Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-23
DYNAMITE BLAST
WRECKS SUBWAY
Trolley Car, Carrying Seventy
Eight Passengers, Plunges
Into Excavation.
TOTAL DEATH LIST Is SIX
Four Investigations in Progress
to Fix Responsibility for
Accident.
TOTAL DEATH LIST is SIX

NEW YORK. September 22.-Al-
though rapid progress was made in
the task Of uncovering the section OF
the Seventh Avenue subway excavation.
wrecked by n dynamite blast to-day, no
more bodies were recovered, and the
death list late tonight remained at six.
Two of the dead were passengers
on a trolley car which plunged into
the excavation when the blast de-
stroycd the temporary shorings for n
block between Twenty fourth and
Twenty-fifth Streets. A woman who
watched the removal of the injured to
an improvised hospital died later from
shock and hysteria. The four other
dead were laborers engaged in subway
work. Comparatively few of the near
ly 100 passengers who went down with
Tonight four Investigations were
under way. How the accident hap
pened has not been officially deter
mined, beyond tho fact that the blast
ripped out tho undcrpinning in the
block, causing it TO cave in. In an
effort to fix responsibility. the police
search turned to Augusta NewZanotte.
known also as August Midnight. the
blaster. who is missing. He is wanted
on n charge of homicide.
The contractors in charge of the sub
way work declare that their rules re-
Quire that every man in the excavation
within 200 feet of the point where the
blast is exploded must leave, and that
ample -MarninG-gaust-bc~& ~&ixen,> in order
to stop all traffic. Examination OF the
trolley car showed it's wheels were
locked. as 1t struck after it's fall. The
motorman said he received a signal to
stop when In the middle OF the block.
MORE THAN HALF OF INJURED
ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The accident occurred shortly before
S o'clock. and more than half OF the
injured were women and girls on their
way to business.
There were scventy-eight passengers
on the trolley car which dropped fifteen
feet into the subway excavation when
the entire block collapsed. Although
the car remained upright. 1t was partly
buried under an avalanche of concrete,
rails, timbers and earth. and many of
the passengers were severely crushed.
Persons who were in a large office
building nearby said there was g~eat
roar as the pavement and portions Of
the sidewalks sank. This was followed
moment later by the cries of the
partly entombed passengers and OF
pedestrians who were either thrown
into the excavation or knocked down.
Men and women smashed the car
windows with their bare hands In an
effort to escape. eyewitnesses said.
while pedestrians who had been thrown
into the hole struggled to avoid the
falling debris and regain the street
Lowell
POLICE RESERVES CALLED
AND FIRE ALARMS TURNED IN
Police reserves were called out, two
fire alarms were turned in and fifteen
with thirty surgeons were
rushed to the scene. The hospital
corps OF a large cloak and suit house
nearby turned out.
The cave-in broke water and gas
mains. and within a few minutes heavy
flows OF gas and water threatened the
lives OF the 100 or more persons in the
excavation. Prompt work by city en-
ployees in shutting off the flow in the
broken mains put an end to this danger.
Fire ladders and ropes were lowered,
and police and firemen began carrying
out the dead and injured, while con-
tractors employees and others worked
furiously clearing away the timbcrs
and debris that imprisoned many
persons.
Rescuers found numerous sticks OF
dynamite scattered about in the cxca-
walton, and foreman said much blast
ing had been done this morning be-
tween Twenty-third and Twenty-hfth
Streets under Seventh Avenue.
CAvE-IN NOT DUE
TO ANY CARELEsSNESs
E. A. Little, general superintendent
of contractors, said:
Tho disaster was due to n small
explosion of dynamite. which caused
number of street props or snoring In
this section to give way The charge
which actually caused the accident was
a regulation dynamite charge. and the
cave-in was not due to any carelessness
on the part OF our employees. Rather,
IL was due to the crude. loose formation
OF the dirt which we unexpectedly
came across"
Mayor Mitchell drove to the scene
early. There he found Police Commits
sioner Woods, Fire Commissioner
Adamson. officials of other city depart
ments. and Edward E. Mccall. chair
man OF the Public Service Commission.
After an inspection OF the cave-in.
Mayor Mitchell said that il was too
early to suggest criminal responsibility,
but that all subway construction work
in the city would be inspected at once.
1T PAYS To TRAVEL YORK RIVER LINE
To Baltimore and beyond. Excellent steam