The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-29
JUST LIKE An EARTHQUAKE
Long Island City Badly Shaken
by Dynamite.
FIVE PERSONS ARE KILLED.
A Large Number of Buildings De.
stroyed by the Explosion.
Fire Breaks Out in the Ruins and Adds
Horror to the scene-Many People In
jured in the Panic-Fire Bugs Use
Bombs in Milwaukee.

LONG ISLAND CITY, L. l., Dec. 2S.-
Just in the rear of the row of tenements
numbered from q to 20 Jackson avenue,
dis the entrance to the tunnel that the
New York City, Long Island & Tunnel
company is putting under East river be-
tween the city and the New York Central
depot. The dynamite used in blasting
froze last night and when the men started
to work this morning they tried to thaw
the dynamite out. Taking three barrels
OF dynamite they placed it behind one of
the tenements and built roaring fire be-
side it and the fire and dynamite were
left alone while the men went down the
tunnel shaft. The fire burned nearer the
dynamite than had been supposed it
would and at s o. clock there was a terri
BILE explosion that scattered death and
destruction around it. The shock was
like an earthquake. The men in the
tunnel were not hurt but persons
living in the tenemsnts made up the
list of killed and injured.
The explosion was so terrific that nearly
every building on Jackson avenue from
Fifth street to Barden avenue was either
destroyed or badly damaged. The struc-
lures include the postofice and Sylveska
& Co. factory. A fire Immediately
started inthe debris.
Many of those injured sustained hurts
by rushing out of the houses when the
explosion occurred and being struck by
falling timbers and other debris. The
shock of the explosion was like an earth
quake and to add to the excitement the
wreck took fire and quickly began blazing
fiercely. The tenements21 to 20, Jackson
avenue. are shattered, with stores and
offices below. The postoffice was in No.
q. The mails are buried beneath tons of
ruins and are certain to be ruined by
water if not burned.
When the explosion occurred the letter
cases were knocked into strips and the
clerks hurled reeling into the debris. A
wave OF flame seemed to sweep through
the lower part of the tenements immedl
ately after the explosion. Some stunned
and bleeding tenants managed to crawl to
the lower windows and make their es-
cape. The killed were all in their homes
near the point of the explosion. The fire.
man carried out those too badly hurt, or
too badly scared to move. The explosion
was caused by the attempt of workmen to
mite cartridges with bonfire in the rear
of the tenements. 1t is said the post
master saved all the valuable letters in the
office.
Directly opposite the scene of the ex-
plosion was row of tenements occupied
by fifteen families. Every apartment was
wrecked and the debris Immediately
caught fire. The scene following was
terrible. Partially clad men, women and
1I,i cI,al
bic exit, screaming loundly. 1t is one of
the most thickly settled districts in the
city. For half mile on Jackson and Yer
non avenues there is scarcely pane of
unbroken glass. Gray's refrigerator fac
tory on Fourth street, opposite the scene,
was completely wrecked and number OF
employees injured. At noon the fire was
still raging in the ruins, the fire depart
ment being totally unable to cope with it.
Five dead bodies were taken from the
ruins. About fifty persons were wounded,
many OF them seriously.