Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-03

4 tSc cApAdhfcA- ohAGAafS oA 49, 49, s>'N
the powder company maintain that some
thing more than a mere concussion must
| have occurred to set off the dynamite
An explosion of gasoline on board the
tugboat or n boiler explosion on the light
| er is the theory.
| The bureau of combustibles of New
| York City, in statement by Commits
sioner Johnson, puts a little sidelight on
the disaster by declaring that the Kath-
crime w, the dynamite lighter where
the explosion occurred, is an old offender
| and that the district attorney was al
ready preparing to take action early this
| week against her in the case of q ship
| ment of 2500 pounds OF dynamite which
was improperly left unguarded on an
East River pier on Christmas eve. The
| explosive was seized by the bureau of
coE.Dustihies, condemned and sold ut auc-
| ton.
Robert Peelo, professor of mining in
| Columbia University and noted expert
on the use of dynamite. has the following
10 say in a statement to the public:
THE Communipaw explosion should re-
ccive the attention of the legislatures of
| every state In the Union. I believe, from
my experience with dynamite, that every
| state should enact q law making it COM
| pulsory with those who ship explosives
i of this nature to have them frozen be-
| fore being put in transportation. 1t should
! also be demanded that competent men,
experts with dynamite and its dangers,
should be in charge of the shipments
| from the moment they start from the fac
! tory ts4NuHH
4 a., e h. A.,
| in Jersey City in which victims If
yesterdays explosion are lying injured
| revealed that no additional deaths had
| occurred At ST Francis Hospital.
| however, it was said that Johr A.
Deepen of New York. who was struck
by y. falling fire G:stinguisher in the
lerse% Central depot when the ex-
rlosion occurred. ard his skull frac-
turcd. was in a critical condition and
his death momentarily expected
Because of the grave danger in
handling dynamite in the dark the
| W orlt of clearing away the wreckage|
and searching the ruins of the ex
| plosion on the Jersey Central pier
had TO be abandoned last night when
darkness fell, hut ii was promptly
resumed today at daylight.
The work progressed slowly be-
cause of the care which had to be
exercised in overha uling the debris.
and the results up TO mid-forenoon
were negative in revealing traces of
any additional bodies. That more bod
les We're buried in the wreckage. how
ever, was the belief expressed by the
authorities in charge OF the search.
but 1t was feared that when found
they would prove so badly mangled
as to defy identification.
The time for the beginning of the
eeroners inquest into the disaster
and its causes was today set for
next Tuesday night. The declaration
of James Connolly. inspector of com
bustibles in Jersey City that d@na-
mite from powder plants in New Jer-
sey had been handled at Gommunifaw
without proper license and in viola
ton of the local ordinances, caused
particular importance to be attached
10 the investigation ne purposed maxi
ing.
Independent of the official invesi-
cations, officials of the New jersey
Central Railroad had under way to-
day a searching inquiry into the man
ner in which the dynamite which ex-
nloded yesterday. was being handled
and as TO what caused the disaster
This work was found difficult, as near
ly all the persons who were on the
pier near the scene of the explosion
We're either blown TO pieces or so bad
" injured as to be Unable to give an
intelligent account of what happened
just before the accident occurred.
Public Prosecutor Garven of Hudson
county. in whose jurisdiction the eX-
piosion occurred, was busily engaged
today in his investigation of the ca
lamity Three of his assistants were
sent out to make inquiries in various
quarters likely to develop important
information and Mr. Garven in his Of
flee received reports from them from
time to time. He would not reveal
however, what specific informHion
these reports conveyed.
''All can say" the prosecutor said.
lis ths-that we are collecting the
facts. Ii may he several days before
all the facts relating to the matter are
in shape. If these facts disclose that
there has been criminal negligence. we
will place them before the grand jury"
A revised list Of the dead. so far rs
known. made public today in Jersey
City, is as follows:
James Armstrong Of Jersey City.
captain Of the powder boat Whistler
Robert Barbour of New York City,
n railroad passenger.
Robert Bennett Of New York City
captain of the tug John Tuohey.
James l.undrigan, captain Of the
powder boat Katherine W.. address not
learned.
Charles Mcneil, engineer of q switch
engine in the New Jersey Central
yards, address not learned.
Giantonomo Moro. of Brooklyn,
stevedore.
Michael Moro, a cousin of Giantono-
mo, stevedore.
Oscar Stolpe, mate of the Katherine
W.. lived with Captain Lundrigan.
Only five bodies had been recovered
up to this noon and the names of
| only nine men missing were known.
| Nearly a score of laborers, names un-
known, who were on the end of the