The sun., 1916-08-23
BLACK TOM BLAST
LAID TO NEGLIGENCE
Lchigh Valley and National
Storage Company Blamed
in COrOner's Verdict.
CASE FOR GRAND JURY
Prosecutor Says Facts Will Be
Laid Before InquisitOrial
Body Next Month.

Both the I-ehigh Valley Railroad and
National Storage Docks Company were
held responsible for the Black Tom ex-
plosion OF Sunday morning. July 80. by n
Coroner's jury in Jersey City yesterday.
In liz verdict handed to Coroner Charles
Hoffman the six Jurors held the W.
corporations through grave ack Of FIRE
p%recaution' were responsible for the
death OF Patrolman James Doherty OF
the Jersey City Police Department.
Afterward Second Assistant Prosecu-
tor James W. Mccarthy told n reporter
for THE Sun the next step will be to
present the case to the September term
Grand Jury Immediately after 1t is sworn
In on September 10.
W shall proceed against both the
Lehigh Valley and the National Storage"
said Mr.. Mccarthy. THE state will seek
Indictments against the officials of the
corporations both collectively and ind!-
vidually.'
Two Companies Censured.
The Coroner's Jury reached It's verdict
after celebrating a little more than an
hour. The verdict In part said
The explosion was caused by a 're In
a car or cars in the yards Of the Lehigh
Valley Railroad at Black Tom. We
censure the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
pany. the lessee. and the National Stor-
age Company. the lessor. for their
lack Of fire precaution when such danger
Gus commodities as dynamite. powder
and loaded shells are held awaiting ship
ment In such proximity to the dwelling
places OF millions OF human beings"
Edward Kane. a night roundsman In
charge OF the watchmen at the Lehigh
Valley yards. testified his force rom
sisted Of only three men. Il, said there
were seven hosccarts In tn. yards. and
when asked how they cou'l be handled
by himself and three others said they
depended upon boatrnen i,eirg near by
In case OF fire.
Battalion Chief John Gately Of the
Jersey City Fire Department was the
first witness TO testify to the lack OF
water to night a fire.
II arrived at Black Tom about five
minutes to l on the morning OF the ex-
plosion.' said Gateiy. There were -four
or Ave h%ydrants in the yards, To each
Of which In turn we connected our lines
OF hose. But the pumps would not work
We could not get "a drop of water from
them. Near the grain elevator ] came
across Albert NJ. Dickman. Lehigh Valley
freight agent. one Of the o arrested for
responsibility for the death OF Cornelius
Leyden. chief OF the l.ehigh Valley po-
lice. and asked him why We couldn't &c,
any water.
hickman answered that he didn't
know why we couldn't get IN lie was
excited and walked away from me al.
most immediately"
Continuing Gately told that in addition
to the four or i've privately owned
hydants In the yards there were two
hydrants that were labelled. Jersey
city Water Department. He added tina
the firemen MANAGED to get water from
these latter. but that the pressure was
not great enough to do much good.
No Reports on Exp losives.
James Connolly, inspector OF combusti.
bles In the Jersey city Department OF
Public Safety. was called by the Stat.
lie said he had an arrangement with III.
Iehigh Valley Railroad whereby IL mad.
reports TO him daily Of explosives. Re,
ports to him showed that on Friday
July 2s. two days before the explosion
nifty cars had been sent to Black Tom
and that on Saturday nifty more haC
been received. Ftfty-two cars supposed,
scheduled for there on Sunday wer,
switched to the Claremont yards aftel
the explosions.
Inspector Philip Leonard OF the Jerse,
city police c~orroborated Connelly's testi
mony In part.
There were only twenty-eight car
loaded with explosives on Black Tom a
the time OF the first explosion. accord'n,
to Fred Fox. n Leh!gh Valley freigh
checker. He said he knew. because h
kept a record OF It In a book, which h
/ did not produce.
Samuel Sloan. n Waterman In the lie
high Valley yards. said he raw the frs
explosion. When asked where he wa
when the second explosion occurred
Sloan replied:
"I was walking on Ocean avenue"
There was a ripple OF laughter In tn
,o,rt roou uhap he ga we this answer,