Grand Rapids herald., 1892-12-29
SIX BLOWN TO BITS
Awful Dynamite Explosion at
Long Island City.
TwENTY-sIx PERSONS INJURED
Tunnel Work men Undertake 20 Thaw
Out ths Frozen Explosive and Fifsy
Sucks Of Il Expiodes.

hkean earthquake killed five persons.
fatally injured three and badly hurt
ten others, occurred Al o'clock this
morning. The police nzure up that
there will be ten deaths from the expio-
Aon as all of the lve reported as fatally
injured will die.
The explosion occurred In the rear OF
four tenements IN Jackson avenue. q
street IN the center OF Long Island City.
just back OF these houses Is the en-
trance 10 tas tunnel that the New York
City aud Long Island Tunnel company
Is digging under the east river. between
this city and the New York Central
depot. They use a great deal OF dyna-
mite in blasting 10 the work. Last
night the dynamite troEe. The men
needed some and placed three barrels
OF cartridges just back or the tenements
70 % thawed out. Then they built 3
mrs beside them. Fire and dynamite
were thereupon left alone and twenty
men went down into the tunnel shaft
10 work. The ire burned near to the
dynamite and set il OF. The shock
that followed was Ike an earthquake.
The men IN the tunnel shaft Were
not hurt. The persons living IN the
tenemens made up toe killed and ia
lured The tenements from Nos. 2l to
- were shattered, with the stores anu
offices below. The postoffice Was IN
No -. The letter cases were Knocked
into strips and the clerks we're hurled
headloUg into the debris Immediately
after the crash y wave OF nre swept
through tue lower part of the tene-
Ineuts. IL cur Oft all possibility OF es-
cape through the entrances to the
buildings. some of the stunned and
oleedsng tenants managed to crawl To
the windows aud make their escape IN
that way. The police believe that
many mangied bodies will DO taken
from the debris.
Windows Broken Over Two Blocks on.
Just across the street doors were
blown oil their hinges, counters over
turned and inmates 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 fve-story brick building and
tenement. The shock tore out every
window light N the front of the top
floor. The police station and fire de-
partment were near the place, and men
were not long IN getting to work. Am
balances came with them and num-
ber OF apparently lifeless bodies were
taken TO ST. johns hospital. The body
OF one woman waf carried into q chop
across the street and the corpse OF =
man was taken to- the police station.
Business was entirely suspended IN
Long Island City and 5000 people sur
rounded the ruins.
Directly opposite the scene OF the ex-
ploaon was row OF tenements, occu-
pied by fifteen families. Every apart
mens was wrecked and the debris
caught tire from the overturned stoves.
The scene following the explosion was
terrible. Men, women and children
only partially clad rushed wildly from
every possible exit IN the greatest ex-
cstemeut. screaming loudly.
The q strict where the explosion oc-
Cured - tue most thicklv inhabited
section of the city. For half q mile
Jackson and Vernon avenues present q
peculiar sight. Hardly an unbroken
pane Of glass can be found within that
radius. Gray's Refrigerator factory on
Fourth street, opposite the scene OF the
explosion, was almost completely
wrecked. 4 number of people were At
work IN the building At the time, but
how many of them were injured IT ~
nos at present known. When the ex-
plosi0n occurred all the wOrkmen were
in ths tunnel except McIntre, who was
placed in charge OF the dynamite at
tAe head of the tunnel. i, Is believed
he was blown to pieces.
Another Account
Lone ISLAND Cry. Dec. 2s.-An ex-
plOsson which shook the length and
breadth OF this city took place at 3
O'Clock this r, 0rnIng, az the mouth of
the shaft recently sunk by the New
York q Long Island Tunnel company.
IN Fourth street, causing the death of
fivs persons. fatally luluring two others
and vounding twenty more.
The following is q complete LIST OF
the killed and wounded 40 far IA could
ho sscertsined up TO . O'Clock tonight.
The dead Mary Graydou, aged 81, a
waitress; Henry VRrien. grocer clerk,
aged So, Mrs. Rocco, wife OF Petro
Rocce. barber: John Hopkins,
aged p, proprietor of = restaurant;
Ilcols IsdonO. brother of Mrs. Rocco
wounded. Mrs. Juhs Henry. cut in
the throat. head and hands by glass,
and received severe shock. Peter Nc
Eatee. head. legs aud arms terribly
cut and seversi tones broken: Mrs.
Mary Msher. sged so. cut about head
and arms. DsnIei Maner. aged G5. cut
about head and body and lost left eve:
Mary Creighton, aged 70. lost ga eve
and terribly cut about head, will prob
shiv die. Edward Delaney. aged IL.
skull fractured both eyes IN jured. viii
urnbablv de: Pete Rocco. aged a.. cut
about head and body. Joseph W-v.
aged "a. back puncturst. Minnie Dsv-
r~n. aged "a. serious injuries 60 head and
bndy. Joan psvren. father Of
Minnie psvren. cus about head and
face: John W. pavren, cat about bead
.nt hands; MISS Matilda RYAN. aged
fq. cut about head. john Purcell. seri-
ously injured by falling tmDsrs. VII
ism Iohnslu. cuts and bruises on head
sni body James Murphy. lsborsr. cuts
o. head Mrs Mary Rogers sna sen
fona Rogers. both badly cut about the
head. Max Hsyes. baker. seriously cut
on back Of heat Mr. and Mrs.. Frank
Wildey. cuts on head, Mrs. Kate
OrBrisn. wffa of Henry o. Rrien. who
ws- killed. face and hands cut. Mrs
Stein and daughter, three years Old,
both seriously Gus and the child lost
an ere: Alderman James COmiskyr
bead eus.
s~~.~ - she Disaster
The scene Of tbe explosion = the
r-,nsf fhts,kfv rgrs4i sfst norton Of