New-York tribune., 1903-11-05


IN immediate danger He is conscious. but re-
members little about the accident.
REMEMBERS ONLY A FLASH
Il on my way to york" said he "n.sr
shell house No g. There was fash. was hit,
and after that I don't remember anything sx-
cept their bringing me here"
The bodies OF Connolly and BIorshead the
only ones that have been identified
An inquest will be held by the coroner from
Haverstraw. as Iona Island Is IN RockIana
County. The official inquiry will be continued
to-day by Captain Merrill
The shells which did the damage ranged from
thirteen inches down They were filed with tbs
highest power snokeless powder. which has
come extensively into since the Cuban war.
Fragments Of them are scattered promiscuously
all over the ten acres Of the island
The Iona Island station the West Shora
Railroad suffered from the force Of the explo--
sion. detonations shivering into fragments nearly
every pane OF glass in the building. Windows
all over Peekskin were shattered
Small pieces OF stone hurled across tbs
Hudson After the explosion piece Of heavy
glass foot square found irnbedded edge
wise to half its width in a wooden post, ths
projecting portion being Unbroken.
A small panic was caused in St Joseph's
Home AT PeeksktH three miles away. where the
child inmates were terrified by the breaking %
the windows Clocks for several miles
stopped by the shock
On the island besides Gunner Otto Fries IN
command. and the guard OF marines, ten or
twelve magazine tenders and attendants lived
with their families. The hundred or more work
lived in nearby towns and villages. The
women and children were in great dagger during
the explosions. and with many Of the workmen
fed panic stricken Other workmen remaining
to assist the marines in fighting the fire and to
the women and children
QUARTERS OF MARINES DEMOLISHED.
Buildings near the shell houses. including two
store houses for fixed ammunition were riddledt
with the flying fragments. and the quarters oe
the eleven marines composing the garrison were
demolished.
Between the two main explosions was an IN
terval Of several minutes The fire ragged for
several hours The marines who fought ths
flames were in imminent danger from constantly
exploding shells
No statement Of the amount OF explosives on
the island could be Obtained from Gunner Fries.
but it IS said that large consignment Of shells
from the Alabama. the Kearsarge. the Massa-
chusetts and the Illinois were in the buildings
destroyed. About four hundred and eighty 1S-
inch shells were on hand, it is said A largo
amount Of fixed ammunition stored IN two build
ings from which the roofs were blown did nos
explode. The two main powder magazines wers
at the other end Of the island. out OF danger.
According TO the coroner OF ROcklaad County.
Morehead was drilling shell preparatory to re-
moving the explosive. He thought that the steel
struck the exploding cap and thus caused ths
DanieIson, who was hurled upward against
the ceiling. alighted on the floor on his hands
and knees and remained in that position for
what he thinks several seconds. He then
rushed out Of the building.
He not moment too soon, for the
ond and more powerful explosion tore ths
foundation from beneath the structure. Ths
whole building. made Of brick and stone. ross
and then fell back into the hole made by thu
Ever person on the island was panic stricken.
knowing that stored IN the magazines were
tens of powder, dynamite and guncotton.
enough TO blow up the entire island. They
thought that the next instant their worst fears
would be realized
WEST SHORE TRAINS STOPPED.
Trains on the West Shore Railroad wers
more than an hour until the bOnbardmenz
stopped.
The electric power plant on the island de-
stroyed-
DR.. Stephen W Douglass, medical Officer ar ths
naval station. was in Peekskin when he heard
about the explosion. He hurried 70 the river
and tried to get boatman TO row him TO thu
scene. but no sum Of money seemed sufficient in
ducement to the boatmen 70 face the storm %
like island
Determined TO reach the island. where he knew
his services would be badly ueeded. he hired
boat and started alone on the three mile row.
When he reached the pier his bands were raw
DIT Douglass. with The men who stood lighting
the FIRE in the shsuhOuse when they thought
they were in danger Of being blown 10 death,
were generally declared 10 be the heroes OF thu
day.
AN ENGINEERS STORY
The engineer OF the compressed air locomotive
used about the works one Of the men who
escaped injury from the explosion and left tho
island for safety. lie was much agitated. bur
willing 70 tell the story OF the disaster.
The explosion occurred in a shell house he
said 1T has been used for magazine for
about year. and at the time Of the explosion
sixteen men were at work there drawing the
charges from old Spanish war shells. The first
explosion sounded as II II were from s-inch
she'll and / think the second was a 13-inch
shell II blew pert OF the roof or the house.
"Of the men In the house only one esCa ped. T
think I saw him running out OF the house Just
after the explosion. with blood streaming from
his face and his clothes torn. After the explo-
sion the flames spread 20 the next shelihOuse.
which Is about one hundred feet away on tha
north side OF the main thOrOughfare. In II was
stored all the ammunition from the battleship
Massachusetts,. which Is being repaired pi-