The Morning herald., 1877-04-07
A rsnRIBLE ExPLOsYoE.

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A TE1RIBLE ExPLOsION.
NEW YoRK, April 6.-By tho explosion
Of hapd-greoade in their Office, George
W. Jewett and Orville d. Jcwett, members
Of . we'll known firm of white lead manu-.
fscturers, were killed, and Joseph A. Dean,
another partner in the house, was wounded.
Tho cause Of the explosion ID not known
with certainty, but the theory that oh.
tained most acceptance was that Oryille D.
Jewett was insane, and the tragedy was due
TO his act. He was armed with q revolver
and another revolver and q bowie knife
were found on the floor Of the Office. at
the STORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
Every one in and about Burling Slip was
startled on Thursday morning by the sound
Of an explosion and almost Immediately a
large thropg of people gathered In front Of
the business house Of John Jewett s. Sons.
white lead and linseed oil manufacturers at
Burling slip and Front street. Assistant
Foreman Martin Cook and Henry Murray of
Engine Company No. SO, who had just re-
tnrned from fire, upon hearing the cx-
plosion and seeing smoke issuing from the
back Office window, which was completely
shattered, rushed across the street With .
fire extinguisher, and ascending to the sec
ond floor passed into the office, where they
found George W. Jewett, the senior men,
Der of the firm, and Orville D. Jewett, his
nephew and partner, lying upon the floor,
iug from terrible lerSt and p wder, and bleed
just gasping his last, and the latter ap
psared unconscious. A moment after. Officer
Peter O'Donnel Of the First Precinct Police,
who was on duty at the Fulton Ferry when
the explosion occurred, came into the room
and gave assistance, Fireman Murray took
George ". .Jewett upin bis arms 10 remove
him'to tho front Office. inst then q second
explosion was heard, which was supposed
to be the discharge Of one Of the barrels of
six barrel Colts navy revolver, which was
found upon the floor near the bodies. 7
: A four barrelcd Sharp's revolver and q
hunterss bowie knife, about twelve inches
long when opened, lay near It. Officer O.
Donnel and Assistant Foreman Cook then
removed Orville D. Jewett into the inner
Office. Officer John j. Sullivan of the
Steamboat Squad, afterward came in and
was placed in charge Of the Premises by
Officer o 'Donnell, who went to the police
station to inform Capt. Petty and to sind
for an ambulance. .a r.' s.
In lees than fifteen minutes after the ex-
plosion Captain Petty had arrived With q
squad OF police, who were immediately
placed on duty to keep out the crowd of
people who wished to press into the building
An investigation was Immediately began
and 1t was discovered that the fragments
.oi the shell which had exploded, and which
reeembled the hand grenades used by the
police in the riots Of 1868, had damaged
the room in every part, showing that the
explosion was of great force. A piece Of
the shell was found to have passed through
the ceiling to the next floor above; another
had gone through door and tho partition
and another through the wainscotjng to the
brick WALL Pieces of The shell were also
found scattered over the floor of the office
and everywhere on books, desk, and fool
was thick coating of SCOT. The desks In
this rear Office, occupied respectively by
George W. Jewett, and Joseph A. Dean,
the second member of the firm, were par
TALLY demolished, and one of the windows
WAS completely shattered, the glass strew-
ing the pavement and the street. The
chairs were also mnch broken, and one oi
the splinters had been driven into the wood,
en- partition dividing the rear office from the
inner office. The sheet iron "blower''
which was in front of the crate, in which
there was coal fire, was pierced by piece
of the shell, and at the left Of the CRATE
the carpet was badly torn. !
The utmost CONSERVATION prevailed and
the tragedy still remains mystery.
Fpltome Of News.
A railroad accident In England resulted