The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-29
DYNAMITE DEALS DEATH.
SIX KILLED AND TWENTY-FIVE IN
JURBD BY AN EXPLOSION.

The Mouth of a Shaft of the Long
Island Tunnel Company the scene
OF the Accident - The Cartridges
Being Thawed Out When They Ex-
ploded.
LONG ISLAND CRY, N. Y, Dec. 2s-An
explosion, which shook the length and
breadth OF this city, occurred at o'clock
this morning. at the mouth Of shaft re-
Gently sunk by the New York and Long
Island Tunnel Company, In Fourth street,
causing the death Of six persons, fatally
in1uring two others, and wounding twenty
more.
The following is a complete list Of the
killed, 30 far as could be ascertaineda to-
night: Mary Gayden, aged 2l, waitress;
Henry O'Brien, Grover Clark, aged SO;
Mrs. Rococco. wife Of Petro Rococco, O
barber; John Hopkins, aged %. proprietor
Of q restaurant; Nicola Lodano, brother OF
Mrs. Rococco.
sOENE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The scene of the explosion Is the most
thickly settled portion of Hunters Point
In the vicinity are the Long Island Savings
Bank, Davrenas fiats,a row of 4-story brick
buildings the postofflce. Petro Roccoco's
barber shop. John Hopkins restaurant and
+. 2. LANES iewelry store. Next TO the
postoffice is Frank McDermott's saloon,
with two apartment floors above Seven-
teen families occupied these buildings.
The tunnel company's shaft 10 abous
25 feet long by - feet wide. A few feeb
beyond the lower end Of che mouth of the
shaft was n rude shed in which steam chests
for thawing out cartridges of explosives
were kept. This sned was within ten feet
OF the rear walls OF the postoffice and Bars
Der Rococcos rooms.
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
No one has yet been found who can tell
exactly how the explosion occurred, but the
following facts have been learned: Some
fifty cartridges of Forsyths powder had
been brought from the storage house ON
the meadows. early this morning to be
prepared for sending dowa to
the drillers working In the
heading which is being blasted
out under Fourth street at a depth OF
eighty-five feet. As the explosive was
frozen the foreman placed the cartridges in
steam chests to thaw them out They had
been there about fifteen minutes when the
explosion occurred aud all that was left of
the chests and sheds was few splinters.
A hole in the ground about three feet deep
by eight feet wide told the story OF its down.
ward force.
DaNFenhs uhUa SUFFERED Lne WOrSb OF toe
buildings In the neighborhood.
Broken glass did most of the mischief 90
the dead and wounded. One mAu's throas
was cut so he died instantly. Wounds from
that cause are innnmerable.
Many people were hurt by flying bricks
and splinters and by being caught under
falling walls and timoers.
FIRE BURSTS FORTH.
The horror OF the occasion was intensified
by the bursting out Of flames on the third
floor of one Of the apartment buildings.
The flames spread rapidly, aud before the
firemen got them under control nearly the
whole row Of buildings was Quilted.
The damage was not confined TO the flats.
For half a mile in every direction window
panes In stores and houses were blown out,
falling on the heads of many people passing
along the sidewalks, by which
means many were cut and other
wise injured, and SCORES of
men and women coHld be seen rushing TO
drug stores and DOCTORS offices TO have their
wounds attended TO. The sidewalks were
covered with broken glass. In many of the
stores articles were thrown from the shelves
and counters. At least twenty families
we're rendered homeless, most of them
losing everything they possessed sx-
cept few things on their backs.
Nine workmen were In the tunnel when the
explosion occurred. One of them said they
felt the shock and thought the shaft had
collapsed. 1t was nearly half an hour be-
fore any of them would venture TO inyestL-
gate and ask TO be drawn to the surface.