The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-24
LIGHT BLAST USED,
SAYS FOREMAN,
BEFORE CAVEIN
Missing D%ynamiter Surrenders
TO Perkins and Tells of
9TH Ave. Disaster.
SNORING IN OTHER
WORK Is EXAMINED

iueusto Mezzanotte. better known as
August Midnight. came out OF hiding
Yesterday TO tell the District Attorney
what he knew about the blast VI dyna-
mite which preceded the cavirr in of
seventh avenue. Twenty-fourth to- TWEEN
,y.afth street. nn Wednesday morning.
This man, who was foreman OF blasters
working at the spot where seven persons
were killed and 100 injured, said that
,he disastrous blast of dynamite was OF
no greater Intensity than lots of others
that have been used In subway excavat-
ing With no serious results.
Maz2iuotte explained In detail the two
blasts ~ Wednesday morning. and his
statement convinced District Attorney
Perkins that such "A blast at its worst
could never have d.slodged the 800 feet
Of snoring which collapsed at that point
AN area uf nifty feet would have been the
mos, it could conceivably dislodge.
Mr. Perkins and the others investigat-
INK the accident would make no direct
statement, however. that the upports
for the roadway were weak. The Dis
trict attorney and the Coroner appointed
il. deb. Parsons yesterday to do their
Official and technical investigating. Mr..
Parsons. who IL a prominent engineer.
began his inquiry at once with a corps of
assistants.
Foreman Quickly Released.
Mezzanotte. who came into the District
Attorneys office trembling life a leaf.
said that he ran AVA from the accident
because he was scared. lie hid in his
nephew's garage and later went to AS
toria. l.. l., where he spent the night.
Yesterday mis- nephew and the latter
mans lawyer produced him. and after
his examination by Mr.. Perkins he was
released.
In his talk with the District Attorney
ne described how he had seen the trolley
ca goTiug up the avenue. how he sig
nailed to his iiagman TO stop the car and
how this was done about ninety feet
from the spot where the blast went OF.
He said that the blast consisted of four
holes, about nine feet deep. within q
space ~ a dozen feet, on a bench of rock.
with three mini ounce sticks of 40 Der
cent. dN ustnite In "a hole-a total OF
SIX pounds and twelve ounces. Imme-
diately after the blast Mezzanotte aid
that the desk of the street. began 10
move away from him. sweeping south-
ward like a wave. II sank in: none Of
Il was blown IN. which vitiates the
theory that there was an explosion of
gases under the street.
/. was rumored that Senator Thomp-
pu. chairman of the committee invest
eating the Public Service Commission,
had received a report rejecting on the
strength OF the temporary supporting
work and the supervision OF the COM
MISSION regarding its construction. From
o'her sources 1t was reported that the
timhering under the roadway had been
Of a more efficient nature thar that done
ny any other contracting company doing
subway work.
To Quix 100 witnesses.
T. \. Little. general superintendent OF
TIRE United States Realty improvement
Company, contractors for the section
wh"r" the accident occurred. will lie one
o. 'n'S" SUhppnaed to appear At the
CCTout : inquest. Inch will begin to-
morrow morning a 10 o'clock. Coroner
Fe.lberg will try to get a hundred wit
neSses 10 testify and among them will
Dc members of the stan of the Public
sel't'e Commission.
From The Offices Of the commission the
srnouaoc1eut was made that orders had
""eR .ssued for a special inspection and
report on all timhering and street deck
ing N use on all contracts OF the dual
system. These inspections have been
gong on now ever since the Seventh
avenue accident.
Nln"ty-odd policemen guarded the
sap.ng hole i'm seventh venue yesterday
rh'" workmeu We're busy removing the
debriS searching for other bodies
ara many investigators were poking
around In the ruins.
NJ investigation mad by officials of
me Consolidated (.ua rn,,, an,arl
;nC To the company's announcement has
proved that illuminating gas was in no
va responsible for the accident. Fur
,,nelnore. no gas has been carried below
VI" surface Of the avenue for months
smaller mains along the gutter having
~sunplau'ed the big main that was used
he'ore the subway construction began.