The Washington herald., 1906-12-04
-FOUR DIE IN BLAST
Dynamite ExplOdeS Far Be-
meath New York Streets.
ELEVEN SERIOUSLY INJURED
DFiIIers, Who Blast by CandIe-Iight,
Believed to Have Dropped Match in
Dynamite, and Explosion Follows
Before the Men Can Escape.

New York, Dec. 3.-Four men we're
seriously injured when a box containing
forty pounds of dynamite in sticks ex-
ploded In Tube B Of the Pennsylvania
tunnel running from Thirty-fourth street.
this city, to Long Island City, shortly
after o'clock tonight
The eXposion occurred go feet out from
the large shaft opposite the Long Island
Railroad depot The detonation was not
heard on the street or even at the foot
came known when several Of the less
seriously injured staggered out through
the heading 200 feet west Of the spot and
managed to crawl to the opening and
gave the alarm.
Stanley Schmidt, William Stewin. John
WoTegOe. and Richard Bonner were found
dead, and William German and Tony
Viveneto unconscious, by searchers.
Drilling Gang Gees Down.
The drilling gang went TO work at ;
o'clock this afternoon. They had made
"a number Of borings in the tubes They
were working seventy feet in from the
heading or shield that had been placed at
a distance Of 200 feet out from the foot Of
the shaft. At o'clock German came
down TO place the dynamite German was
in charge Of much of the blasting of the
New York subway, and is considered an
expert in this line
It is rule with the contractors and
| their men that all electric lights shall be
disconnected when the dynamite is to be
set off. This was done tonight The
men then worked by candlelight
The box Of dynamite was carried 10 the
edge Of the wall Of rock where the drill
ing had been done. and was opened. Tim
othy Lynch. the foreman Of the rock
drillers. who escaped with only few
slight bruises. says that he saw a small
sheet Of flames on the bottom Of the tube
near the boring, and Is of the opinion
that one Of the dynamiting gang dT0pped
a match, that he had used in lighting a
candle. into the open dynamite box
Flames Near Dynamite.
There was forty pounds of the explo-
sive in the box It was in sticks and
! rney had been more or less stirred around
/ in the box. These sticks are covered
with heavy creased paper. and at the end
| Of each stick Is a detonator. Lynch is
sure that the 1lame he saw was that COM
Ing from the burning Of the creased wrap
| per Of one Of the dynamite sticks.
Lynch cried out. For Gods sake. men,
run for your lives"
The men did. and. headed by Lynch.
there was "A wild stampede for the door
In the shield. a terrific report soon fol
/ lowed, and all the men were thrown
from their feet and landed in heap to-
ward the shore end.
Lynch was the first 20 reach the shield
and open the trapdoor This let in some
| fresh air, and allowed the smoke-aIled
section to clear so that work of rescuing
could be begun. Word was sent to the
bottom o. the tube. and the contractors
physicians and other employees hurried
into the tube. The men were taken out
as quickly as POSSIBLE. The three dead
men were found near the boring. and eyi-
dently did not hear Lynch's warning in
time TO get away They were horribly
bruised and lacerated. The doctors said
that their death was instantaneous.