New-York tribune., 1902-01-28
TWO VERSIONS AS TO CAUSE.
FIRE COMMISSIONER SAYS FALLING
STONE - EMPLOYE. FIRETHERE
WERE TWENTY STICKS
OF DYNAMITE

Fire Commissioner Thomas Sturgis, Secretary
William Leary and George E. Murray last
night at Fire Headquarters had a conferences
on the explosion. Afterward Commissioner Stur-
gis issued this statement:
Fire Commissioner Sturgis said that hand
magazine on the west side of Park-ave.. used
Tor the storage of dynamite by Ira A. Shaler,
In that portion of the Rapid Transit subway. of
which he is sub-contractor was struck by a
piece of rock which fell from a bucket load of
muck that was being hoisted from the tunnel
The magazine was on the surface. the
shaft for entering the tunnel. and directly In
front of the Murray Hill Hotel.
Ira H. Shaler. Joseph Bracken. one of the
blasters, and one McGrath. foreman OF muckers
were arrested and taken to the Nineteenth Pre-
cinct station house George Mcdonald. and
Nose Epps colOred. in charge of the magazine
were injured and taken to a hospital The blast
in the tunnel was not fired.
Contractor Shaler's permit from the Bureau
OF COmbustibles of the Fire Department permit
ted him TO have on the work not more than
sixty-two pounds of dynamite
Moses Epps. twenty-seven years old of No.
West One-hundred- fty-sixth-st, who Is
at Flower Hospital suffering from contusions
and shock. and who was the powderman in
charge OF the shanty where the explosion oc-
CURED. made the following statement last night.
while lying on his cot in the hospital:
I am the powderman employed by the con-
tractors at the tunnel at Forty-hrst-st and
Park-ave. My duties were TO look after the dis
tIAbulIOh VI powder ana dynamite WnlCh was IN
the shanty on the street level at that place.
This noon left the shanty and returned in a
rev minutes to find candle which / had left
lighted on a shelf lying on the floor of the
shanty and some paper which was about IL on
fire. rushed from the shanty and got a pail of
water L knew that if the fire got TO thirteen
boxes of dynamite cartridges. each box contain
ing from sixty TO seventy-five cartridges there
would be something doing.
L threw the pail OF water over the fire. but the
flames had spread rapidly that I saw another
pan was necessary L returned. with the second
pail or water and saw the flames Creeping
toward the boxes / realized there was no uss
OF my throwing the second pail of water over
the flames. so dropped 1t and ran I got about
awful noise and knew an explosion had o.
Cured At the same time I felt myself being
carried on my feet, and the next thing knew
was tnat was in a Flower Hospital ambulance
Win doctors leaning over me my way to the
hospital - 80
watched by policeman from the East Sixty
seventh-st. station
Andrew Murray, thirty years old, of No. 10
Fulton Place, Fort George. was arrested last
night at his home at the instigation of District
attorney Jerome, who wants to question him
about the explosion Detective Sergeant Nc
Mullen. of the Headquarters staff. made the ar
rest.
Murray had charge of passing out the sticks
of dynamite to the men in the tunnel who were
engaged in making blasts. He told Sergeant Nc
Mullen on the way 10 the station that there were
about twenty sticks of dynamite in the shanty
when the explosion occurred. Murray said he
was the one who first the fire in the shanty
and that he ran, giving the alarm.
There Is no charge against Murray vet and IL
is understood he rs merely wanted as a witness
A stick OF dynamite such as is used in subway
excavating is said to weigh not more than a
pound and quarter, so, according TO the state
ment OF Murray. the contractor aid not violate
his permit.