The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-03-05
WRECKS HOMESTEAD
Explosion In New Jersey
Shakes Whole District.
KILLED TWO; DAMAGED FIFTY HOMES
Pennsylvania Tunnel Contractors
Dynamite Mnsssine Goes sIsywsrd
at Observation-Disclosures Sup
posed Blown TO Pieces.

HOMESTEAD. N. j., March A
dynamite explosion here at midnight
killed two persons, injured at least
twenty others. wrecked fifty homes in
the village and shook towns and cities
within radius OF ten miles.
The dynamite was the property Of
Bradley & Son, contractors, who are
building the Jersey end OF the Pennsyl-
vania railroad North river tunnel II
was stored in one story structure %
by 40 feet I'm dimensions and located
within few hundred feet OF where a
gang OF seventy-ive men were EN-
ployed I'm excavating. The engineer
and Waterman are missing and are
supposed to he dead. Twelve persons
were removed 10 hospitals, and others,
II In thought, were injured.
The plant Of the contractors was
wrecked. 400 houses lost their win.
dows, while half dozen homes and
Gevernaud's silk factory were other.
wise damaged.
The New Jersey end OF the bore was
the scene OF the explosion. Several
who escaped with their lives are badly
manned.
The explosion. which shook and shat.
tered small houses for several miles
around. was heard throughout New
York and even Brooklyn and Concy
Island. Persons all over the country
were awakened, and many rushed "a
the street. thinking there had been an
earthquake.
Several thousand pounds OF explo
sives were stored In n number OF
frame buildings called the magazine
Men were engaged In removing III,
powder and dynamite to be used TO
day I'm blasting operations In the tun
mel. Some two hundred pounds OF
powder had been placed In a pile neal
one OF the buildings when the explo
sion suddenly occurred. II In suppos
ed that spark from some careles,
workman's pipe fell into some powder
that had leaked from one OF the cans
The explosion OF the powder caused
the dynamite 10 explode. and In an In
slant all the magazines had gone ~
with roar like that Of a volcano.
Some OF the workmen, after regain
Ing their feet. rushed for the neares
telephone and informed all the sur
rounding towns. Ambulances wer,
sent from the North Hudson hosplta
I'm Union Hill. Christ hospital IN Jcrse,
City and the william Neckar prlyat,
hospital.
The explosion had awakened every
body In these places. aud the polio,
We're ready 90 move as soon as the,
learned where they were needed
Scarcely house In Homestead or II
any OF the Jersey towns has n Who'll,
pane OF glass. In some cases peopl,
were thrown out OF bed. and IN,
streets were soon filed with man,
who were afnid that an EARTHQUAKE,
had occurred.
George johnson, a watchman, Il sup
posed 10 have been blown 20 pieces
He Is known TO have been ON dut,
Just before the explosion. Later th'
only trace found OF him was his hat
which was picked up from the ruins o
the small tool buildings that were lev
eled.
Mandak. another Waterman. wa
hurled n distance OF a hundred feet
The Mabcrti family occupied n small
frame house about $50 feet from th'
magazine. Their home fell Ia upol
them. and -four OF the family were &c
riously injured.
The power house and adjoining SINAI
buildings were destroyed aud the win
dows OF practically all the houses u
Homestead and Union Iilli blown In.
Just how much dynamite was stores
In the magazine may be determined Il
the Official investigation. s'iperintcnd
ent james Mcmahon OF the contract
Ing firm was arrested charged witt
having In storage a greater quantity o
explosives than can legally be KEEP
In one place. II was reported that III
building held four tons OF dynamite
There were two OF more explosions
and they tore n hole eight feet dee
| aud fyenty.four feet across In the rock