The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-19

It was at first reported that the explosion was in the boiler house. Later this was proved a mistake and then the officials of the railroad and the police heard that it was due either to the explosion of quantity of acetylene gas or dynamite. one report was that switchmen running car loaded with dynamite to be used for the excavation of the New York Central terminal into the depot lost control of it and it smashed against a track bumper and exploded.
 The police later said that the ex- plosion was probably caused by the ignition of a tank contain ng acety- lene gas which was in a car in the milk depot It was set off, they salo' by a spark from the third rail. This explosion caused the blowing up oI the car laden with dynamite; me e dynamite was owned by the Terry 9S Tench Contracting Co.,, wh ch IS tuilding the New York Central ter minal. and officials of that firm sent word to the district attorney ask ing that he institute an investlgation to locate the responsibility.
 That the disaster was not greater, is due to the fact that it took place at S:15 in the morning. Three quar, ters of an hour later there would have been many additional victims because of the fact that the concus. sion wrecked the big parochial school of St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5lst school has an attendance of more than 1.500 scholars and the largest classroom in it was demolished. on account of the early hour. however. there were only half a dozen scholars in the build ng. They were not badly hurt. Two boys standing in front of the building, however, were knocked down and terribly cut by flying glass.
 With the noise of the explosion came the crash of shattered glass and this was quickly followed by the cries of the injured. Hurry calls for all of the available ambulances in Manhattan were sent out ana two fire alarms called the fire department to the scene As soon as the report of the explosion reached pol ce head quarters, the entire police reserves or the city were hurried to the scene. They had their work cut out TOT them as a crowd of some 25.000 people were surging to the spot. Police lines were hastily established and only those having business there were per- mitted inside them.
 There were numerous escapes from death. The Chi1dren's Mercy Nurs- cry, at 50th street and Lexington ave- nue, was badly damaged. There were 800 children and 30 nurses in the building at the time. The flying glass cut some of the nurses and children, while the remainder were thrown into a panic. There was mad rush for the stairs but 2 few cool heads among the nurses managed to stop the panic before anyone was hurt. The public school at 51st street
 
 damaged. Fortunately the explosion took place before the scholars had shown up for the school day and there were but two hurt here, two Title boys who were standing at the door wait'n for it to open. They were knocked down by the concus- sion and badly cut by flying glass.
 As soon as order had been partially established it was possible to get a comprehensfve line on the extent or the disaster. The milk depot and car penter shop were completely wrecked and nearly everybody in it had been killed The big steel boiler shop was we'll nigh wrecked. as were all of the small railway buildings in the immed- fate vicinity.
 A street car of the Lexington avenue line. which was passing at the tlme' was thrown clear from the tracks on it's side crashing on an automobile owned by Charles $. Shepherd. con- trolIer of the Edison Electric Company which was passing. Two persons ln the street car and one in the auto were killed, while a number of others were badly hurt.
 The identified dead: Mrs. Mary P Poke. a passenger in the street car. Patrick Jordan. Frank Spagg. E. B. Ilivermore. c. M. Morrow. employees oi the railroad; Miss Edith Ossmanr General Manager Von Utassy of the Cosmopolitan Magazine: Jack Ryan,