The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-29

Buildings Wrect<ed-A Small Blaze
Believed to Have Been the Cause
of the HoGocsy F'iremen
said to Have Reen Buried in the
Ruins-Pede estrians Cut by Flying
Glass and Injured by the Concus-
sion-C"nfusion Reigns ia the Vi
cinIty of the Terrible Accident.
NEW YORK, Oct 29--One of the most
disastrous explosions in the history of the
city occurred about noon today in the
Tarrant Chemical Company Building, at
Greenwich and Warren Streets The force
of the explosion wrecked the adjoining
buildings along both Greenwich and War
rem Streets and a number across Green
wIch Street.
The police believe that the number of
dead will exceed $50 persons, and for
some time after the explosion injured per-
sons appeared on the streets from all
points covered with blood The block
wrecked is bounded by Warren, Washing
ton, Greenwich. and Murray Streets. Many
nremen are believed to- be buried in The
ruins.
It is reported that a small fire on the
tetrd floor of the building caused the dis
aster
Chief Krupp and fifteen men OF the First
Fire Battalion are reported to be lost in
the ruins.
Explosions, whose reverberations were
heard a mile away, blew up the building
The number of lives lost VIII probably be
greater than in the Park Place horror
The police and fremen could get no ac-
curate idea for long while after the
names broke out as to how many had been
Killed It was thought that many in other
buildings also lost their lives
Four alarms were sent out. but at first
the ffremen were helpless TO cope with
the flames Explosion after explosion oc-
CURED and at each one the flames and de-
DTS SuOl uD lIIO tlIS az away Nt'N'N 49,
roofs of the tallest skyscrapers. The
shock shook buildings for blocks away and
every window in broad area surrounding
the scene was smashed.
Persons in the streets who were a
block away from the wrecked building
were badly cut by flying glass. Many
were thrown down and bruised Horses
stampedad and created a general panic in
the street.
Then there was general roar OF hurry
ing engines, ambulances. and patrol wag-
ons. With each succeeding explosion,
there was an increase in the rush to the
scene of the explosions, but those who ran,
found tLat even though there were no police
Ines to stop them, they could not get near
the flames, for they were beaten back,
Employees Caught in "A Trap.
1t is known that there were 150 persons
employed in the Tarrant Building, 100 girls
and fifty men, It is doubtful if more than
two of these escaped, for the explosion
came with such suddenness that no one
who was in the building could leave it after
the first shock.
The first explosion occurred at 12:10
o'clock Up to that time no smoke gave
evidence of the disaster that was coming.
This first explosion ripped out the roof,
and with great roar the flames belched
into the sky Mingled with them was a
mammoth cloud of black smoke, that
curled upward like a huge dark balloon
when the flames went down. The air was
filled with flying debris. some of which
did not come back to the earth again
for over five minutes. At this the first
alarm was turned in. but before the fire
men arrived, there was another expIo-
sion, even more terrific than the first.
Again the flames rose toward the sky ard
leaped upward higher than they did be-
fore.
It was the luncheon hour, and the street
was filled with persons going out TO take
their midday meals. The first and second
shocks knocked them down and they were
covered with flying glass and DEBRIS
Stunned and bleeding they ran panic
stricken from the scene. Women, with
torn dresses and hats blown of, screamed
out in pain, and men thought of nothing
but to make wild dash for safety L
was Just after the fist fremen arrived
that there was third explosion The
men who were nearest the place by this
time were knocked down and many wers
dragged away unconscious. Then came III,
worst explosion of them all.
Adjoining Buildings Collapse
With roars like three great booms of ar.
tillery and each succeeding the other a
an interval of two seconds. these expIos.
ions came. ripping away what was left G
the Tarrant Building and causing the nortl
side of the block on Warren Street, be-
tween Greenwich and Washington Street
to collapse like an egg shell. Severa
buildings on Greenwich Street running to-
ward Chambers also fell and some of thos,
to the south and toward Murray Stree
went down.
At least ten buildings were blown dow