The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-15
BRIDGEPORT'S EXPLOSION.
POWDER MAGAZINE BLOWN UP
BUT NO LIVES LOST.

Greatest Damage Done was to Glass
Effects Were Felt Over a Very Wide
Area--FOw 1t Affected New Haven
Earthquake Was the Theory Most
People Jumped To-Window in
Broadway Store Shattered by the
ShOck-TeIephone Exchange Besieged
with Calls.
A triple explosion of many thousand
pounds Of both smokeless and black
powder stored in four magazines Of the
Union Metallic Cartridge company near
Success Hill in the extreme northern
section of the East side, Bridgeport, at
APO yesterday morning, produced an
earthquake-like effect caused thou
sands of dollars worth of damage in
the form of broken glass and struck
terror to the entire population Of the
city
-Four small magazines out Of a group
of ten exploded The effect could only
be lkened to heavy earthquake shock
of three seconds duration with a recur-
rent shocy of about the same length.
According to Superintendent George
C. Thorpe of the company the quantity
of explosive which made the disturb
ance was 5000 pounds, divided equally
between the smokeless and black varie-
ties.
The shock was far heavier than any
preceding one in Bridgeport, that of
August IL last, when a printing house
in the city proper, was leveled, being
of comparative force and having iden-
teal effect in demolishing windows and
yet not causing loss Of life by direct
violence.
Although window glass was shatter-
ed in immense quantities in every direc-
ton for radius of ten miles, the loss
in this respect is placed at less than
$4,000 by the company's officials and
the bill Of damage will be quickly set
tied. This was the method adopted at
the last explosion, and the damage then
done was quickly repaired. An earth
quake could not have created greater
excitement in Bridgeport than did the
explosion, and street incidents We're lu-
dicrous in the extreme and were so
accepted after people were treasured
that the earth's tremor was an artifi-
cial one.
The police department lent its aid in
re-establishing order, and later made a
canvass of the city to determine if
there had ben casualties, Some people
reported trivial inquiries, but Superin-
tendent Thorpe said his agents had
failed to find single person hurt The
financial loss outside of the powder, he
further said, was almost insignificant.
Some of the officers say that Il would
have needed a fire to have ignited the
powder and they have a theory that a
flash of lightning set fire to the build
ings.
Another theory is that the high tenn
perature of Sunday followed by excess
sive dampness during the night, pro-
duced an atmospheric change which
brought about ignition. An inquiry in
to the cause has been begun
Great damage was done in many
churches, school buildings and public
buildings by the breaking of windows.
In st. Luke's Episcopal church, a huge
memorial window given to the church
10y q. Y. Beach, was demontshed 1t
was valued at $780, In Ct Charles
church the windows were damaged and
1t is believed that an examination Of
many valuable church and other win
dows will show damage,
In the Huntington and Wheeler
schools windows were broken.
The damage in Stratford was great.
The windows in the Catholic church
there were broken and many windows
about the town were wrecked, chlmneys
toppled over and other damage was
done.
Many persons In that town rushed In
to the streets, supposing, Of course,
that an earthquake had caused the
earth tremors.
A farm house near the scene Of the
explosion, which was unoccupied, was
practically demolished. 1t was blown
out of plumb by the shock, plaster fall
ing from the walls and the chimney
being Jared down.
HOW IT STRUCK NEW HAVEN.
| Occurring at lust the hour vhaD