The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-07-26

During the conhagration, tremendous
explosion took place, an accoun, OF which
we take from the New York Express.
At about four o'clock, Crocker & War.
ren's store, in New street, in which was
stored very large quantity of sallpeire, blew
up with one OF the most tremendous explos
ions ever heard or Felt IN The city. That
building itself was of course scattered in
fragments in an instant, and those near il
were liule better off. The explosion Gre
a!ed one Of the most frighIul spectacle il
was ever our misfortune TO witness, and
the Eoise and uproar could only be equalled
by the explosion of a magazine.
The first explosion was comparatively
moderate, filed The room of the writer of
his paragraph with a light more intense
Than at noon day, and, upon looking on,
upon Broadway, scene me, our gaze, thai
can never be forgotten. Hardly had he
Iesei 81 ,he ".iodow when 40 -.-~"i -..-
Igrand explo'ion took place. The 'btiild
ing as far as the eye coald reach appeared
one mass of flames, while the buildings or
The west side of Broadway, from The Man.
sion House 10 the Astor, were so brilIian
hat the eye could scarce rest upon them
The spire of Trinity Church looked like
Iplar Of fire & the moon, which a nome be-
fore we saw, just about the roof, paled un
der this vivid light, and was invisible. The
sky, over the region Of the fire, and along
: the range of Nassau street. was filled wni
a mass of flame from the burning gas
alcohol and camphne, let loose at The ex
IpIosion.
High in the air as the eye could range
appearance OF serpents darling spiraly up
wards, like the smsl rockets Of fire work
These tongues Of fame, too, shot on, in al
directions from the centre, making ,oge,he
the whole look like mountain of fire whicl
, created in the air a noise like ,ha, caused b,
"a flash Of electricity in thunder STERN
, The panic caused by such an explosion
who can describe! The street, from tht
Waverly House 10 our Office, on Broadwa,
ifresenied shick multitude of men, runnirl
las if iGr their lives, ,shrlekug as though the
were IN IRE agones OF death Those " wh,
could keep their feet were fortunate. indeed
y for the m asses behind in their terror, over
ran many who fell regardless of any thin
bu, their owr safety.
Through The other streets like seen
was eXhlbiied,bul as tue o,!lers were narro'
. he confusion was greater. The treme
: and spectators left those parts OH, 10 II
O celve in another place the shower OF Erlci
and other missiles forced off by The explo,
lon, So awful was the shock that ,h
thick plate glass in nearly all the building
IN Walt street was broken in fragments All
strewed over The pavement, in many il
: stances the substantial window sashes the
u selves being broken in. The cries O
frightened people, lhe!sls Of mi
l. sdes on the roofs of buildings, IN
! rrash OF glass upon the pavemen,s, a
il led, TO the 'umbliug Of buildings from II
lorce OF the explosion, and the vivid gla
j. Of the flames, assailed the numerous null
g 'udes now out ID see the fire and gave II
!. impression that great cOnvulsion of nsu
had taken place. The windows of 4
, City Hotel and buildings near us were in
moment filled with the tenantry Of II
u houses, who until the great explosion hi
remained quiet in bed, thinking the fire
ordinary maiier,but not until now lhorOug
d ly reused by this awful shock
is The concnssion in the Courier office "
=. so severe that the substantial slone wa
&c of ;he building shook of their foundation
and the people there though, for one IN
men, that they were lumbIing in their bs
O The woIkmen in Tho composing room
he fifth story found Ihe stone on which
=" form was making up, rise several iEcf
oh rom its resting place, he gas all went {
Instantly, and during The dprkness lhai