New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-29


THE, WRECKED BUILDING.
dent would have afforded as much qualification 70
the cynic as a well-meated bone would have
supplied 10 his counterpart III the canine family.
An enthusiastic fataist would have viewed with
genuine pleasure that scene of ruin, and regarded
IL as a forceful object lesson on the lines OF his
peculiar philosophy Certainly no thoughtful
person could traverse the streets of that neighbor
hood after the explosion without an increased
sarse 81 tba potency OF invisible forces in the
work of destruction \ peaceful community, con-
sisting of comparatively poor people, was, through
no fault Of its own, stricken with calamity
that came WITH the suddenness and awiulness
which cllaractcrizc the upheaval Of an earth
Quake The real horrors, in the sense of physical
silliciion and bodily distortion, accompanying
this explosion cannot he described. They are III
their details too repuSive and too sickeninS to
Justify any attempt 10 present the picture TO re-
fined readers Five human beings, who arose
from comfortable couchcs yesterday morning are
now mutiatcd corpscS, stretched on the cold SLABS
Of the morgue, while nearly four times that num-
Der are suffering from the anguish or palniul anu
in moro than one instance. of dangerous wounds
Tho SCENE Of the disaster is in Fourth-st., mid
way between jackson and Vernon avesr Long
Island CITY. Within a small nclosure men have
h.pD a
Is 10 reach a starting point for tunnel under
Tho East River. connecting New-York with Long
Island City for railroad purposes Tie tunnel
wa, started by syndicate of wealthy citizens
NJ Nev-Yorl OF which William Steinway is chair
man.
Ii is said that when operations were begun the
superintendent applied TO Mayor Gleason Tor per-
mission 10 store dynamite on the premises 'ht
the Mayor not only refused 10 grant the desired
permit hut gave specific orders tnat II Shoud
not be stored there or at any place IN thc
peirhborhood. 1t is alleged that the tunnel com
many. anxious to control the policy Of the Board
of Aldermen, who were bound by the cltys
charter 10 guard against explosives being storeu
IN the city, appointed one Of the members oil the
Board. Alderman James Comiskey. superintendent
Of the work at a salary Of $1,000 year. after
which the Board of Aldermen ignored every APP
peal made TO them by Mayor Gleason for measures
calculated 20 guard against the storing of eNplo-
sive> in the city
Peter McEntcc the foreman, with some laborers
went TO work in the yard yesterday morning.
There were several holes IN the rock in the shaft,
al ready for blasting. The dynamite cartridges
used for this purpose were frozen, and tic fore
man set about thawing them. This what he
says:
We put the dynamite on TO thaw in Tive
usual way as il was frozen ! don't know how
the thing occurred Tie first thing | knew was
when was thrown into the air. We kept the
dynamite in litte wooden box, five or six feet
square In the box was a coil Of steci pipe f.
by the engine at the mouth Of the shaft, and
having shelves Just above it to hold the boxes
Of frozen dynamite The process Of thawine the
explosive takes from one 70 two hours. 1t Was
abou: thawcd ont when the explosion occurred.
II .rl.+ 81 Inv 1,o
steam pipes such as often occurs in an Office
building where there are registers"
The tunnel laborTs had already descended the
Shaft. and Foreman McEntee remained above
ground awaiting the thawing ont Of the dynamite.
At exactly O'Clock a terrific noise threw tic
people for blocks around into panic Accom-
panying the noise the CHATTER of broken glass,
the swapping Of tinbcrs aud q trcInor which
seemed TO shake the foundations Of the ncighbor-
hood. Then followed rush Of people into the
streets women screamed children cried, and mca,
awe-strlcken AID pale with terror, stood looking
helpeSsy AZ one another
There seemed 10 be sort Of atmospheric wave
Of uncertainty sweeping through the avenues.
Glass in the big windows Of shops. which had
been cracked, fell in patches and driblcts every
now and then, serving to probing the reign Of fear.
Along Jaclson-ave. for distance Of five blocks
explosion the windows were cracked and those
IN the tower Of st. Mary's Church were broken
Tie Far Roc;away train just opposite the
spot, and was approaching the station when the
accident occurred. The coache, were struck by
flying pieces Of timber, and Ticket Agent Kelly
had narrow escape from injury The windows
in DR.. Denicr's drugstore on JacksOn-avc. were
broken and the contents Of the shop scattered
prOmiscuously about The front Of J.. Kr0nc's |
bakery, at Ncrnon-ave. and Fourth ST. was all |
blown In and the contents Of the shop tumblcl |
INTO the street. Mrs. Krone was sitting upstairs
with baby. and both were cut about the face |
with falling glass. Across F6urtl-st and Vernon
ave, the front windows Of the shop Of William
Brody, plumber and Thomas's restaurant. He'll |
mans hutchershop, and McCarty's liquor-storc /
were all blown in The office Of Mr. Van Ripper, !
builder was torn up. All the windows in Frank |
McDermott's liquor-store, Joseph Wrghts black |
Fnith shop. Wooiell's butchershop Weityel's |
becrshop, and JohnSons grocery were broken ard |
their doors blown in.
Ii il said that since the excavation was begun |
all the plate glass insurance companies have re-
fused 20 insure buildings near there IL is thought
that the loss from plate glass viii fall upon the
owners and tenants Of the buildings. az most
policies Of insurance expressly exempt losses from
explosions like This. There are many hairbreadth
escapes recorded One Of the Stcnway car, was
lifted clear of the track by the conclusion. and
the horse was thrown down. The driver how
THERE are 10000 families in and