Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-06
DISASTER IN new YORK CITY
Twelve Persons Were Killed
and Seventy-four Injured,
GREAT EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS
Madison Square Was the Scene
of the Accident.
One of the hfortars Set on Was Defective
and Landed Among Others, Winch Were
Exploded by the Fire Ball Thrown
Toward Them-Many Distressing Scenes.
ociated Press Dispatoh by specinl wires.

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires.
New York, Nov. 5.-With a list Of
12 persons killed and "a injured before
him, Coroner Scholer has insugurated
All investigation of the explosion of
fireworks in Madison Square last even
ing. Eight men already have been
locked up, charged with criminal
neglect, and the coroner has issued
warrant for the arrest OF John Di-
mumdio of Coney Island, who is al
legged to have been in charge Of the
fireworks. sit is a case Of absolute
criminal neglect, said the coroner.
Zone of the mortars was set of. anc
it was pointed at row of other NOR
tars in a line. There was defect in
the bottom of the mortas, and it landed
am ong the others, which we're set of
by the fire ball thrown toward them
District Attorney jerome, who was
at the Union Club, on Fifth avenue,
net far from the scene of the explosion,
hurried to the scene and, after an in
vestigation, ordered the arrest of the
men in charge of the fireworks. He
/ had the prisoners taken to police head
| quarters, together with the unexplodsd
| fireworks. Inspector Brooks Of the
Police Department also ordered the ar
| rest of the manufacturer Of the bombs.
I! but he has not yet been found The dis
| triot attorney said; Dynamite bombs
should not be- allowed in such public
! place. l have no doubt that permit
| had been issued for the exhibition, but
a rigid investigation will be made,
Steps will be taken to prevent anything
like this occurring in the future.
| "a revised list Of the dead follows:
Patrolman Dennis Shea of the Brook
| lyn bridge squad: William y. Penney,
IL years old, nephew Of Major ". II.
Buck of this city = Harold hoblee, ~
| years old, son of Milton Rohlee, proprie-
tor Of tie Bartholdi Hotel; Nathaniel
Bingley, l3 years old ; Joseph Arber, 81
years old five unidentified white men
and two unidentified colored men.
The scenes at the hospitals and
morgue following the terrible crush
after the explosion in Madison Square
were beyond description. 1t is esti-
mated that so, 900 persons were in ting
square at the time. Probably 20, 0G0 Of
these were massed around the point
where the explosion occurred; and
while they were scrambling to reach
PLACES Of safety, knocking one anothet
down and falling over park benches.
80, 900 others were cheering from tht
opposite side of the park, where they
were viewing the election returns,
which were thrown upon screen before
the new sky scraper known as the Flat
Iron Building. The persons in this
portion of the park apparently vera
elated over the returns, and supposed
the explosions which rent the air wers
a part of the programme, and were un-
aware of the tragedy being enacted se
! near at hand until detachment o.
| THAR throunh
} make room for the passage Of nef
bearing the manglsd remains Of tkeil
comrade, Patroiman Shea. Instantly Z
terrible calm swept over the crowd, ane
all interest in the returns Immediately
died out.
Il As the long line of patrol wagons
ambulances and other vehicles carry
ing dead and injured filed through
: | Twenty street to Bellevue Hos
pital, thousands of persons lined tlf
. walk and gazed awe-stricken at th'
8 oonyeyancea. Five hundred person
, gathered outside Of the morgue, sns
5 hundreds of others came and went dur
J. ing the night, seeking among the uni
4 Identified dead relatives and friend
whom they had lost during tho terri
; BILE crush following the explosion
: Thousands of persons gathered at tn
= hospital gateSJ among tueth max.
9 women. The scenes around Bellevn
9 we're the most exciting in the histor,
of the institution. Within, tho entir
/, force was at work over the injured
9 Sixty five emergency surgeons and ply
9 sicians, 40 visiting surgeons and ply
q sicians and 200 male and female nurses
< together with every attendant at th
d hospital, were summoned for immediate
8 duty. Sixteen of the best know
n surgeons in the city and 15o extr
d nurses hurried to the institution t
perform operations. Many amputation
were found necessary.
At the hospitals this morning. th
injured were reported as being in
" fair way toward recovery, with the ex
IS ception of Mortimer Butler, who be
% came unconscious after the amputatio
y of one of his legs and is not expected
l. to recover, and Frank Leisten, one O
y the men engaged in setting of tn
a fireworks. Leisten's right leg wa
Y blown off, and his chest was badl
y | mangled, His death is probable.