Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
NEW YORK QUAKED
Terrific Explosion of Dynamite
at Homestead, N. J..
SCORE OF MEN HURT
Windows Were Broken All Over Man
haitian Island.
WOKE UP THE GOTHAMITEs
Many Big Buildings Trenbled and
People Were Badly Frightened
Some Thrown to Ground.
WOKE UP THE G0THAMITES

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. March "a terrific explo-
sion. at Homestead the Jersey end of the
Pennsylvania tunnel at 1918 o'clock this
Sunday morning rocked the entire island
of Manhattan from the Battery to the
Bronx routed out nearly every one in Jer-
sey City and blew out the windows OF
nearly all the houses in the town of Union.
score of workmen were more or less Sc
riously injured.
The force Of the explosion was so pow
erful in Manhattan that some one was
turned out of bed in every house. and 1t
was feared at first that the explosion had
occurred here. The hospitals got ready to
send out their ambulances. and police
headquarters was ready for any emergency.
When no word came from any of the
tunnels in Manhattan. attention was direct
ed to Jersey City. and it was said at first
that the explosion had been caused by
dynamite stored at the tunnel end at Home
stead Later word came that the shock
had been caused by the blowing-up of
gas works in Union Hill
At the Erie railroad offices in Jersey City
it was said that the boilers in the workings
OF the Pennsylvania tunnel at Homestead
had blown up. No report of the accident
mad reached them which gave any definite
News
D- Windows Broken.
The fenRsyivania railroad Offices in Jer-
~ City felt at first that the trouble must
have been at some part of their tunnel sys-
tenn. and said so. although declaring that
they did not know where it was.
Windows were broken all over the island
of Manhattan, especially in buildings 'front.'
ing on the Hudson and North rivers. With
dn an hour after the explosion thousands
of telephone calls were received at police
headquarters asking for news of the crash.
Nearly every one spoke of having windows
broken. or of being thrown out of bed by
the conclusion.
Just before the crash occurred fire in
a six-story building at Walker and Gen.
ter streets had caused the sending in of
two alarms. There were several small
explosions at this fire. and II was be-
lieyed that the fire had something to do
with the crash
The Erie railroad had many inquiries,
as the company is digging a new tunnel
through the Bergen Hill, and has a great
amount of dynamite stored there. They
declared early that the trouble was at the
HomesteaI end of the Pennsylvania tunnel.
At 1:15 O'Clock this morning it was learned
definitely that the explosion was in the
Pennsylvania tunnel and was caused by the
casualties could not be learned
blowing up of boilers. The number Of
Tall Buildings Trembled.
g The shock of the explosion broke probably
Ievery window IN Homestead and at Union
Hill. and was felt in this city, where many
tall building trembled perceptibly Thou
sands OF persons were awakened from sleep
homestead Is hamlet within the
town of North Bergen and about four
miles west of Hoboken. 1t is to be the
terminal for the Jersey end of the tunnel,
(which. after two years work is now
nearing completion. The gang of men
employed was within a few hundred feet
of the. proposed tunnel and nearby where
Che explosives were stored
These were contained in a magazine con-
sstructed of galvanized iron and quilt on the
surface of the ground. The contractor at
this point and owner OF the explosives is
one Bradley. The magazine was built
against hill, on the opposite side of
(which several men were working on the
isurface These latter suffered most
Four Tons of Dynamite.
1t is now learned that the jar New York
and It's environments felt early this morn
eng was due TO an explosion of a mag
.azine of dynamite. said to have held four
tons. at the Jersey end of the Pennsyl-
yania tunnel at Homestead in the town of
Union. 1t blew out all the windows in the
town. rocked the Jersey coast from Jersey
City TO Weehawken. and shook the Island
of Manhattan as it has not been Jared for
"a long time
The latest news from Homestead. the
scene Of the explosion. is that from forty
TO fifty houses have been demolished. Two
people are missing and about a dozen peo-
rple injured. thousand pounds of dyna-
mite exploded.