The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-28
DYNAMITE EXPLOSION
IN HEART OF NEW YORK
Continued From Page One.

explosion. The buildings named sustained
the greatest damage. but the area affected
extended for several blocks from the center
The list OF injured is an exceedingly long
one. but most Of those in It have only cuts
caused by flying glass. Those more serious
ly hurt are:
Walter r. Bristol. 60 Murray Hill Hotel:
concussion of brain: st. vincent's Hospital.
Charles B. Gaines. New York City; shoul-
der dislccated and many bruises.
w. ]. Nok. 81. New York City: severe
scalp wounds.
Mrs. Benjamin Moore So, Madison, N. j.;
Manhattan Hospital: face and hands cut.
The Reverend Father Ryan. New Eng
land: head. face and arms cut.
John Weiss, New York City; scalp
wounds, conclusion of brain and internal
injuries.
Z. n. Ferris. Cleveland. O.; cuts and
bruises.
E. N. Lewis of Lima. o.: badly cut
]. C. Gilchrist of Cleveland, O.: cut.
Mrs. Benjamin Moore. Madison. N. j.;
badly cut
]. Roderick Roberts of Nelson, British
Columbia, was killed by debris hurled with
the force Of artillery into his room at the
Murray Hill Hotel. He was general man
ager in Canada for the British Columbia
Gold Fields Company. Limited. and prom
lived. He leaves a widow and four chill
dren.
DYNAMITE STORED
NEAR THOROUGHFAREs.
The sunken approach to the street rail-
way tunnel used by the Madison avenue
line cuts through Park avenue. and the
shaft for the rapid transit subway was run
down beside 1t at the intersection of East
Forty-first street. The street railway ap-
proach was HOUSED over with superstruc-
ture used for the operating pant OF the
rapid transit contractors. Temporary build
ings for storage purposes were thrown up
against the superstructure at the mouth OF
the shaft and there the explosion occurred.
1t tore q great gorge in the street. demol-
ished the temporary buildings and part OF
the superstructure and sent a mass or
earth. splintered timber and twisted iron
high in the air. Much Of 1t went battering
against the front of the Murray Hill Hotel,
and, although the walls and main structure
Of that building stood the shock, nearly
every room in the front Of the house was
wrecked.
The Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital, on
the east side of the avenue. had to be aban-
doned by the management. The Grand
Union Hotel lost all of it's windows and
glass partitions and practically every front
window in the Grand Central Station was
shattered.
blown from their cases. Thousands Of win
dows some Of them seven blocks from the
tunnel shaft. fell in fragments. 1t was the
shower of broken glass and falling debris
that injured the greatest number.
Fortunately. the explosion occurred at the
noon hour. Not more than a hundred per-
sons were in the main waiting-room of the
slightly injured by bits Of glass. Four
ticket sellers were cut about the head and
arms with flying debris.
TRAIN DIsPATGHERs
STICK TO POST.
The clerical force In the executive offices
Of the New York. New Haven and Hart
ford Railroad, which occupy the floors
above the first, in the eastern wing of the
depot, were thrown about by the shock.
Chief Dispatcher G. II. Wilson and his four
assistants. who were directing the trains of
the New Haven line. having several hun
dred trains to look out for, were scratched
with flying glass, but did not leave their
chairs. even when they could not see their
instruments because Of the smoke. One
man. Foster. who was watching single
track strip In Connecticut did not even
get up to look at the ruins after the smoke
cleared away.
The station tonight presented somewhat
the appearance of a dismantled castle. with
the big windows only ragged holes. General
alarms brought firemen, police reserves and
every available ambulance to the district.
A majority of the injured were treated on
the spot and the white-coated ambulance
surgeons worked for an hour in the debris
strewn streets. Police lines were thrown
across either end Of Park avenue, and
across the intersecting streets.
The cause of the explosion and the guam
tity Of explosives that blew up are not
definitely known.
1t probably will take an official investiga-
ton to reveal the true explanation
Mayor Low said tonight that he would
write to the Rapid Transit Commissioners,
requesting that they ascertain the SUBJ
contractors method Of handling and stor-
ing explosives.
District Attorney Jerome visited the scene
and made an investigation to guide him in
the official inquiry and possible criminal
prosecution that will follow.
ENGINEER IN CHARGE AND
OTHERS ARE ARRESTED.
Ira A. Shaler. engineer-in-c charge Of the
work at Park avenue: John Bracken, a fore
man. and Martin McGrath. an assistant
foreman, were placed under arrest, charged
with homicide.
William Barclay Parsons. chief engineer
of the Rapid Transit Commission, said that
Shaler was one OF the most competent and
careful engineers he ever knew
The damage may exceed 100000. The
first estimate on the Murray Hill Hotel
placed the loss at 100000. but later the hotel
was abandoned as unsafe. II the building
is condemned the loss on 1t alone will ap-
proach 100000. The damage to the Grand
Union was estimated at $4,000. and that 20
the Manhattan Hospital at $4,000. The loss
at the Grand Central Station was entirely
In glass-as was that of the hundred or
more buildings affected by the explosion.
No estimate was made Of the losses sus-
tanned by the rapid transit contractors.