Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-01-31
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION IN NEW
YORK.
Dynamite for Use on the Subway lg-
nited-Five Persons Killed and 1871
lnjured-Front Of Murray Hill Hotel
Demolished.


Dynamite or nitro-gelatine stored
for use in the rapid transit subway at
list street and Park avenue New York
city, exploded at 1907 p. III. Monday.
wrecking the hotels. hospitals and
other buildings in the immediate
neighborhood. killing six men and
woundng a large number Of persons.
The police have list of 131 persons
injured. but many more who sustained
slight injuries or bruises were not re-
ported. The damage to property is
estimated at $500, 600 to $500. 900 The
amount of nitro-gelatine detonated is
unknown. The limit allowed by law
for storage in one place was 90 pounds,
but there is some evidence to show
that the little building where the eX-
ploson took place contained over 500
pounds of the explosive. If the eXplo-
sion had taken place a few minutes
earlier many men employed in build
ing the subway would have been kill
ed, and had the time been a little later
the loss of life would have been great
in the dining room of the Murray Hill
hotel. The nitro-gelatine was in cases
in a little shanty in front of the Muir.
ray Hill hotel at a point where a shaft
opened into the subway which is be-
ing built and nearby were hosting
engines and other apparatus. One re-
port says that the firing of a blast in
the subway shook down a lamp in the
shanty. setting fire to papers, and
another statement is to the effect that
the powder man, Epps, accidentally set
fire to papers with candle which he
was using. Epps dashed a bucket of
water on the blazing paper and then
ran for another bucket Returning he
saw flames licking the pile of gelatine
boxes and he ran for his life. Twenty
steps away the earth rose up under his
feet. In that moment Park avenue
filled with the terrible burden of the
stupendous blast. Straight up went
sheds, tunnel scaffolding, engines, der
ricks and lumber, paving stones and
broken rock and pieces of wagons and
great masses of masonary, the sides of
the Metropolitan tunnel. Only those
who We're several blocks away saw this
sight. Those who were near were
stunned. Out of the cloud above came
long rafters, like splinters. But when
they struck on the roofs they tore
down two, three and four floors with
their impact. Then came the crash of
things falling, of boards being split to
kindling and of glass crashing.
Robert Tubbs, 80, engineer in the
rapid transit tunnel, was killed in
stantly by the explosion. Robert Hine,
2S, of Ansonia, Conn, who was at
lunch in the Murray Hill hotel cafe,
sustained injuries from which he died
at bellevue hospital James Carr.
waiter at the Murray Hill, died at the
Presbyterian hospital from a fractured
skull and broken ribs. Cyrus Adams,
cashier at the Murray Hill cigar stand,
was killed by the glass which was
blown in on the back of his head. j.
b. Robertson of Nelson, b. c., wealthy
mine owner, was crushed in bed in his
room at the Murray Hill by the falling
debris.
The explosion practically wrecked
the Murray Hill hotel, killing a guest
and two employees and a customer in
the cafe, ruined the facades of the
Manhattan eye and ear hospital and
the Grand Union hotel, and seriously
damaged the Forty-second street front
of the Grand Central station. Minor
damage was done for blocks around
chiefly in the item of broken glass and
plastering, and the effects of the explo
sion were experienced in this way over
a large area in the neighborhood.
Major Ira A. Shaler, sub-contractor
for the subway work, was arrested
and held in bail by Coroner Golden
RAM. The coroner had a clash with
District Attorney Jerome, who was
taking the lead in the investigation of
the disaster. Blows We're exchanged
between Mr.. jerome and a coroners
clerk named Murphy. Later charge
of assault was preferred against Mr.
Jerome.