Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1907-05-18
Charles Erickson
Threw Stick
Into Fire.
FOUNDRY LOSS
Three Boys Secured Explosive
from Boat on TOtienyille
Shore and Brought II TO
Foot of fFayette Street
This City.

With shock that was heard for
miles around, the explosion of
stick of dynamite at the foot of Fay
ette street about o'clock yesterday
afternoon, badly injured Charles
Erickson, seventeen years old, of IL
Broad street, and damaged the win
dows and moulds in Patrick White
& Sons foundry to the extent OF
over 500.
Patrolman L. c. Jensen was on the
scene Immediately after the explos-
ion occurred and made careful in
vestigation of its cause. Later he in
terviewed Erickson in the Office of
Dr. ]. S. Hayes and learned from him
the following story.
Erickson said that he and
two other boys, one of whom,
he said, was the son of
Tonnes Tonnesen, shoemaker. OF
73 New Brunswick avenue, went over
to Tottenville early in the afternoon
and entered the old scow owned by
William Gray and which lies south of
Bay Cliff Park. They found box of
dynamite in the bow of the boat and,
after securing about ten sticks of 1t
rowed across the sound to the foot of
Fayette street. The dynamite was
taken from the boat and placed on
the shore. Some boys had built a
small fire there and Erickson, while
his companions were on the bank
above, picked up stick of dynamite
and threw it into the fire. A terrific
explosion followed which shook ev-
cry house for blocks away.
Erickson was thrown to the ground
but arose quickly and, with his arm
shattered, ran across the street to-
wards the iron foundry. He was
caught by a negro employed by the
Standard Bitulithic Company, who
tore off a piece of his shirt and tied 1t
around the boys arm. crowd soon
collected and Erickson was placed inr
wagon and taken to the office or
T.. Hayes on Smith street where it
5 found that the flesh on his arm
: ound the elbow had been torn
loose. The doctor found that no
bones were broken. Five stitches
were necessary to replace the dang
ling flesh. Erickson was taken to
his home by Charles Johnson and
friend. He nearly tainted with the
pain of his injured arm.
Shock Heard for Long Distance.
The noise of the explosion was
heard plainly at the city hall and
people living twenty blocks away de-
clare that they felt the shock. Peo-
pie in Tottenville also heard it. The
stick of dynamite exploded below the
bulkhead and within four feet of the
Fayette street sewer, which empties
at this point. 1t tore large hole In
the ground.
Immediately after the explosion
people came running from all direc-
tions. Seven or eight other sticks Of
the explosive were lying near the hole
made by the explosion of the first
stick and this kept many from ven
turing too near. 1t is also regarded
as remarkable that the entire ten
pounds did not explode, which had 1t
done so would have caused havoc in
that part of the city and perhaps
cost life
There were many conflicting stor-
les after the explosion occurred and
one man declared that the boy car
ried the dynamite from the boat when
it exploded and that it blew him four
or five feet into the air. A number
of other stories were in circulation,
but Ericksen's own story is regarded
as the correct one.
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