New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-05
Appeal to Jersey City Off.
Gals, but Gain No
Concessions.
DYNAMITE TRAIN
STOPPED BY POLICE
Interstate Board Holds That No
Law Was Violated at
Black Tom.

J Representatives of railroads shipping
/ munitions into Jersey City appealed
yesterday to Frank Hague, director OF
public safety, to learn exactly to what
classes of explosives the city commls'
sion's ban extended. They wished to
know if they might not ship through
the city those explosives designated az
slow" or medium"
They were told that the ban was
absolute and that Director Hague was
standing pat" on his order to the po-
lice that amy and all substances OF
an explosive character used in the man
| ufacture of ammunition and explo-
sves" must be prevented from enter
ing the city limits.
James W. Mccarthy, Assistant Coun-
ty Prosecutor, and County Detective
William Charlock made an investigs-
ton Of the ruins on Black Tom Island
yesterday and came to the conclusion
that the fire did not start on any barge
lying at the Lehigh Valley piers, but
in a train of empty freight cars and
was communicated to cars laden with
munitions. This is believed to dispose
of the claim that the blaze originated
on Barge "a, Of the Johnson Lighter
age and Towing Company.
The embargo on explosives resulted
I -, h. atn IA n
loads of dynamite, which had been sent
to the Oak Island yards of the Lehigh
/ Valley and would have crossed Newark
Bay into Jersey City except for the
vigilance OF the police squad stationed
at Oak Island.
Police Captain John Cody, in com
mand of the police detail at the Jersey
+ City Bayonne line, Central Railroad
received a formal protest from Yard
master Hindelman against interior
ence with the trains This procedure
was expected, as it is understood the
J Central Railroad will join with the
Lackawanna in seeking a restraining
order against the Jersey City Board
/ of Commissioners.
Complaints of the railroads were es-
, pecialy severe over the embargo on
/
plosive" George S. Hobart, of coun-
sci for the Lehigh Valley, early in the
day telephoned for a definition of the
commissions order, and representa-
! tives of the Jersey Central called at
the office of Director Hague. Injunc-
ton suites are expected within the
next few days.
Hearing of the manslaughter charges
against officials Of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad, the National Storage Com
pany and the Johnson Lighte-Sge anc
/ Towing Company were postponed By
County Judge Mark A. Sullivan unit
August IL at the request of Prosecutor
Robert s. Hudspeth.
/ Washington, Aug. A statement or
the Black Tom explosion, given out TO-
day, shows that the Interstate Com.
merce Commission believes that no law
or regulation of the commission was
violated in the transportation of the
explosives which caused the disaster.
A suggestion that the Jersey City au-
thorities may be sustained in the alb
solute embargo they have placed or
explosives was contained in one para
graph of the commissions report. II
said:
THE state or municipality, in the
exercise of its police powers governing
the safety and health of its people
may have the right to prescribe limits
within which such commodities may be
handled and limits within which they
shall not be handled, but as TO this, II
would be inappropriate for the commits
sion to express an opinion"