The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-30
RENT BY AN EXPLOSION.
CONTINUED from Fins, Pase.)


| came. AT first the curious lost all curl
| osity and were seized with the same panic
| that held those whom they were fighting
to pass. At once they too. wheeled and
fled through the streets for a quarter OF
! a mile in every direction.
The second explosion seemed five times
as large and loud as the first one, and
coming when the fleeing crowd was get
ting Its second wind and the curious on
their way to the fire were convinced that
the worst was over, it filled the mob with
panic that was little short of madness.
To everyone it seemed that what was
left of the building after the first explo-
sion must be now blown up. Yet the first
one seemed capable of completing the
buildings destruction. The fragments oil
the building were in the air. They fell on
the rushing crowds. They caught the lead
ers and showered them with heavy mis-
sles that cut faces and hands. 1t was the
height of the panic.
Men, women, and children were in the
crowds fighting to get to the front, and
it was the men that got there The weak
er ones fought to keep their feet Women
were thrown to the ground right and left.
Dozens fell at the edges of the mob. and
few got any assistance. The missiles kept
falling for ten minutes. They were like
spurs to those they struck, melting them
to fiercer efforts. Other crowds poured
from every building in the neighborhood.
Employees for blocks around ran hatless
and coatless to the street.
The district has in it many restaurants.
From these the lunchers fed. leaving their
hats and uneaten dinners behind them
After the first explosion many had re-
sumed their seats, but the second de-
tonation drove them frantic. Walters
Joined in the mad rush for the doors. and
in Smith G McNeil's, in Greenwich Street.
and in Noakes'. in Park Place. not soul
was left after the second explosion.
After the first rush the streets looked
like desert. Scores of hats lay scat
tered over the riff-raff. Hours afterward
when the sidewalks and streets had been
swept up the debris amounted to bar
rel full for every city lot.
To the people in the big office buildings
in the banking district the first explosion
sounded as If a cannon salute had been
fired at the Battery. When the second
came almost all of the occupants OF the
buildings seemed to think that the New
York Steam Company's plant had been
blown up. From all of the buildings along
lower Broadway crowds OF men and Wo-
men poured into the streets asking enc
another what had happened. Broadway
near Trinity Church was filled in mo-
ment.
Streams Of human beings poured from
the buildings along Broad, WALL Pine. and
Beaver Streets, and those who came from
districts east Of Broadway had picked up
rumor that the steeple OF Trinity Church
had fallen. The crowd surged back into
New Street when another explosion was
heard and many women who had run from
the office buildings kept on running. When
the excitement subsidized many Of the
women were in a state bordering on col
lapse and were too badly scared to go back
to work. The clerks were in about the
same condition and many of them went
home without stopping to tell tneir en-
ployers that they were going away for the
day.
Pieces of burnt paper, blazing timber,
and cardboard rained upon the crowds.
Several letterheads OF the firm OF Tarrant
d Co. fell on Broad Street, having been
blown there from the scene Of the disaster,
nearly mile. The clerks in the American
Security Company's office at III Broadway
were of the opinion that neighborng
building had fallen. Those in the Equita-
BILE Building were of the same opinion.
Three young women who ran from the
Benedict Building at Ill Broadway never
stopped running till they reached the Bat
terry. Then one tainted and was carried
into the East River Hotel.
The people in the Corbin building. at
Broadway and John Street. believed that
an Anarchist had struck Wall Street, for
the reason that q messenger boy ran
through the building shouting that a dy-
namiter had blown up the Sub-Treasury
Just where he picked up that story no.
body seemed to know, but it was repeated
SO many times in the building that Sc res
OF people ran from the Corbin building
to Wall street. expecting to see the Sub
Treasury in ruins. Some Of the office
boys there believed that they would fad
the streets strewn with gold
The same scenes were witnessed at the
Central Trust at 81 Wall Street, ard at
the Bankers Trust at 10 Wall Street
All of the brokers on the fioor of the Con-
solidated Stock and Petroleum Exchange,
at Exchage Place and Broadway, ran into
the street and asked each other what had
happened People from the Offices in the
building felt the building shake. and
heard the rattle Of the windows. ard
came to the conclusion that the building
was falling.
In fact in many of the big skyscrapers
tenants believed the buildings were about
to tumble. The Postal Telegraph build
ing. at Broadway and Murray Streets
seemed to shake from roof to foundation.
Nearly all Of the occupants OF the build
ing guessed what had happened. for it
was only minute or two before that they
looked from their office windows and saw
fire engines go past the door. Some OF
the tenants ran out when they heard the
first explosion. but nearly all of them va
Gated the building when the other ex-
plosions came. They believed then that
buildings all around Warren Street were
being knocked down like nine-pins, and
that 1t was time for them to get out as
the explosions seemed to be getting
nearer.
At the Shoe and Leather Bank. at
Broadway and Warren Street. fifty men
and women fled to the street and ran
across the City Hall Park The postotice
shook from cellar to roof, and the win
dows ratified as II every pane of glass in
them would go to pieces. The clerks in
the registry division stuck other posts
although they really believed that the
building was going to topple over.
Postoffice Inspector King was debating
a letter to his stenographer. The young
woman dropped her pencil and ran out of
the door. Mr.. King called her and as she
was about to go back there came a rum
bling sound and she ran for the elevator
car. Every elevator bell in the building
was rung and crowds gathered on the up
per floors of the building waiting anxiusIy
to be carried to the street and expecting
the building to fall any minute.
man representing Thomas F. MAY.
President Of tine Tarrant Company. went
to the various newspaper offices tonight
and stated that Mr.. May wished 1t known
that the company had only fOrty-fiye en-
ployes. and that he believed all of these
got out safely. with the possible excep-
ton of one boy on the top floor