Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-05-23
BLOWN TO ATOMS
A Carload of Dynamite Explodes
With Horrible Effect.
Eighteen Worlmen Killed and as Many
Moro Terribly Mangled-Several of
the Victims Blown High Into
the Air and Fall Into River
Cause of the Explosion.

TARRYTowN, N. Y, May 2O.--A car
laden with dynamite obe used in blast
ing on the Hudson River railroad sud-
denly exploded few miles below here
yesterday morning, wreclSing every
thing In the vicinity, tearing up all the
tracks of the road and blowing to atoms
thirty men. Some were hurled dead to
great distance in the river. The fire.
man of the locomotive of the train was
blown with the tender of the locomotive
into the river.
The force of the explosion was ter
rife. The ground trembled as though
from an earthquake, the walls of sew
eral Tarrytown houses were shaken and
cracked and in Tarrytown streets the
window glass fell in showers to the side
walk. In Tarrytown scores of clocks
stopped and it is in this way that al
most the exact hour of the explosion,
11:2O, is fixed. A spark from a passing
engine is believed to have caused the ex-
plosion.
All traffic on the Hudson River rail-
road was stopped, The shock of the ex-
plosion was felt for miles in all direc-
tions and it is impossible to indicate the
extent of the damage. The load of
dynamite was on fiat car of con-
struction train and was to be used, in
building third track.
At 2o'clock the remains of nine Ital-
ians and two Americans who were
killed outright were lying at the station
here, where they had been carried by
| the crowd engaged in moving the
| Id al oil
died after being taken to the station
and twenty-three badly injured work.
men were also removed to the station.
More than twenty are still missing.
Those killed outright were literally
blown to pieces and were horribly mu-
tilated. Some wounded men had their
arms blown away others are minus
legs while others were dismembered in
equally horrible manner. NL
The italian laborers working on the
road are generally known by numbers
and it is impossible at present to give
names. A large number of physicians
from Tarrytown, Irvington, Dobbs Fer
ry and Yonkers are attending the
wounded. The explosion occurred mid
way between Irvington and Tarrytown.
The Italians who were employed in eX-
tending the roadbed had removed the
dynamite from the car and placed it
alongside of the tracks. They set a blast
and the conclusion of the blast exploded
the dynamite. Travel is entirely. sus-
pended between Irvington and Tarry-
town.
Two more bodies have been taken
from the river, making seventeen thus
far known to have been killed. " At 8
o'clock train with twenty-four injured
left for New York in charge of eight
physicians. Superintendent Mccoy said
that trains would be running by 6 p. IN.
by switching to the down track, but it
will be some time before the up track
can be opened for traffic.
From later reports received from the
scene of the accident it would seem that
instead of thirty-three men being on
board the ill-fated train the number
was nearer fifty. The following is a
partial list of the dead and wounded
whose dead or mangled bodies have
been recovered Killed: John McCar-
thy, timexeeper, of North Tarrytown;
Frank Morrissey, who had charge OF
the dynamite, of Peekskill; brakeman
Jonn omILn; uIJeen ltalll Ms, hameS un-
known.
Injured: George Herrick, engineer;
, Leo Pau, fireman, of Stattsburg; Con-
ductor Connor, of East Albany; brake
man, name unknown; Ed Finnegan, OF
Peekskill; Brakeman Fisher, of Croton;
, Michael Mccormick, blacksmith; T..
Finnegan, blacksmiths helper; also a
dozen or more Italians.
New York. May superintendent
Voorhees,, of the New York Central
railroad, says that the first reports OF
: the explosion near Tarrytown2 were
greatly exaggerated; that only six men
were killed and twenty hurt. The ex-
plosion was not caused by dynamite but
by black powder which was stored on
the first car Just behind the locomotive.
The train was going at full speed. at the
ne the expl osion occurred. nv