New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-04
A MYSTERY,
Continued from FIRST page.

the Town Council Of North Bergen tonight to
take some action on the accident. He visited
the scene Of the explosion and climbed through
the slush and mud for an hour or more he
would not discuss any theories which he might
have formed, but he said that he would have
some suggestions to make tonight TO the couh-
ell toward a further restriction Of the storage
privileges granted to the company. About SIX
weeks ago it was learned that the contractors
were keeping a larger quantity of dynamlIe IN
the magazine than their permits allowed. The
permits were changed then. prohibiting the
storage OF more than $50 pounds at one time
FREAKS OF THE EXPLOSION.
All the towns between Homestead and the
North River show the force Of the explosion. In
whole blocks every plateglass show window has
been demolished. while the next block escaped
unscath Another freak of the shock was thai
excepting In the immediate vicinity Of the ex-
plosion few of the smaller windows were broken
That comparatively so little damage was done
is only less marvellous than the escape OF those
in the danger zone from death or injury.
The magazine was limsy wooden hut about
ten feet square and high. 1t stood at the foot
Of Union Hill, in the middle of a swampy DIT
of land, about one hundred and fifty yards from
the Eric tracks. a hundred yards away. to one
side, was the sheet iron building in which was
in the tunnel. 1t was building about $50 By
IS feet and about 60 feet high on the further
side vas tresle for the coal cars. and just
beyond this was a new frame store shed
In the opposite direction, and further up the
hill. was a tiny shack occupied by six Italians.
The companys Offices IN a small one story
building are perched at the edge Of the Pater-
son Plank Road. which is about half way up the
slope OF the hill. on the other side OF the road
the hill rises seeply for some three hundred feet
or so. and is fairly we'll covered by small frame
dwellings, Then comes the thieky built up
portion OF West Hoboken. which suffered heav-
ilv the shock apparently jumping over the
crest of the hill and doing little or no damage
for two or three blocks
The magazine was surrounded by a small
group OF trees perhaps two hundred feet across.
Right in the middle of the group now there Is a
hole about fifty feet across at the top and mar
rowing like a cup 10 the bottom. twenty feet
deep Three trees standing close by were up
rooted and reduced 10 matchwood. OF three or
four other trees only the stumps remain. and
there is not ono not stripped of all its limbs.
The remaining stumps and trunks were studded
with bits OF iron nails. stones and other rubbish
THE wRECKAGE OF BUILDINGS.
The long wall OF the power house. which faced
tho magazine. was entirely destroyed about half
Of the roof ripped of. and a small part OF one
end OF the shed torn away The men working
inside escaped unhurt. The machinery Is be-
Meved not to have been damaged. although some
OF tho boilers may have been impaired enough
10 have to stay cold for few days while re-
pairs are being made. The roof Of the wooden
store shed was broken In the middle and dropped
down. while one side was crushed IN.
The shack occupied by the Italian family
named Maberti wrecked. The clapboards
were ripped off. the windows blown in. the roof
twisted and furniture overturned. The floor OF
the veranda, which faced the magazine was
torn up and carried thirty feet away. Black
Hand bomb could not have done better or
more thorough job. The six Mabertis fed. and
three Of them were cut enough to need medical
attention.
Aside from the men in the power house. those
who had the narrowest escapes were the one hun
bred and twenty men at work in the tunnel and
the open cut leading up to It, The cut is deep
and wide and the high banks on either side pro-
tect the men there The tunnel is an open one
that is 1t is not necessary TO send any air into
the men other than comes in from the entrance
and escapes from the compressed air drills. Some
Of the workers inside the tunnel were thrown
10 the ground by the force OF the conclusion.
but no one was hurt. Had the power plant been
entirely demolished they would not have been
In any increased peril.
The main force Of the explosion was felt tow
ard the northeast, following the trend of the
rock through which the Pennsylvania tunnel IS
being driven. The home OF the Marbertis was
directly in this path. were all the buildings
most injured. Along Bergenline avenue in
Union HILL the course Of the explosion easily
could be traced by the glass lttering the side
walks and CUTTERS for fully one hundred and
hfty show windows were smashed along this
street alone In Union Hill more than hun
dred houses had most Of the windows smashed.
/ Glassware and china were thrown from the
| shelves ceilings and walls stripped of plaster
and pictures thrown down. Yet four or five
| greenhouses right In the path of the shock es-
! capped without a broken light.
/ The worst shaken building away from the i'm
! mediate scene of the explosion is the Givernaud
| silk mills Every window on one side was blown
| out and some of the machinery damaged to such
an extent that considerable repairs will have 70
be made before work can be resumed.
! AN EARTHQUAKE PANIC.
The broken glass marked the course OF the
I shock to the rivers edge. From nearly every
house the people poured forth without waiting
/ 10 dress Most of them had not the slightest
doubt that New Jersey had been tipped up
by a real earthquake. local prophet an
( nounced some time ago that New York was
I going 10 be turned upside down by an earth
quake in a few months. and that New Jersey
would be overwhelmed at the same time There
was little doubt in the minds OF many OF them
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