The sun., 1902-01-28


violated. as the law expressly forbids any
body taking that much explosive throu gh
the city streets at one time. and also tor
bids its being stored anywhere in the city.
| don't doubt that the offenders viii ia
caught. Inspector Murray of the Bureau
of Combustibles has been ordered TO make
a complete Investigation.
Il am surprised that not more people
were killed or hurt. | think ] must have
seen fully hundred persons running around
with wounds caused by flying glass.
saw one little girl who was terribly cut.
The damage To property Chief Croker
estimated at about 100000. The Chief
also said he knew that tunnel contractors
had received permits for storing explosives
at several points along the line # cNca-
walton, but he had no idea just who had
these permits.
ABOUT TWENTY STICKS. SAYS MR. SIlALRR
Ma jor Ira A. Shaler, the sub-Cnr'rac'or.
was in his Office AZ Thirtv-foGrh r,.r' and
Fourth avenue when the accident happened
He iumped on n car and was one of ih"
first to reach the scene. A. soon a. %" gut
there he began an investigation To deter
mine for himself the cause OF the explosion.
He was cut short in this when he was ar
rested. He said that from all that h" had
found out the cause Of the explosion was
still n good deal Of mystery TO him
There was not a great deal Of dyramit"
stored at that point, said he, mot NOR"
was required for the DAYS work. ! cannot
account for the explosion unless spark
from a passing trolley car exploded blast
prematurcly or exploded a stick of .dyna-
imte which had not been get ready for
blasting Or IL il possible that some man
ia charge of the blasting may have SCI
Of blast before it was ready.
After he had been released on bail Major
Shalcr had a consultation with hi counsel,
ex-Judge Henry Rowland. Judge Howland
said that acting under his instructions his
client would not make any statement.
Major Shaler." he said, is bewildered
and almost in a state of collapse a nd for
the time being will not to- permitted To say
anything for publication, ! may say my
self, however, that am told that the eS-
plosion was the result Of fir" which was
Unavoidable and which Na- not due TO the
negligence on the part of any one"
The Judge said he was not able TO say
where the Ere started OF how It was caused
But no responsibility, he went On, can be
laid on Major ShalcT District Attorney
Jerome has said as much iu-ylf."
Asked upon whom rested tAo obligation
for answering the claims for damage g.
life and property arising out o' i'l' disaster,
the Judge said 80 many Cu'-' uuS were
involved that he was not prepared 10 give
an off-hand opinion.
Major Shaler Is the son Of Gen. Sha"r,
who was at one time President Of the Board
Of Health, He was Major Of the First
Volunteer Engineers who saw service IL
Porto Rico during the war with Spain. he
j. a graduate Of Cornell, class Of 's4. h"
has done important contract work on thr
AuueduCt Commission.
District Attorney jerome said last nigh
that so far a. he had been able 10 find OUT
about 2jO or 800 pounds Of dynamite wer,
delivered at the powder shanty yesterday
morning
AN but about one hundred pounds Of
that, I think" continued Mr.. Jerome. had
been used before the explosion.
l. i. Bry an. the general manager Of th"
Rapid Transit Tunnel Construction Com
pany. said last night that he and Mr. MELON
aid had talked over the matter. hut ~ yet
had been unable 20 ascertain the cause
of the accident. Mr. Bryan added that he
did not believe IL was pu--il le that Gb
hounds Of nitrC-gclatiuo had h"eu stored
al the point where the explosion occurred
He added that the only p"r-"n who could
give reliable Information on mat point
was The sub-coutractDT. Major Smaller 5
far ~ be knew, the sur-Cuutrur' Hr lad mhd'
no report on the matter. aud uutll such %
report or statement was received. nothing
definite ~ tu the facts concerning th'
cause Of the explosion could D." learned.