Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-29


twelve today lower NEW York was start
led by booming sound which it devel-
oped was an explosion in the building oc-
cuped by Tarrant and company, whole
sale druggists. The fire department i'm
mediately responded to a call, but had
not reached the scene when three addi-
t1onal explosions occurred more violent
tnan the first. A column of debris and
smoke and flames was shot upward 800
feet. Persons in the vicinity say they
saw human bodies thrown up in the COL
umn of debris when the explosion oc-
Cured Four explosions occurred in rap
i'd succession. The Sixth Avenue Elevat-
ed railway structure is demolished at
that point. Windows for blocks around
were demolished by the concussion, and
houses across the street were probably
damaged. Calls were sent for ambu-
lances.
Five alarms of fire We're turned in.
AT O'Clock it was said that there was
fully $50 persons in the building at the
time Of the first explosion, and few, if
any of them had time to escape. Harry
Ross, young man who was standing on
the corner when the explosion occurred,
was blown ten feet. When he picked HIM
self up he said he saw bodies flying
Three fire horses We're cut by flying glass,
and will probably have to be shot. The
fire engine was almost completely demol-
ished by. falling walls
1t was said that 100 of the employees Of
the building were girls. They We're on
different floors when the fire broke out
and the explosion occurred 1t is hard
to see how these girls could have es-
caped. In a restaurant next door to the
drug store there We're a0,. ut zoo people
eating their luncheon. OF tiiese man1
Wert injured, and it is reported a score
or more of them lost their lives I'm to
l2:45 p. m. eleven injured persons had
been taken to the New York hospital.
The police reserves from Old Slip Church
street. Oak street and Elizabeth street
stations We're called out. The first ex
plosion occurred at 1912 p. m, and took
the roof off the building. The explosions
sent debris flying through the air and
into the street, where dozens of persons
We're injured. All the amDulances from
hospitals south of Fitty-Ninth street
were finally called to the scene
A lithographing establishment close to
Tarrants place caught fire, and the
flames spread to the irving bank and to
two,buildings across the street The War
waited road, directly in front eff the drug
establishment, was completely demol-
ished, and number of persons who were
standing upon t waiting for train were
blown into the streets without amy seri-
Gus injury. Some women ESCAPED from
the station by walking the plank at the
edge off the track. Several buildings at
the rear of the drug store were blown
down. The flames spread with wonderful
rapidity, when the two blocks from
Chambers to Warren and from Washing
ton to Greenwich streets were soon on
fire.
John NJ. Elliott, of Brooklyn was sit
ting on the roof of the seven-story build
ing at 66 West Broadway, a block awav
from the explosion. He says the force of
the first explosion was directly upwards
for matter of thirty feet when the col
umn of debris. spread and fell downward.
1t took the roof off the building and he
could hear the cries and screams of per-
sons. Three minutes later the third ex-
plosion, which he said was the worst of
all came. It shook the building where
ne was and debris fell about it.
Policeman Calvin was in the imme-
dlate vicinity of the fire when the first
of the explosions occurred. He said a
number of fireman were blown to death
on the Warren street side of the build
ing. He said that he rescued one of them
but no living being could have rescued
the others. He said that in his belief, not
less than 200 persons will be found to
have lost their lives. This was on ac-
count of the suddeness of the explosion
which rendered it impossible for any
being in the place at the time to escape.
The force of the explosion was heard and
felt clear down to Wall street and heavy