The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-28
Six Dead and More Than
300 Injured by the
Disaster.
THE PROPERTY Loss IEHBNSB
Total Cost of Damage May
Reach Two Millions.
STORIES DO NOT AGREE
Wide Variance Between Statements
COHcerUiHE Probable Amount Of
Explosive which Went or.
STORIES DO NOT AGREE

NEW YORK, Jan. 2S.-Six persons kill
ed, more than ore hundred seriously in
jured. and perhaps twice that number
slightly hurt. compose she sum CT the
personal losses as the result Of the ex-
plosion Of dynamite in Park Avenue at
FOrty-frst Street yesterday az noon
The actual property loss Will amount to
close to S5o0cO0. incidental losses Que to
loss CT business. etc. will amount TO as
much more. while suits for damages, if
successful. viii add another 81 Oo0.o0 loss
10 the person. or persons who may be re-
spcnsiblc for the disaster.
Law SknTncfuIIy DI~reRarded.
Investigation show that the law re-
Earding the storing Of explosives is
shamefulIy disrcgardcI. Enough dyna-
mite is stored along the line Of the
Rapid Transit Tunnel to wreck half Of
the buildings on Manhattan Island.
Tons Of this high explosive are carted
through the streets daily. and hundreds
Of pounds are left in fimsy wooden shan
ties near where blasts are made almost
hourly. a repetition of yesterdays dis
aster is possible at q score of places.
Conflicting Statements.
Conflicting statements regarding the
cause Of Che explosion and the amount OF
dynamite which was set OH are made by
persons in a position TO speak with au-
thority. Representative of the con
tractors and Of tie bureau Of com5uStibIcs
say tina, from thirty 10 forty pounds Of
dynamite exploded. Workmen say that
from 20 TO geo pounds did the damage.
District Attorney Jerome says that he
believes 100 pounds exploded. and experts
IN the use Of dynamite say that fl would
take from 300 to 500 pounds TO do the dam
age that was Nyrousht Investigations viii
De made by District Attorney jerome.
Mayor Low. the coroner. Contractor Nc
Donald. the Police Department, and the
Fire Department
What the Law Permits.
Under the law only sixty-t,ro pounds are
allowed TO be stored in any place. Noses
EpDs the negro in charge Of the powder
house. said yesterday that there were 6O0
pounds Of blasting gelatine in the shanty.
lie said that there were thirteen boxes
containing from fifty TO seventy-dve car
tridges
William Barclay Parsons. chief engineer
OF The Rapid Transit Commission. So rs
that De believes that there was not
more than a case OF dynamite there. and
the reason that it did such damage was
because it went OF practically in the open.
II il had been set in rock its force
would have been spent in shattcring the
rock.
Ira A. Shaler. the sub-confractor who
had charge Of the work on that section
Of the tunnel said that there was not a
great deal of dynamite stored at that
point. not more than twenty sticks
Mr. Shaler says a passing trolley car
might have caused the explosion by set
ting Of the blast prematureIy or explod-
ing a loose stick or dynamite
How Much Dynamite.
The explosion has suggested Tho query
as TO how much dynamite is stored &C
other points along the subway route aue
an investigation Of this point will fol-
low.
The city authori lis have taken up the
natter and there are any number Of in
Nestigations unaer way. Mayor Low has
inside q personal investigation Of the