Ingraham, J.:
- The plaintiff was seated in the restaurant of the Murray Hill Hotel, at the corner of Forty-first street and Park avenue, on the 2.7th day of January, 1902, when there was an explosion of dynamite in Park avenue, in front of the hotel, which caused him serious injuries, and to recover for the damages thus .sustained he commenced this action against the cityvof New York, John B. McDonald, who was the general contractor for the construction of the subway for a rhilroad in the city of New York, and Ira A. Slialer, [553] who was the sub-contractor for the work through Park avenue. After the commencement of the action, and before the trial, Slialer died, and at the end of the evidence the court dismissed the complaint against McDonald, submitting' the question as to the liability of the city to the jury, who found a verdict for the plaintiff, and from the judgment entered thereon the city appeals.
The complaint sets up two causes of action —• the first based upon the alleged negligence of the city in permitting the storage of dynamite in one of the public streets, and the second in maintaining a public nuisance. The plaintiff proved that there was executed on the 21st day of February, 1900, between “ the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘ City,’ acting by the board of rapid transit railroad commissioners for the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘Board,’ party of the first part, and John B. McDonald, of the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘ Contractor,’ party of the second part,” a contract for the construction of a rapid transit railroad in the city of New York, under the authority of chapter 4 of the Laws of 1891 and the various acts amending the same: By this contract the contractor agreed to fully construct and equip the rapid transit railroad in the city of New York upon the routes and general plans -therein mentioned ; that the contract was made pursuant to the rapid transit statute which was to be deemed a part thereof; that the contractor should in strict conformity with the specifications and provisions of the contract, furnish all the materials and labor necessary and proper for the purpose, and in a good, substantial and workmanlike manner construct the railroad, for which the city was to pay a sum of money fixed in the contract. The board reserved to itself the right to inspect the work which was to be done, and the materials were to be furnished subject to the direction and approval of the engineer of the board. The contractor was to obey and follow every direction to be-given by the engineer and in all respects to carry out his requirements; that the contractor would, during the performance of the work, safely maintain" the traffic on all the streets, avenues, highways, and parks or other public places in connection with the work, and take all necessary precautions to place proper guards for the prevention of accidents^ and to put up and keep at night suitable and sufficient lights, and indemnify and save harmless the city against and from all damages [554] or costs to which it may be put by reason of the injury to the person or property of another or others, resulting from negligence or carelessness in the performance of the woi’lc, or from guarding the same, or from any improper materials used in its construction, or by or on account of any act or omission of the contractor or the agent thereof. The specifications, -which are mad,e a part óf the contract, provide that“ "Whenever rock is encountered in any trench, and blasting is necessary for its removal, ajl necessary precautions must be exercised by the contractor. *' * * Explosives shall be Vised only of such character and' strength as may be permitted by the board.” • "
On September 4, 1900, McDonald made a sub-contract with Ira A. Slialer "for sub-section No. 4, which extended, from the center of Thirty-third street to the center of Forty-first street, on Fourth and Park avenue. By this contract Slialer undertook to construct the road between Thirty-third and Forty-first streets, and it contains the same covenants in" relation to the public streets under which this road was constructed as were contained in the original contract between the contractor and the board. In the performance of his contract Slialer constructed a powder magazine in Park avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-first streets, on the west side of Park avenue, about fifteen feet from the sidewalk. It was made of wood, about four feet high. Annexed to this magazine Was a small shanty, which was connected with the magazine by a door and was constructed about a year before the 27-th of January, 1902, the date of >the explosion. This magazine and shanty were built by. Slialer Without any permit from or the consent of the city of New York, dr any of its officers or employees. The magazine was used for the storage of dynamite for use in the excavation of this tunnel. On. the morning of the 27th day of January, 1902, a truckman connected with a chemical company delivered at Forty-first street and Park avenue eight boxes, of fifty pounds each, of dynamite.. When he delivered "these boxes at this magazine there were then three or four boxes in the magazine unused, which had been delivered at the magazine the day before by order of the contractor. From one to ten boxes of dynamite were delivered each day at this magazine. Some days there would be delivered three, four or five boxes, and some days more, up tó ten or twelve- boxes, according to [555] the order of the contractor. The average was from four to eight boxes a day, and these deliveries were made between ten and eleven o’clock in the morning. The watchman who had charge of the magazine testified that on the morning'of January twenty-seventh, at a quarter to twelve, he left the shanty and went to Lexington avenue for a plate of soup; that after getting the soup he returned and saw a blaze inside the shanty which was annexed to the magazine ; that when he saw that blaze he tried to get out of the way as soon as he could; that there followed an explosion ; that when he left the shanty there was a lighted candle burning in it. There was a fence around the shanty and magazine ten or twelve feet high,- so that it was separated from the rest of the street.
There was introduced in evidence, over the objection and exception of the defendant, certain rules and regulations of the fire commissioner in relation to the manufacture, transportation, sale, storage and use of explosives within the corporate limits of the city of New York, established under the provisions of sections 763 and 764 of the charter of the city of New York (Laws of 1897, chap. 378). These regulations provide that: “All contractors and others now engaged in or proposing hereafter to engage in any blasting operations shall make application for a permit to keep and -use explosives, to the inspector of combustibles, in writing, giving name,, location of office or place of business, occupation, the .proposed location of the magazine or hand magazine, a plan or drawing and description of the construction of such magazines.”
