St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-29
DEATH BY DYNAMITE.
Terrible Explosion in the En-
trance Of the East River
Tunnel,
Caused by an Attempt to
ThaW Out the Frozen
Explosives.
Tenement Houses Shattered,
Immediately Bursting
Into Flames.
Five Pepsous Killed and a
Five Persons Killed and a
Large Number Seriously
Wounded.
ssa1~ls.l.,s

LONG ISLAND CITY, l.. l., Dee. 2S.-
Just in the rear of a row of tenements,
ENos. 81, %, 25, 81 and 20 Jackson ave-
nue., is the entrance to tunnel that the
/ New York City & Long Island Tunnel
company is putting dnder the East
river between this city and the New
York Central depot. They use great
tlaeal of dynamite in blasting and last
night the dynamite froZe. When the
gang Of men started to work this
morning they found it would be
necessary to thaw the dynamite out and.
taking three barrels Of cartridges from
the stock. placed them just back of the
tenements to be thawed. The cartridges
were put in box four feet square,
through which steam pipes run. and
then, with Foreman MeEntee 10 oversee
the thawing process, the gang entered
the shaft. How the explosion occurred
is not definitely known, but tpresnmably
the pipes became too hot. At 8 O'Clock
the explosive was set off, scattering
lSdeath and destruction around it.
Tunnel Men Escape.
The shock was like an earthquake, but
the men in the tunnel shaft were not
hurt. The persons living in the tene-
ments made up the killed and injured.
The tenements from 81 to go were shat
tered, with the stores and offices below.
The postoffice was in 27. The letter
cases were wrecked into strips and
clerks were hurled along in the debris.
Immediately after the crash wave of
fire swept through the lower part of the
tenements. 1t cut off all possibility of
escape through the entrances of the
building. Some of the stunned. bleed
ing tenants managed to crawl to the
windows and make their escape In that
way.
The explosion was heard all over Long
Island city. Large plate glass windows
were shattered as far away as four
blocks from the scene of the explosion.
Just across the street doors were blown
off their hinges, counters overturned
and persons knocked Senseless. Scores
of persons were injured In this way
that the authorities have heard nothing
about. Two blocks and half from
where the explosion took place stands a
five story brick store building and tene-
ment. The explosion blew out every
window light in the front of the top
floor. When the excitement had some
what abated prompt search was made
for the unfortunate, resulting as fol-
lows:
Killed and Injured.
Dead-Mary Grayden, Henry O'Brien,
Mrs. Rocco, John Hopkins, Nicola
Ionano.
Partial List of Wounded-Mrs. Julia
Henry. cut in the throat and head and
hands eby glass and received severe
shock; Peter McEntee, head, legs and
armsterfibly injured and several bones
broken: ,s.. Mary Herr, cut about
the head nd arms; Daniel Maher,
cut abol head and body and lost
left eye; ary Creighton, lost an eye
and terribly cut about the head-will
probably die; Edward Delaney, skull
fractured, both eyes injured-will prob
ably die; Petro Rocco. cut about head
and body; Joseph Way, back pune
tured; Minnie Davren, serious injuries
to head and body; John Dayren, cut
about the head and face; John w. Day-
rem. cut about head and hands; Miss
Matilda Ryan, cut about the head; John
Purcell, injured by falling timbers;
William johnson, cuts and bruises Oh
head and body; James Murphy, cuts on
head; Mrs. Mary Rogers and son, John
Rogers, both badly cut about the head;
Max Hayes, seriously cut on back OF
head; Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Wildey, cuts
on head Mrs. Kate OBrien, face and
hands cut; William Krepp, head badly
cut. John Palmer, head and hands cut;
Mrs. Stein and daughter, three years
old, both seriously cut, and the child
lost one eye; Aid. James Compkey,
ieaQ cut. s-,.=-, se r-ss