The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-11-08
MOUNT VERNON SHAKEN
Dynamite Explosion on New Haven
Road Does Damage.
FORTY HURT BY EXPLOSION

widespread Eut EtOt Hrear DISTINCTIONS
Much snashlng os GIass--Ti.ree Ar
rests--@ne Hundred Pounds OF ExpIo.
siye the Cause Of the TroubIs--AII The
Town Felt the Concussion.
Mount Vernon. N. 1.-TWO cases of
dynamite, 100 pounds in all. which
were to be used in connection with tile
I New York, New Haven and Hartford
Railroad Company improvements now
under way in Mount Vernon, exploded
shortly after o'clock in the afternoon,
/ injuring forty persons, shaking up hum
dreds Of others. and doing $50, 600
worth of damage to property.
Twenty-fvefhundred panes Of glass,
| it is estimated, were broken by the ex-
| piosion, which was felt within radius
| OF ten miles. Hundreds of Mount Yer
nonites thought that the city had been
! visited by earthquake, but when they
learned 1t was dynamite explosion
they rushed to the scene
| Chief of Police Foley sent out gem
eral alarm to the entire Police DEPART
ment. All physicians in the city were
summoned and they cared for the in
jured.
An Italian, known as No. 10. em-
ployed by the contractors to watch the
dynamite magazines where the expio-
sion occurred, has not been seen since
the accident. 1t is not known whether
he was blown to atoms or ran away
from fright.
The place at which the explosion oc-
CURED is under the Bond street bridge
which crosses the railroad tracks and
connects South Mount Vernon with the
west side. This is one of the most
densely populated spots in the city. a.
lighted cigar or cigarette dropped from
the Bond street bridge is supposed to
be responsible for the explosion.
1t is thought that the dynamite
stored In the smaller magazine caught
fire in this manner, and that when the
blaze reached the exploders, which
were In the same magazine, they set
of the dynamite. This is the theory
advanced by the city officials and p0-
lice. The railroad contractors and the
men employed on the work say they
don't know how it happened.
Had the accident occurred three min
utes earlier the Boston express, bound
for New York City, might have been
blown to pieces. The train, which runs
through Mount Vernon at the rate of
forty miles an hour, had not passed
under the Bond street bridge more than
three minutes before the magazine ex-
pioded. The train is a heavy one.
The force of the explosion wrecked
the Bond street bridge and damaged
many houses in the vicinity. The area
of damage is widespread, extending
from South street to North Tenth ave-
nue. and from West Third street TO be-
y0nd Mount Vernon avenue.
In the houses on Pearl street win
d0ws were broken, and In one instance
young girl was badly cut with bro
ken glass. In Cortlandt street win
dows were broken. things thrown to
the floor and pieces of the ceilings were
thrown down. Women were fright
ened and in many instances tainted
Heavy plate glass in store windows
was shattered for blocks.
Roundsman Patrick Gilroy. who was
abed at the time in his home on Short
street, was thrown out ON the floor by
the explosion. His wife was baking
pies in the kitchen and was Knocked
down.
William f. Ryan. thirty eight years
old, foreman; Daniel King, forty-four
years old, foreman. and James q. Bunt-
ing, contractor, of Flushing, L. T.. We're
arrested by Chief Of Police Foley.
charged with violating Section $50 Of
the Penal Code. This section fixes a
penalty for the, unlawful keeping of
The work in the railroad cut is being
done by the Eglee Bunting Construc-
ton Company, of Boston, which has
been at work since early last spring
putting up the heavy wall which is to
support the bank. The cut Is widened
for four tracks.
Commissioner Of Public Works Will
lam A. Miles issued permit on May
20 to Eglee 81 Bunting to store dyna-
mite subject to the city ordinance
along the railroad company's property.
The contractors filed a bond Of $4,000 as
guarantee Of good faith Commits
sioner Miles says that. according to his
agreement the contractors were per-
mitted to have two or three boxes OF
dynamite on the work at one time. On
one occasion, he says, he found four
teen boxes, and he made Superntend-
ent Malcolm remove it to Yonkers.
After this accident fourteen cases OF
dynamite were found In a magazine
within 200 feet of where the explosion
took place. Commissioner Miles made
this discovery and ordered the expIo-
sives removed, which was done The
dynamite was again taken to Yonkers.
Miles says that IL the second magazine
had exploded the loss Of life would
have been great.