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Ingraham, J.:
- The plaintiff was seated in the restaurant of the Murray Hill Hotel, at the corner of Forty-first street and Park avenue, on the 2.7th day of January, 1902, when there was an explosion of dynamite in Park avenue, in front of the hotel, which caused him serious injuries, and to recover for the damages thus .sustained he commenced this action against the cityvof New York, John B. McDonald, who was the general contractor for the construction of the subway for a rhilroad in the city of New York, and Ira A. Slialer, [553] who was the sub-contractor for the work through Park avenue. After the commencement of the action, and before the trial, Slialer died, and at the end of the evidence the court dismissed the complaint against McDonald, submitting' the question as to the liability of the city to the jury, who found a verdict for the plaintiff, and from the judgment entered thereon the city appeals.
The complaint sets up two causes of action —• the first based upon the alleged negligence of the city in permitting the storage of dynamite in one of the public streets, and the second in maintaining a public nuisance. The plaintiff proved that there was executed on the 21st day of February, 1900, between “ the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘ City,’ acting by the board of rapid transit railroad commissioners for the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘Board,’ party of the first part, and John B. McDonald, of the city of New York, hereinafter called the ‘ Contractor,’ party of the second part,” a contract for the construction of a rapid transit railroad in the city of New York, under the authority of chapter 4 of the Laws of 1891 and the various acts amending the same: By this contract the contractor agreed to fully construct and equip the rapid transit railroad in the city of New York upon the routes and general plans -therein mentioned ; that the contract was made pursuant to the rapid transit statute which was to be deemed a part thereof; that the contractor should in strict conformity with the specifications and provisions of the contract, furnish all the materials and labor necessary and proper for the purpose, and in a good, substantial and workmanlike manner construct the railroad, for which the city was to pay a sum of money fixed in the contract. The board reserved to itself the right to inspect the work which was to be done, and the materials were to be furnished subject to the direction and approval of the engineer of the board. The contractor was to obey and follow every direction to be-given by the engineer and in all respects to carry out his requirements; that the contractor would, during the performance of the work, safely maintain" the traffic on all the streets, avenues, highways, and parks or other public places in connection with the work, and take all necessary precautions to place proper guards for the prevention of accidents^ and to put up and keep at night suitable and sufficient lights, and indemnify and save harmless the city against and from all damages [554] or costs to which it may be put by reason of the injury to the person or property of another or others, resulting from negligence or carelessness in the performance of the woi’lc, or from guarding the same, or from any improper materials used in its construction, or by or on account of any act or omission of the contractor or the agent thereof. The specifications, -which are mad,e a part óf the contract, provide that“ "Whenever rock is encountered in any trench, and blasting is necessary for its removal, ajl necessary precautions must be exercised by the contractor. *' * * Explosives shall be Vised only of such character and' strength as may be permitted by the board.” • "
On September 4, 1900, McDonald made a sub-contract with Ira A. Slialer "for sub-section No. 4, which extended, from the center of Thirty-third street to the center of Forty-first street, on Fourth and Park avenue. By this contract Slialer undertook to construct the road between Thirty-third and Forty-first streets, and it contains the same covenants in" relation to the public streets under which this road was constructed as were contained in the original contract between the contractor and the board. In the performance of his contract Slialer constructed a powder magazine in Park avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-first streets, on the west side of Park avenue, about fifteen feet from the sidewalk. It was made of wood, about four feet high. Annexed to this magazine Was a small shanty, which was connected with the magazine by a door and was constructed about a year before the 27-th of January, 1902, the date of >the explosion. This magazine and shanty were built by. Slialer Without any permit from or the consent of the city of New York, dr any of its officers or employees. The magazine was used for the storage of dynamite for use in the excavation of this tunnel. On. the morning of the 27th day of January, 1902, a truckman connected with a chemical company delivered at Forty-first street and Park avenue eight boxes, of fifty pounds each, of dynamite.. When he delivered "these boxes at this magazine there were then three or four boxes in the magazine unused, which had been delivered at the magazine the day before by order of the contractor. From one to ten boxes of dynamite were delivered each day at this magazine. Some days there would be delivered three, four or five boxes, and some days more, up tó ten or twelve- boxes, according to [555] the order of the contractor. The average was from four to eight boxes a day, and these deliveries were made between ten and eleven o’clock in the morning. The watchman who had charge of the magazine testified that on the morning'of January twenty-seventh, at a quarter to twelve, he left the shanty and went to Lexington avenue for a plate of soup; that after getting the soup he returned and saw a blaze inside the shanty which was annexed to the magazine ; that when he saw that blaze he tried to get out of the way as soon as he could; that there followed an explosion ; that when he left the shanty there was a lighted candle burning in it. There was a fence around the shanty and magazine ten or twelve feet high,- so that it was separated from the rest of the street.
