Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-02-04
DYNAMITE LETS GO
ON JERSEY CITY PIER
New York Sky scrapers Shaken and
People AIarmed--Many Killed
and Injured.

New York, Feb. Am explosion of
25 tons of dynamite at pier end,
close TO the Central railroad OF Nev
Jerseys passenger slip at CSmmuni-
paw. across the North River from New
York, at neon yesterday, killed "a,
Injured more than $50 others and
wrecked everything in the vicinity
including the Central's big terminal
OF the "a laborers and seamen at
tbs end Of the pier a moment before
the explosion. nothing has been seen.
Not even the pier itself remains. Full
iy 100 feet CT the planking of it has
been blown away. Many boats IN the
harhor were badly damaged but none
so seriously as to cause them 10 sink.
At the same time the terrific ex-
plosion of the blow-up reached through
the underlyitg strata of rock, not only
Manhattan. Brooklyn, Richmond and
the Bronx. but far away points in
Long Island and Connecticut. rocking
sky-scrapers. smashing glass. tearing
away WINDOW frames and sending
panic-strieken tens of thousands OF
men and women into the streets, fear
full that an earthquake or some other
vastNnatural turmoil was upon them.
As in all upheavals of tremendous
force. persons nearby escaped death;
buildings close at hand were not in
iGred. persons far away we're killed;
structures at great distances were al
most torn apart. For instance, North.
port. forty miles down Long Island,
trembled with the shock, Bayonne,
only mile distant, did not know any
thing had happened until 1t read the
evening newspapers.
Wall street, for a time suspended
business through fright and anxiety.
New york's fire engines and ambulan-
ces rushed up and down the street
searching for the scene OF whatever
had happened, nobody for long time
knowing. There was semi-panic for
nearly an hour in this city unit; 1t be-
came known that the cause of the
great roar and the swayi1g OF build
ines was mile away across the river.
What happened, briefly, was this:
Two cars OF dynamite, containing 25
tons each, from the Dupont Powder
Works, of Wilmington, Delaware, had
Pier No. 7, adjoining the big G. r. r.
If N. ]. station at Communipaw. The
explosive was consigned to Palisades
on-the-Hudson, for use in blasting out
rocks. Two lighters, the Katherine
W., and the Whistler, had drawn up
TO the pier end to receive cargoes OF
the dynamite. On the former was Cap
tein John Healy and eight men. On
IN latter. four men. On the pier end
were twelve laborers just starting to
ct theft dinners while others were
arrag 4 in transferring the dynamite
from the freight cars to the fighters.
There were at least "a men within ac-
tual handling distance Of the dyaa-
NIT.
All of n sudden there was an awful
roar, a great crowd Of haze ana dust.
tremble Of the earth and among
structures above the earth within a
~adius Of thirty miles.
Later the railroad Officials IN for
nal settlement, said that possibly the
steam or gasclene engines OF one Of
the two lighters had exploded and set
of the dynamite, though they did
not state this positively. The Jersey
city pclice claim that one box Of dy-
nsrite had been stalled at the hottom
az tire chute, down which the big pack
aces Of the explosive were being shot
and then another had struck It which
caused the explosion.
OF the lighters there was not trace
al the pier end. OF the first freight
car, which had held 25 tons Of dyna-
mite, nothing could be seen. or the
Sec nd there was only a rear pair OF
trucks. Far out in the river, fioated
mass OF wreckage which might have
represented part of this wood work of
the car or both; but their BOXERS
wheels and axles and other metal
PARTS had sunk in the river.