New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-02
WAS 1T DONE BY DYNAMITE !
NEITHER GAS NOR STEAM BLEW UP THE
THE ENGINE HOUSE.

THE ENGINE HOUSE.
OFFICIALS OF THE EQUITABLE GAS COMPANY Ex-
ANIME THE RUINS AND MAKE UP THEIR MINDS
THAT NITRo-GLYCERINE CAUSED THE WRECK
GROUNDS FOR THEIR BELIEF.
Investigations made yesterday throw new and
a startling light on the explosion in the engine
house of the Equitable Gas Company at First-ave.
and Forty-frst-st Colonel Robert NJ G. Graham,
the president of the company, arrived at the scene
of the explosion about 2 o'clock yesterday morn
ing and remained till after dark last night. Ac-
companied by other officials of the company and
by General RoOme, president Of the Consolidated
Gas Company, w. II. Bradley, gas expert, and
J. R. Floyd. well-lsnown gas inventor he made
thorough examination of the ruins. From the
appearance Of the debris and from the peculiar,
sclxly smell that hung over them, only one con-
clusion could be reached. The explosion was not
caused by steam. The steam boilers and steam
pipes were intact. Neither was it caused by gas;
because the gaspipes and tanks were perfectly
sound Dynamite was the cause Of the wreck.
How the dynamite was got into the engine
house still remains to be found out. The officials
lean to the belief that small bomb was thrown
from the street and that providentially Its
strength ha been miscalculated. The destruction
of the whole of the gas works had been aimed at,
1t was thought.
The exact character Of the ruins could not
PECULIAR EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSION
possibly be asccrtain,d directly after the expIo-
sion. In the first place it was dark night, ana
again, the fast-falng snow covered the wreck.
The snow was washed away by the heavy fain'
and it could then be that the effects OF the
explosion had been peculiar The gang OF work
mon who early in the day began to remove the
rubbish had to clear away the woodwork ana the
broken glass in shovelfu!s. The wood was
splintered into small pieces, like toothpicks ana
kindling wood. The glass was shattered into
fragments so minute that they crunched' under
foot like frozen snow.
There were fifty men employed under the d.
rection of L. j. Enfcr superintendent of the
works, and Assistant Superintendent ii. W. Jacopi'
A squad of policemen from Captain Ryan's pre-
cinct rendered valuable assistance. The workers
directed their first efforts to getting at the engine
at which Frank Plaisted the missing engineer,
had been on duty. About half past 10 O'Clock
they were successful They found the poor fellow,
faithful to the last with his hand stu graSpmg
curious features of the explosion made Itself
apparent
THE BODY NOT MANGLED.
As has been already mentioned the engine was
intact, and the man was also whole. Ills face was
terribly dscolored. His clothing hung from HIM
in tatters, and through the rents the burned ana
blackened flesh was revealed. He had without
doubt died instantaneously. but he had died from
shock and burning and had not been manged Dy
the force of the explosion. The body was remover
to the MOrgue, and aftcrward taken to the under-
takers shop of Edward s. Fern, at No. "a as1 Las9
Forty-ffth-st. 1t was there washed and dressed
and was taken late in the afternoon to no, 44o
West Forty ninth st. the unfortunate mans home,
as the cause of death. Paistcd was sober, steady
man, of whom his employers speak in the highest
terms lie had only been six weeks WITH In tn the
ter He was torn in New, Hampshire and was
about theirty years old. He will be buried at
Park on tss Movfn Mtn sS Mo-
f. and A. NJ, of which he was senior warden.
The reports published yesterday as to the NUM-
bcr OF men missing and believed TO have persncd
had fortunately no foundation in fact, Paisted
was the only victim. Jai.es Campbell, the fire,
man, who was wounded by flying glass, sent WORD
to the cOmpanys Office early In the IOrehooh lh'C
James Kane. the car-drver who had his leg
broken and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, was
said to be as well as could be expected
ALL FAVOR THE DYNAMITE THEORY.
A reporter talked with the officials of the Equit-
able Company on the dynamite theory. They all
.poke with tic air of men absolutely convinced
of the correctness of their belief and though they
avoided commit ting themselves as to whether they
suspected any discharged employe or other person
who might have a grudge against them, their
manner showed that it was not improbable that
they will soon indicate to the police line OF In
vestigation which will result in the detection OF
the offender.
President Graham said: had some experience
with the use of nitro-glycerne at Hell Gate. Its
smell is unmstakablc and recognized 1t at once
when | went among the ruins. 1t Is KIND Oh
sweet odor which will cause headache III you
breathe it long enough. have positive reasons
for believing that this was no gas explosion;
There were two engines in the engne-r00in, ana
as you can see they both standing, The other
gas and steam fittings are all there The explosion
produced no bacll-up" at all, and what 1t de-
stroyed is reduced to smithereens" ,o,
Have Won anv suspicion as to the criminal?'
"Well, we would rather keep that to ourselves
at present. We will give the case TO the pohce
Immediately, and you may rest assured that we
will spare neither effort nor money to bring the
miscreant to justice. The loss to the stockholders
will be comparatively trilIing $4,000 or $4,000
will cover it at the outside including. OF course
iomc claims for damages that may have to be
satisfied"
Superintendent Enfer and Assistant Superin-
,endent jacob made similar statements. The
EMPLOYEES at the gas works include men OF all
nationalities. All who have been discharged have
1ot been kept track of. but none have been sent
AWAY without good cause.
Police Captain Ryan when asked about the case
aid that he knew nothing about explosives ana
could form no opinion. Plaisted's relatives told
he reporter that. so far as they knew. he had no
enemies and had not ousted anyone from the
works who might want TO "lay him ont
The Consolidated Gas Company came to the as
sistance of the Equitable yesterday In supplying
customers by connecting their mains. The broken
windows in the neighborhood of the Equitable
works were stopped up yesterday with al sorts
OF odds and ends to keep out the rain. Rerorts
hat have come in from neighboring tow's show
that the force of the explosion felt around
Jhis city within circle with large radius.
SHAKEN Up BY 4 GiS EXPLOSION.