New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-22
DYNAMITE BREAKS WINDOWS
AN EXPLOSION IN BROOKLYN CAUSES A
BIG SCARE.

AN EhPLOSlON In bttOOhhif<
BIG SCARE.
THE ARBucKLE BROTHERS USE IT TO BLAST
ROCKS IN WELL IN THE REAR OF THEIR
NEW SUGAR REFINERY. AND FOR
SOME UNEXPLAINED CAUSE
PART OF 1T GOES OFF.
Eight and one-half pounds OF dynamite ex-
ploded with terrific force In the rear or the ne"
eight-story sugar refinery just completed al fiy
mouth and Jay SITS. Brooklyn, by the Arpuckle
Brothers, who fighting the Sugar trust
The explosion shattered every window In the
rear of the new building, blew down drill
shed. and blew in nearly every window for two
blocks around. s. J. Gallagher. an employe or
Arbuckle Brothers, narrowly escaped DEATH ana
Thomas Lowery, another employe. was knocked
down. but neither Of the men was hurt Inc
front Of the saloon Of william MCGOWAN, at
Plymouth and Jay SITS. was partly demolished
and a crowd Of men drinking at the bar scat
tered in every direction.
It was rumored that the explosion killed some
unknown man who was handling the dynamite
at the time but az fragments OF a body
have been found It is impossible to tell whether
there was a fatality or not.
The dynamite was in an S-inch pipe at the
time OF the explosion and pieces Of the pipe
were sent whistling over the roofs and into the
fronts Of the houses In the neighborhood. The
Arbuckle Brothers are sinking a well in big
vacant lot Just In the rear OF their new build
Ing, to supply the building with water. The
well Is down three hundred feet. over the we'll
is a drill tower and the usual machinery for
drilling purposes A twenty horsepower en-
CINE is close 10 the we'll, but there Is no boiler.
the steam being supplied to the engine from the
Arbuckl. factory. Two days ago the dynamite
which the workmen use In loosenins the rock
a, the bottom OF the well frozc solid, and yes
terday afternoon the worknen placed their
dynnmit. under n heap Of manure to thaw It
out gradually. II was In fairly good condi-
ton yesterday afternoon. and Gallagher. the
foreman Of the gang. took between eight and
nine pounds Of II and wrapping It In paper.
showed II into an S-inch pipe twenty feet long.
which Is used to lower the dynamite to the bot
tom Of the well.
This pipe with the dynamite inside. lay on
the ground about thirty feet from the drill shed
last night, at $40 o'clock. when Lowery. who
was doing night duty stepped from the drill
shed and walked toward IL before he noticed that
from the end Of the pipe there was Issuing
blue fame. lie started TO r'In. when suddenly
there was binding fash and deafening report
and LOwcry tum5lcd over and over on the
ground. 1t was dark that he was unable TO
sec anything about HIN. and he says he does
not know whether or not there was any one
else beside himself near the pipe when the ex-
plos!on took place. Gallagher the foreman. was
inside the shanty. looking over the time books.
TIL. explosion tore down the shanty and sent the
spiinters all around him. but he was unframed
The lot had been surrounded by high fence
II
lected to see what had happened. there was no
fence to bother them. and They walked up to the
disma-tled .hnnty and to the bewildered men
without hindrance
A block OF dwellings near by Is called Goldfish
Row" Here the explosion caused considerable
damage Nearly every window in the row was
blown IN. and the occupants 81 the houses were
badly frightened. The sidewalk along the row
vas covered with broken glass. and every house
holder WAS kept busy for hours patching up
broken windows.
IN. police verc soon the scene. but there
was nothing Tor them 10 DO. When an examina-
ton was made OF the rear OF the new sugar re-
auery. I was found that all the windows had
been shattered. but that seemed TO be the ex
tent Of the dafnase Near ne scene o; the acc-
~. Bliss Manufacturing Company's shops. smith
Brothers boiler works. the -e Comtc Machine
Works. srd other manufacturing establish
ment- BEYOND having window glass broken.
none Of these works were damaged.
The explosion was heard plainly all over
brooklyn. and particularly along the water
front. Th- 1rst report that reached Police
Headquarters was that a tug had exploded In
the Nsvy Yard.
IN atterp; WAS made n see John Arbuckle
last night. hu. IL was unsuccessful
Gallagher and 1towery a"e not able - explain
how the dynamite wns exploded When IL was
found 20 lie frozen on Monday morning. II was
thawed our In the safest way possible by using
manure There Wild ruwor that the
dynamite was Intentionally exploded but the
prevailing opinion last night was that the ex-
plosion was purely accidental
Dynamite VIII not explode when II Is frozen
and Il freezes easily. Accidents are likely to
cxplodcs easily.