There was introduced in evidence, over the objection and exception of the defendant, certain rules and regulations of the fire commissioner in relation to the manufacture, transportation, sale, storage and use of explosives within the corporate limits of the city of New York, established under the provisions of sections 763 and 764 of the charter of the city of New York (Laws of 1897, chap. 378). These regulations provide that: “All contractors and others now engaged in or proposing hereafter to engage in any blasting operations shall make application for a permit to keep and -use explosives, to the inspector of combustibles, in writing, giving name,, location of office or place of business, occupation, the .proposed location of the magazine or hand magazine, a plan or drawing and description of the construction of such magazines.”
Upon compliance by the applicant with all the provisions of tlxe law and of these regulations, the inspector of combustibles would, upon the payment of a fee, issue a" permit to such applicant in the name of the fire commissioner, which permit‘shall remain in force, unless revoked, for one year. Provision was then made for the construction of magazines, which are not to be used for keeping explosives except under certain restrictions: that if the magazine be not less than 50 yards from the nearest protected structure of the first class, and 100 yards from the nearest protected structure of the second class, the quantity of blasting powder which may be kept therein shall not exceed 500 pounds, or in lieu of each pound of blasting powder less than this maximum quantity one-lialf pound of any high explosive may be kept therein. The regula[556] tions further provided for the inspection by the officers of the fire department, wdio, upon discovering any violation of the regulation, should serve upon the owner or possessor of the explosive so found a notice requiring the violation to be removed, with due regard to the public safety, within a reasonable timé, to be definitely stated in the notice. These inspectors were required to make daily reports in writing to the inspector of combustibles.
Upon this evidence the plaintiff rested, and the defendant moved to dismiss the complaint, which motion was denied, and the defendant excepted. The defendant offered- no evidence, and the court submitted the case to the jury.. After stating the claims of the defendant and the plaintiff, the court told the jury that the first question for them to consider was whether this magazine and its contents, as maintained on the day of the accident, was a nuisance at this place. They were then instructed that, if they found that it was a nuisance maintained at the time, to find a verdict against the city they must find that “'.The city of New York and its officials knew of the maintenance of an unlawful and excessive amount of explosives at this point, or that "that condition had existed for such a length of time that, in the exercise of reasonable diligence on the part of the officials of. New York charged, with caring for its street property and looking out for the safety of its streets, (they) had an opportunity of ascertaining this condition and remedying it, (and) in the exercise of reasonable diligence, a reasonable time so to do; ” that “ If you find that this magazine, as maintained, at the time of this accident was a nuisance at that place, and that it had continued for such a length of time to be a nuisance that the city authorities' charged with the care of its streets and its street property should, in the exercise of reasonable diligence, have ascertained its being a nuisance and abated it, and that, they did not do so, tlieii you may find in this action a verdict for thé plaintiff for such reasonable damages as you may find that he has sustained by reason of the injury received to himself.”
The court then charged, at the request of the defendant, that the city of New York was not liable for the negligent acts or omissions of the inspectors of combustibles; that-“To establish constructive knowledge on the part of the city, the plaintiff is bound to show , that a dangerous, unlawful quantity of dynamite had been kept [557] continuously at the place of the- explosion for such a length of time previous to its occurrence that the city officers, using reasonable diligence, might have ascertained the fact.”
And, at the request of the plaintiff, that, “ There is evidence that the regulations of the fire commissioner forbade the storage of more than sixty pounds of blasting powder, or thirty pounds of high explosive dynamite in any hand magazine not less than eighteen yards from a protected structure of the first class, which would include the Murray Hill Hotel; and the storage of dynamite in violation thereof, if such violation occurred, was unlawful.” To that the defendant excepted, and the jury then found a verdict for the plaintiff.
The fact that there ivas no license. granted by the city of New York to erect or maintain this magazine, or to keep explosives in it, or that the city as a municipal corporation made no contract for doing this work, or had no power to inspect or regulate the work, eliminates any liability on the part of the city for the method adopted for doing the work, or for any violation of law by the contractors. The principle, therefore, established in several late cases in the Court of Appeals, by which the city is made liable for acts done under a license issued by it, is not applicable. (Landau v. City of New York, 180 N. Y. 48; Speir v. City of Brooklyn, 139 id. 6. The work, in the doing of which this explosive was used, was a work under the control of the board of commissioners appointed by the Legislature. After providing for the appointment of a board of commissioners, the Legislature had authorized that board to make a contract for the construction of a subway under the streets in the city of New York, and had vested that board with the supervision and management of the work. The city, as a municipal corporation, had no power to interfere in any way with either the board in the making of the contract, or with its contractors in the completion of the work. Thus, the contractor engaged in this work not being under its control, or subject to its supervision, the city could not regulate the amount of explosives that lie should keep on hand, or prevent him from carrying out his contract in the way that was prescribed by the rapid transit commissioners. Under the provisions of section 34 of the Rapid Transit Act (Laws of 1891, chap. 4, added by Laws of 1894, chap. 752 and amd. by Laws [558] of 1896, chap.729)