The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-30

men and Coroner reached the scene OF
the explosion. With Coroner GoloenA,s hn
were also Lawyer Meyer Greenberg, who
has been engaged as his special counsei,
Clerk Wall, a stenographer and Coroner .
Physician Higgins.
4 policeman held up the party in Park
avenue n IL took DIR. Goldenkranz some
When the big hole where the explosion
occurred was reached at last not a man az
work there had been on duty when the
explosion occurred, Supt. Frazer, et-
planned hat they quit work at $50 O'CLOCK
In the afternoon. Two laborers who said
they had read about the explosion IN the
papers were called up out Of the mud. now
ever. Then testimony was taken by me
stenographer. Supt. Frazer escaped py
explaining hat he was In Washington on
his honeymoon when tho disaster ~occurreu,
The ~timekeeper was interviewed and names
Of a dc zen witnesses and a description
of the powder house" were got out OF MN
After this the Coroner invited the jury
men, who by this time were cold ana discon-
tented again. to a hotel and treated
They cheered up afterward and promisea
TO be on hand on Friday when the inquest
will be opened. The Coroner said: m
tend 20 probe this thoroughly and NIX tne
blame on the parties directly I~esponslple'
Moses Epps, the negro who had charge OF
the magazine which exploded, was taken
10 the 1OfhNlllt DOllCt COul yt6Nti 1oy -
Flower Hospital and held In $4,000 bail by
Magistrate Mayo. on a complaint charging
that because Of his negligence an explosion
occurred which caused several deaths.
John p. Delaney, real estate dealer oi Oh
East I4sth street, bailed the man. To re-
porter Epps said he had been WORKING ioi
Mr.. Shaler for twelve years.
There were about 600 pounds OF dyha,
mite in the shanty when II went on SAID
Epps. There were twelve boxes OF oyna-
mite sticks, each box holding about evenly
Ave sticks; some more, some less. A SUCK
weighs less than half a pound We used
500 or 600 sticks a day in blasting the rock
The boxes were on a shelf about four rect
above the floor Of the shanty. Under the
shelf WAS a lot of paper wTappings from
the cartridges. This was the paper lhat
caught fire from the candle. There were
two candles always in the shanty; they were
not In a lantern, but were stuck between
nails driven into the walls. The door was
not kept locked. Any Of the workinen
could go into it,. .u
After a blast in the tunnel on Monuay
Andy Murray, who carried dynamite SUCKS
from the magazine to where the men were
blasting, came up to the shanty Tor some
OF the sticks. | was called away n leit
Andy inside. / was gone ten or WE'VE
minutes. When | vas on my way BACK 1
heard II OF the workmen shout: 'flre,
the magazine Il on fire. l ran TO the
shanty and looking in through the door saw
the naper afre. IL was blazing SO strongly
II must have been burning about ten nun,
utes. | picked up a bucket OF water ahu
threw it on the fire, but the water dld not
put it out. The shelf had caught ana saw
that the fire was near the dynamite; !
started TO get another pail OF water u mao
TO go a short distance for II.
Just then | saw Bill Tubbs. the engineer,
get down from the engine house near the
shanty. He had a bucket Of water in his
hand, / knew that an explosion was com
ing and ! shouted TO him: Run Tor your
heed to me, and started to e INTO t.le
shanty. saw a cloud Of smoke and a
sheet OF flame belch out Of the door, ana 1
turned and ran. | was blown to the pave
ment, about thirty feet away from the
shanty. 49,,
The dynamite was not frozen. When
the shelf caught fire the heat must have
warmed some Of IL, So that It was MADE
ticklish and easily exploded. The fire,
perhaps, caused the shelf TO break and let
the dynamite fall to the floor. From what
| have seen that fall OF about Tour ieet
would give it enough Of a jar to set of tick
lish dynamite. IL certainly was not set
of by a blast. for the last blast down IN
he tunnel, before the explosion, was ully
fifteen minutes before. | think the IRE
and the drop from the shelf together Get
of the dynamite"
Hundreds OF carpenters and GLACIERS
were busy yesterday removing the traces
of the explosion. So much was done that
n few guests were received at the Murray
Uill Hotel. Several Of the patients OF the
Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital were taken
back and more will return to-day. FROM
the streets several hundred truck loads OF
debris have already been removed and
the locality l. beginning 20 look better.
About 10000 persons viewed what was i"it
of the wTeckage.