the composition and
OF the facility with which it could be ex-
ploded by slight conclusion. All these
| questions mus; be answered before the pub
| lie will be satisfied. We want candor on the
part of the witnesses and intelligence and
zeal OF that Of the Coroner and his jury
| With both these elements secured ws can