The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-12-29
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
Caused by the Explosion OF Dyna.
mite Cartridges.

LONG ISLAND CITY. Dec. 2S AT s
O'Clock this morning qusntity of dyna
mite exploded near the shaft sunk for
the new East river tunnel near the juno
ton Of Jackson and Vernon avenues
this city The explosion set fire to the
four story brick building adjoining and
shattered every pane of glass IN the
buildings for many ocks around A,
9 O'Clock nine bodies were reported 10
have been taken from the shaft. A
score or more of persons were injured by
the falling timbers, glass. etc.
The explosion was so terrific thai
nearly every building on Jacas m avenue,
from Fifth street To b den avenue, WAS
-ither destroyed or damaged. Those in
be viciuiiy at the time Of the explosion
say that the shock which followed wa,
ike an earthqnskr. The tenement
houses 21 and 80 Jackson avenue were
battered. The stores and offices below
we're destroyed. The stoffice was Ia
No. % The mails are buried beneath
tons Of ruins. When The explo sion &C
cured the letter cases We're knockei into
strips and the clerks hurled headloug in
he debris Some of the stunned and
bleeding tenants managed t" crawl to the
LIVER windows and make their escape In
hat way. The people killed were all IN
heir h mes. which were contigu us t.
he scene of the explosion. Henry
O'Bfien, one OF the killed had his
hroat cut from ear 70 sar aud his face
was badly mutilated by flsing glass
The explosion occurr. d in the rear of
The works Of the New York and l. ,ng
Island tunnel company. which is huiit
ng q tunnel between this city and The
New York central depot. A grea, quan
'ity of dynsmite is used In blasting
Last night the dynamite froze. The men
leeded some this morning and placed
three barrels of cartridges just back of
the tenements to be tbawed out. Tnen
they built bon fire be iie the cartridges
| The fire burned nearer to the dynamit,
than was intended and the result was III,
explosion.
Ali the workmen were engaged in the
unnel when the explosion occurred
| None of them were Injured. The cnpolt
of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church OF
| Vernon avenue was smashed TO pieces
So far AS can be learned the following
were killed: Vary Grader. aged 10
Mrs Rocer. Henry O'BrIen. All tn
killed received fractured skulls an
were horribly cut 10y glass.
The injured were ais, badly cut from
the broken windows Fifteen were in
jred. Directly opposite the scene o
the explosion was a row Of tenement
occupied by fifteen families. Ever
apartment was wrecked and the debri
caught fire from overturned stoves
Tue scene following the explosion wa
terrible. Men. women ana ch ldren
only partly clad, rushed wildly fror
every p lssible exit in the greatest excite
ment, screaming loudly The dl>trlc
where the explosion occurred is the mos
IN ckly inhabited section of the city
} For half mi e, Jackson aud Verno
avenues present q peculiar sight. Hardi
> An unbroken pane Of glass can be foun
within that radius Gray's refrigerat,
] factory on Fourth street, opposite II
scene of the * Jlosion, was almo
wrecked A number Of people were
work in the building at the time, bl
now many Of them were injured is n,
known.
At least twenty families were rendere
homeless, most Of them losiug z everythIr
they possessed except the few thugs ,
heir backs.