The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-07
BLACK TOM"

oMENED spoT-A HARDoR FOR RIvEI
| THIEVES
little past midnight Sunday morning the residents
Of Jersey City. Communpaw. Bayonae and Green VII,
were startled by terrific explosion, which, while no
SCATTERING tho glass in the windows IN the houses
still seemed TO shake the foundations OF the buid.ng
and generally aroused the Inhabitants ia the Localities
named The sound OF tho explosion also hearo
in New York, causing much speculation MS to the
origin, which remained unsatisied yesterday, q;
the morning journals contained nothing Ia relation
the affair." An investigation by the reporters OF the
HERALD developed tho following facts and the test,
mony OF eyewnesscs OF tho Gre and those who foil
the shock OF the explosion will be found OF interest
"RLAcR TOM"
There IL strip OF land OF irregular shape lying Il
the southwest Of Bcdioe's Island 10 New York Bay
with tile above wno enns cned /, Is a mys
terry. but certainly the cognomcn is appro prate for
moro dcsoiatc. sodden. swampy Ind dismal piece oil
land II Is difficult ind about the beautiful bar
For, years II was used as dumping ground
Tor the garbage and refuse OF this city.
and even now II is said that the
scows belonging to tho department which has charge
OF deposng tho Nal OF the city beyond Sandy Hook
take occasion TO save expense by dumping a cargo
now and then Black Tom. However this may be,
a q matter OF acithe excrescence for a number OF
years has been the abiding place OF thieves river
pirates. men in hiding from the laws OF New jersey
Long Island and Now York justice and has the uncarny
reputation among tho rude and superstitious fisher
and unleered inhabitants OF the shores either
sioc OF IL. OF being haunted. For some time back
Black Tom has the place OF manufacture OF nitro.
gyccrino and giant powder. Mr. r. W. Warren,
Office Is at No. Bowling Green, this city, was
the OF the island, and is tho same
gentleman who furnished tie bulk OF tho ex.
plosives which were successful at He'll Gate,
as well as the contractor for removing the
icc-by oxp!osioD--in the Delaware River al
Port Jervis, n. y. His headquarters, 80 far as
learned, are now at Reno, IN Pennsylvania, in the
midst OF the oil mining regions where great auanti-
ties. of n,ro-gycerne cartridges used in blowing
out old wells and increasing tho capacities of new
ones through the destructive agents manufactured
upon this island.
AS before stated there was fire noticed about MD.
night on this omcned strip Of lard. II was plainly
visible from the Battery. all along the Jersey shore
from Bayonnc TO Jersey city. but tho police and ct
zens took but little notice OF II, thinking only
likely 10 destroy tho two three shaky aud miserable
explosion shook the r followed BY the tossing Of
burning cmbers into heavens and an eruption OF
cloud Of pyrotechnlc sparks Then darkness settled
on the spot, ana nothing out inc smoulderns REM
nauts oil the miserable huts renamed.
40 LOSS or
Fortunately the island was deserted the human IN
haban,s having taken up their abode Tor the ner
Company, oil works, whose tanks are directly oppo
site TO the island said 10 reporter last evening ~
the lire, aud police officer in Communipaw told
me that II was on Black Tom ! iosrful
that IL might communicate 10 tho oil tanks
OF the company OH tho Jersey shore, blu. our
watchman assured mo that there no danger of
mis-. soon alter tho explosion occurred. am quito
certain there was nobody on tho island the time,
The worxmcn who were engaged IN tho manufacture
OF nitro2lycerine generally went TO the mainland in
the evening. There was fisherman ana his
son living on the place during the sum.
m / Mt In mo cd
| to Staten Island when the cold weather set
The island was the resort Of desperate characters
police. IL is currently believed hercabout that
Moshcr and his companion who abducted Charley
wcro hunting for them !. was not long
since that cries OF 'Muraer!" startled tho In.
hsbitants Of this ncishoorhood, and when a
| remnants Of n woman's clothing were found. The
circumstances At the time were narrated In the
| HERALD but no authentic particulars OF violence
could be traced Only last summer two desperadocs
| were maltreating woman there and some u tho
! TO protect ner, but the rulnns escape
THE EXPLOSION IN JERSEY.
Officer Gerrtthey Of the Fourth precinct OF Jersey
City, has mako hts rounds In the neghb0rhood OF
tho snore. embracing some Of the lonelest parts OF
| Communpaw. He said TO the reportcr:-"rhe iro was
shanty on tho south end Of Black Tom called tho
attention OF Sergeant simmons to IT, He was duty
at the police station during the evening. but met him
| later. supposed ut nrst that some trunps bad
characters who are In the habit OF infestinY tho
| place had kindled fire there, but about twelve
| O'Clock, when ] was IN the neighborhood OF ST.
| Paurs Church, heard the explosion ana felt the
| shock. Then knew that tho giant powder, us tho
people call 4 here mad exploded There was q great
rumble, a sheet OF lame aud sound nko cDnnon. 1
saw tho bits OF timber high ia the air all was
quiet again. There was only ono explosion
officer Hunt whose beat com mences where that
OF the nrst namod officer leaves or sad''l was frst
appriscd OF the urc and thought but little OF IT, as II
was ns Day ana S as on oa as the oil works
tho explosion distinctly and knew shat the danger.
Gus compounds on Black Tom had caused IT, There
seemed TO os pressure OF air. sort OF trembling
then the grand crash ss II hundred guns had burst
~ once"
at Communipaw, md saw tho proprietor. He
stated that Mr.. Warren, ths owner rcputed
owner OF tho lslaud, had lived Ut his hotel Tor
and although his none was nearly Two miles from
Black Tom every window In his establishmen ratified
apou. his ssrs from the exnIo.,on. 1'H liz
knew that nisro.gy cerine was made the place In.
dicated and his theory was that ~ IN It's manuisc-
turo u had TO be kept soft, some spark from fire
heating room had reached the dangerous CON-
pound and caused the combustion. On beng re-
minded that scientific persons declared nitro.
glycernc would not explode III contact with
ire Dir Keiser shook his head, and said
those ideas were exploded IN Germany long ago.
He added that Mr. Brown former partner OF Mr. War
and interested with him In tho man uiacture OF
hign explosives met his death there, with three 9TH
remembered correctly, tho cause attributed to
nre and not to conclusion or friction
A DISMAL PLACE
Al a late hour Inst night u reporter, after much
difficulty ana something tangible IN the shape of
BRIDE, persuaded Two brothers to row him over
the wharf OF the National Storage Company to the
black and dismal spot lying under the lea OF Bed
ioe's Island where the explosion occurred. The dig
lance was not over half a mile, but the ghost
stories told during the time occupied reaching IT,
well as the Keen WIND OF the night, made the
writer's teeth chatter before he placed his feet tho
shore oil Black Tom. he place seemed deserted,
however; there were still few cmbers shantcs
burning siugeishly IN places, ana no sign OF a human
creature abou the place II was imposs Die to explore
II fully, as the island now measures nearly twcniy
acres, but IN most places alter the frozen soil Is
broken through, save on a lew beaten wagon roads,
the subsoi. put mud and mass OF garbage in which
tho feet are pitfaed All seemed IN ruin. ana tvon
where the remaining glycerlnc or explosives were
stored was not known or would not be told by the
unwilling guides, who seemed to prefer TO turn the
hight o! their lantern upon their boat rather than tow
ard the other extremity OF Black Tom
Passengers down on the late staten Island boat de-
clare the explosion have been terrible and the
migration plainly seen al the Battery befnre the boat
lett the pier ut Whitehall one man told the reporter
that the conclusion was heard by him at the hour