The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-03
Dynamite and ShrapneI Go Up in
Harbor.
EXPLOSION ROCKS 2 STATES
Scores Of Persons injured When In
ferno Is Loosed on lsIand-Cars
Loaded With Dynamite Collide
Munitions Destroyed.

harbor, Off the Jersey coast, caused a
loss estimated at $50, 900, 600. The num-
Der of dead and injured could not be
computed at late hour, but 1t was be-
lfeved that the dead will not number
more than ten, Scores are known to
be injured, some of them fatally.
Bedloe's island, on which stands the
of the explosion. The statue and all
buildings on the island suffered dam
age. Every window in the pedestal
of the statue was broken and the main
door weighing nearly ton, was blown
from its hinges. The damage to the
base is not yet known.
Blast Rocks Two States.
The damage to the explosives, which
were consigned to the entente allies,
and about to be transferred to freight
steamships, Is estimated at $15,000OOO.
| The other damage was caused by the
wrecking of buildings on the island
and to buildings In Manhattan, Brook
Ign and nearby Jersey towns. The
force was felt 80 miles away.
For seven hours shrapnel and other
ammunition continued to explode, fol-
lowing two terrific blasts, that of two
cars loaded with dynamite and sub
sequent blowup of carload of nitro
| glycerin and attached cars which con-
tanned the munitions for the allies.
Shells Rain Over Bay.
Inferno was loosed upon the waters
of New York bay as bargeS laden
with ammunition drifted about, fol-
lowing the first stupendous explosion
| at 2:OS a. H., when burning car
loaded with dynamite was shunted
with violence into another car loaded
with the same high explosive, until
nine o'clock when the shrapnel explo-
sions with their rain of shell fragments
ceased. Everything fronting on the
bay was under fire as If New York
was besleged city on the European
war fronts.
The great dynamite blast which be
gan the reign of terror during which
shrapnel was bursting every few min.
utes, originated in the destruction of
the two cars of dynamite. One car
was being propelled by small switch
locomotive of the Lehigh Valley rail
road, tracks of which cross the trestle
connecting Black Tom island with the
mainland, less than mile to the south
of the scene of the COmmunipaw dyna-
mite explosion of 1912.
Dynamite Cars Crash.
The roof of the box car was discOv-
cred to be on fire. The first theory
advanced, and not denied, was that
cigarette thrown Oh the car top had
started the fire. Nervous and over.
anxious the switching crew stopped
the dynamite car, which was being
sent toward the powder pier and shunt'
ed 1t off on a sidetrack spur. In doing
so the burning dynamite car smashed
violently into another box car loaded
with dynamite. The blast followed.
This blast rocked Manhattan and
Brooklyn to their foundations and
swept Black Tom island in one fear.
full typhoon of death.
Before the impact of the explosion
the great warehouse on the piers fell
like house of cards, the debris ablaze
Men distant from the exploding dyna.
mite were hurled far out into the wa.
tiers.
Island Made an Inferno.
Black Tom island in an instant was
turned into an erupting volcano OF
explosives, while from the ruins of the
warehouse rose dense clouds of as
phyxiating gases generated by drugs
and chemicals stored there.
A Lehigh Valley locomotive was
summoned to attempt to draw out 10C
freight ears loaded with ammunition
on the island. The locomotive and
switching crews ran to the periIous
task with no hesitancy, but the swift
spread of the flames to the cars caused
them to retreat as rapidly as they
could.
In every direction, toward the Jer
sey side and across the two government
lSidnuS, rams lSluuu, WIFI It's lHlllll
grant station, and Bedloe's island, with
the historic Statue of Liberty, erupted
a storm of shells, some in box lots, 9th
ers driven singly, scattering danger
and destruction wherever they flew.
Mystery in Origin Of Fire.
Sinister reports We're heard all day
regarding the origin of the fire. Dep
uty Eire Commissioner Norton of Jer
sey City said in his opinion II was al
accident. However, the fact that ther,
was to be one of the largest shipments
that has been made in some time t
the allies Is regarded as significant Ii
addition to the war munitions Their,
We're many Standard Oh tank ship
lying near the Black Tom Island whar
and their cargoes We're also conslgne,
to the allies "a