New-York tribune., 1903-11-05

EXPLODING SHELLS KILL SIX,
IN GATLINGLIKE FIRE BRAVE MEN FIGHT FLAMES
At IONA ISLAND
Several Persons Hurt and THO MssingNaUal Depot Partly RI
-Detonations Break PeekskM Urnndozrs

An explosion at Iona Island. on which 4, a
United States naval magazine three miles from |
Peekskill yesterday. killed six men. wounded
several badly and destroyed completely two |
shell houses. besides damaging two others Two !
men are missing With crash and a roar. |
which shook PeekskiH. the first smell house ex-
ploded and for hour thereafter there was a !
rattle Of minor explosions and bursting shells. |
sounding like the shots of Calling gun. Over |
the island hung a great pail Of white smoke |
under which burst forth lurid flames which COM
pleted the work OF destruction the gunpowder |
had begun. Two bodies have been recovered I
An investigation is on foot directed by Captain |
Merrill from the Brooklyn Navy Yard Last |
night Captain Merrill said that until all the
ployes had returned until the debris had been |
cleared away. definite statement of the cas-
ualties could be made, nor could the be
definitely learned.
The explosion occurred while workrnen were |
loading shells on q 1atcar to take to transport
which was to bring a cargo to the Brooklyn |
Navy Yard The members of this gang, save |
one. were killed.
TIE DEAD.
BROWN, FRED.
COSNELLY, JAMES. Peekskin.
GURRAN PATRICK. Haverstrsw.
LOCKE. FREDERICK. Peekskfn.
MoREHEAD, GEORGE, Tompkins Cove.
WARD. FREDERICK. Stony Point.
BEsKEY. CHARLES. magazine attendant
DANIELSON, -, magazine attendant
DOLLON, J., foreman in Ordnance Department.
FRIES. OTTO. gunner
HEITZIG. OTTO, magazine attendant.
KEwLINE, --, gunner from the bsttleship Mss.a-
chusetts.
MURPHY. -. private of marines.
OF those killed. Gurran, Connolly and Locke |
had been warrant officers in the marine service |
prior to their employment in the Ordnance De
partment. The two missing brothers J
by the name of Kenney, who live at Verplancks. |
Iona Island is a powder storage depot and |
shell loading station for the Navy Department |
There are about one hundred and fifty men en- /
pIoyed there Of whom some fifteen live on the |
island Gunner Otto Fries was in command. |
There were half dozen Shell houses and two |
large powder magazines the island. and It |
in of these shell houses. No 3. that the /
first explosion occurred at about p. m. There |
the gang Of seven men. the six who killed |
and one DanieIson. were working. Whether a !
she'll was dropped there a defective fuse |
TO one knows.
EXPLOSION AFTER EXPLOSION.
For an hour explosion after explosion oc-
Cured shells being set off by the flames and the /
conclusion from other explosions. Shell house
No followed No g. while minor explosions Oc- Z,
CURED In No. l and No 2 taking the roofs OF .
them 1t was after o'clock before the rain OF /
falling metal had ceased enough TO let the work /
of rescue begin. Communication with the main 4
land had been shut of. but a tug dis |
patched to PeekskiH to ask aid Drs. O'Brien. |
Hart, Fred and Percy Snowden. c. r. F. Green |
and E. D. NJ. Lyon. and Miss Madse Barker and \
Miss Catherine Finnerly. nurses from the Peehs- /
kill Hospital responded at once TO call.
Colonel Mills sent eleven doctors from West |
Point under the command OF Chief Surgeon /
Haver. and two others came from Stony Point 1
There were several who had been injured by /
flying pieces of shell. among them Gunner Fries. |
who had a scalp wound. His head was band \
aged and he went on fighting the flames. The |
wounded were cared for and the women who
lived on the island were bundled into the Pom
tiac and taken to Haverstraw.
1t was $50 O'Clock before the fire was en- I
tirely put out. Then began the search for i
bodies Two were recovered. That Of Connolly i
was sent to Haverstraw. The others are buried L
In the ruins although the gunner and Captain
Merrill declare that ii is only conjecture as to /
their fate or identity. Captain Merrill went i
over the ground last evening with Gunner Fries.
who had already made brief report 10 the 1
Brooklyn Navy Yard. Both refused to discuss /
the explosion.
Many tales of narrow escapes are ahoat. Pri- |
Yates Churchester and Hogan lay asleep In their
hunks in the barracks 4 16-inch shell. from /
Shell House No. 4. came through the window Of /
their room. carrying before it a huge wedge OF /
stone torn from the parapet. The shell passed \
clear through the bedcothes Of cot two spaces /
from their own. which fortunately vacant /
at that time The shell then lodged in the bar
racks wall The block Of stone passed directly /
through the lath and plaster as IL IL had been i
paper crashed through the wall OF the adjoining /.
chamber and fell down in the yard by a miracle 1
hurting any one.
Gunner Kewline. Of the battleshp Massa-
chusetts. who spending the day on the !,
island visiting a friend. was standing she'll /
house No. at the time Of the explosion A
flying shell caught the top Of hts head. tearing
the scalp from ca. 10 ear After his wound had
been dreshed by one of the doctors KewIine was
taken in special tug TO the Brooklyn Naval
Hospital
OF the wounded Dillon is the only badly
injured. He is in Peekskin Hospital with a
factured skull and body wounds. but the super
The Four-Track News for November is fun OF
articles OF interest to travellers. all beautifully
illustrated Cnly cents at news stands.-Advt-