New-York tribune., 1902-02-05
BY PARK-AVE. EXPLOSION.
BEING MADE-CoRONER's INvEsTT

John B. Mcdonald. the general contractor for
the rapid transit subway. was the most i'm
portant witness called yesterday at the inquest
conducted by Coroner Goldenkranz TO determine
the cause of the recent fatal explosion Of dyna-
mite at Parl1-ave. and Forty-hrst-st One OF
his statements was that It would take twenty
years for Major shaler, sub-oonractor. to
complete the subway contract in Park-ave. IL he
were allowed to only sixty-two pounds OF
dynamite a day.
After telling the coroner's fury how he divided
the subway contracts into several smaller con-
tracts, and describing the work TO be done under
Major Shaler's sub-contract in Park-ave., Mr..
Mcdonald said II was the custom of the sub
contractor TO store dynamite left over after
days work until the next day. The stored
dynamite was kept IN a wooden box covered
with manure TO keep out frost. The box was
in a wooden shanty, lined on the outside with
sheet iron.
How much dynamite was kept in storage9"
was asked.
About sixty pounds at time" the
ply
How was the dynamite conveyed to the place
where II was used?
1T was conveyed there IN wagons daily by
the chemical company"
Mr.. Mcdonald said only extraordinary heat
would cause dynamite 10 explode. I have seen
dynamite burn like saWdust," he added. II
possible for a house containing dynamite TO
burn I'D without causing the dynamite to ex-
plode, he thought 1t would take violent
lkhock, out OF the ordinary, to explode dynamite.
Would IL explode II man dropped it?"
mot necessarily. but I wouldn't care to
drop it."
One OF the jurors asked how much dynamite
was left Major Shaler's magazine each day.
and Mt. Mcdonald said about four hundred
pounds. The juror wanted TO know why it was
possible TO have so much Of the explosive de-
nvered at the place when the permit allowed
only sixty-tWo pounds to be stored. De Lancey
Nicou. counsel for Mr.. Mcdonald. interposed.
and called attention TO the Rapid Transit act.
which. he said. superseded the city ordinances,
and provided that a contractor on the subway
might have on hand at the beginning of the
days work enough dynamite for use during the
twenty-four hours following
Suppose" Mr.. NicoI asked Mr.. Shaler were
allowed TO have only sixty-two pounds of dyna-
mite a day, how long would 1t take him TO finish
his section OF the subway"
About twenty years. was Mr. McDonald's
reply.
The contractor said he could not have personal
supervision of every section Of the subway every
day. He regarded Mr.. Shaler as careful and
competent man. When he asked il Mr..
Shaler was his employe Mr. Nicou objected to
the question. and said the relations Of the con-
tractor and sub-contractor were defined in the
contract The contract was produced after re-
cess and read to the jury. Vernon M. Davis. act
ing counsel for Major Shaler asked If Mr..
Mcdonald had any control over the work done
by the sub-contractor, and the reply in the
negative. Each sub-contractor had control of
his own men, Mr. Mcdonald said
Major Shaler at the inquest In company
with his foreman, Joseph Brachen. They had
been held in $4,000 bail each by the coroner to
await the result of the inquest. Moses Epps
workman, who was under $4,000 bail, was
present, too District Attorney Jerome sent no
representative TO the inquest, saying that the
coroner had no legal prisoners before him. The
District Attorney was making ready to have
some person connected with the explosion in
dicted. but he said there would be no collision
between the coroner and the grand jury
Several policemen who were at the scene OF
the explosion in time 10 see bodies of some of
the victims carried away, described what they
had seen W. L. Jacques, the proprietor OF the
Murray Hill Hotel told of the explosion of dyna-
mite in front OF the hotel and the killing or
eral persons. Much Of his evidence was hearsay,
but he gave the names Of persons whJ he said,
had seen the dynamite delivered II the shanty
in front OF the hotel.
William H. Ryrnes. carrtag- agent at the hotel
was one of the witnesses. and he said he had
seen dynamite carried into the shanty He
identified Moses Fps and Andrew Murray
two Of the worknaen he had seen carrying dyna-
mite. He looked into the shanty on the Satur-
day Before the explosion, he said, and
twelve ooxes Of dynamite, each box containing
fifty pounds
Idr Davis took a turn at the witness and
made him admit that he did not know If the
boxes he saw in the shanty were full empty.
He had been told they contained dynamite.
Tubbs. the workman who killed, was
who told him so. On the morning of the explo-
Hlou ne ndu seen Ten or a dozen more boxes,
supposed TO contain dynamite. carried into the
shanty.
How much dynamite was there in the pow
der house Monday morning." asked OF
the jurors.
'Tubbs told me there enough to blow the
whole hill to h witness replied
I move that this be stricken out" said Mr.
Davis. "Tubbs is dead
The coroner did not make any ruling.
Julius Asch who keeps barber shop at the
Murray Hill Hotel, and Charles F. Ross. the
cashier Of the hotel, testified that the workrnen
2Tnd IN CIV -iF,er -Ala a-er
before the explosion occurred, as they did when
blast was TO be exploded. Both witnesses tes-
titled that the fagmen had attracted their at
TentiOn by their excited manner.
These hagmen generally were very COOL said
Mr. Ross. but this occasion they were all
excited. They seemed TO be running for their
lives"
At this point an adjournment was taken until
Thursday az 10 a. m.