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

Durlng 'ne cOhHagrauon, tremendous
explosion took place, an account Of whrh
we take from The New York Express.
Al about four o'clock, Crocker & War.
ren's Store, in New street, in which was
stored very large quantity of sallpelre, blew
lup with one OF the most tremendous explos
ions ever heard or celt IN the city. Tha,
building itself was Of course scattered in
| fragments in an instant, and those near il
were little better of. The explosion ere.
a!ed one Of The most lrighlIul spectacle il
was ever our misfortune to witness, and
The noise and uproar could only be eeuaIIed
by the explosion of a magazine.
The frs. explosion was paralively
moderate, filed the room of The writer Of
his paragraph with light more intense
Than at noon day, and, upon looking out
iuPon Broadway, scene met oar gaze, that
can never be forgotten. Hardly had he
cached The window when the second and
grand explosion took place. Fhe build.
ing as far as the eye could reach appeared
lone mass ol flames, while lhe -builhipps- Oh
sion House 10 the Aslor, were so brilliant
that the eye could scarce rest upon them.
The spire of Trinity Church looked like a
lpiIlar of fire & the moon, which nome be.
lore we saw, just about the roof, paIed un
der this vivid light, aud was invisible. The
Sky, over the region Of the fire, and along
tie range Of Nassau street, was filled with
a mass Of fame from the burning gas,
alcohol and Camphine, lei loose at the eX.
lpIosion.
High in the air as the eye could range
appearance Of serpen,s darling splIaly up
wards, like the smsIl rockets Of fire work
These tongues Of flame, too, sho, out in al
directions from the CENTRE making together
The whole look like mountain of fire which
ere aed in the air noise like that caused BY
a flash of electricity in thunder storm
The panic caused by such an explosion,
who can describe? The street., from the
Waverly House to our Office, on Broadwa,
presented thick multitude of men, running
as if for their lives, ,shrIeking as though they
were IN the agonles Of death. Those who
could keep their feet weIe fortunate, Indeed
for the masses behind in their terror, over.
ran many who fell regardless Of any thing
but their Owr safety.
| Through the other streets like scene
was eXhIbIled,but as the others were narrow
The confusion Was greater. The fremer
and spectators left those parts only 10 re
ceive in another place the shower of bricks
and other missiles forced Off by the eXpos
ion, 50 awful was the shock that The
thick plate glass in nearly all the building,
ia Wall street was broken in fragments and
slrewed over the pavement, in many in
stances he substantial window sashes then
selves being broken in. The cries of
frightened people, lhe!alls OF mis-
sIlrS on the roofs of buildings, the
crash Of glass upon he pavemenls, ad
led, 10 the lumblng Of buildings from tn,
force of the explosion, aud The vivid gIar,
lo( The flames, assaled the numerous multi
udes now out 10 see the fire and gave lht
Impression that great convulsion of nature
had taken place. The windows of III,
City Hotel and buildings near Us were in
moment filled with the tenanlry Of the
houses, whountl the great explosion ,haC
Remained quiet in bed, thinking The FIRE al
ordinary matter, but not until now thorough
! y reused BY this awful shock
! The concuSsion in The Courier office wa
so severe that the substantial stone WALL
Iof ;he building shook of their foundations
md lhe,people there though, for one mo
men. lhaIlhey were ,umbpg in their base
rhe woIsmen in The composing room !;
he fifth STORY found The stone on which III
oTm was making up, rise several irche
tom its resting place, the gas all went gu
instantly, and during The darkness thai fol