Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-30
Big Force of Men Searching the Ex-
plosion Ruins.
THIRTY-EIGHT PERSONS MISSING
Belief That All of Tarrant Com
panys Employees Escaped.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER

plosion in Tarrant & Co.'S drug house yes
terday and were relieved by more than a
thousand men al daylight, the search had
not resulted in the discovery of any dead
body up to 1870 today, twenty-four hours
after the explosion occurred. The list
of missing numbers thirty-eight, but it is
believed that many of these will be found
during the day.
Thomas Main, president of the Tarrant
company, said he felt sure that all of his
employees, with the possible exception of
two. had been saved
That there are bodies in the ruins there
can be no doubt, but it is not believed that
the list of dead will exceed thirty, and some
estimates place the total dead at below
twenty.
One hundred and twenty-seven injured
persons were received at the hospitals
most of whom were discharged after their
wounds had been dressed. The list of
missing was large at first, but many of
those supposed to have been buried in the
ruins have been accounted for. and as
far as known not more than twenty-five
persons are missing this morning.
No change was made today in the original
estimate of the financial loss by the fire and
explosion, the figures remaining at from
$1,50o,0O0 to s2,00o0O0.
Fire Commissioner John ]. Scannell said
this morning:
Il have no doubt that chemicals and oils
far in excess of the quantity sanctioned by
law were stored in that building. l sup
pose that keen watch was kept over the
official movement of inspectors. and when
it became known that visit might be
made the quantity of explosives was de-
pleted. After the inspector had departed
the supply was again built up.
Law Was Violated.
1.-THE results of explosions that have oc-
Cured here show that this law has been
violated. l cannot tell what action may be
taken, but you may be sure that rigid
investigation will be made and full punish
ment be meted out to the guilty ones if
such a thing is possible.
About o'clock this morning Deputy Fire
Chief Ahern reported that the body of
woman had been located under the wreck
age In the rear of the Homemade restau-
rant and added that he feared about twen-
ty bodies would be found at this point, as
ne has been informed that many women
were on the fire escapes of the restaurant
a few minutes before the Tarrant building
collapsed, and that they ran into the~build-
ing just before the big explosion.
Some of those reported missing returned
to their homes during the night Louise
Joeckell, an employe of Tarrant & Co., was
one of these. She said she went to lunch at
II o'clock, and having lunched some dis
tance away from Tarrant's had missed the
explosion. She remained about the place
for some time watching the fire.
Michael Coughland of 113 Monroe street,
who had been reported missing, went home
during the night, after his friends had been
looking for him all day.
Herman DoroWitz, a boekkeeper, when he
found he could not work any more, went to
see some acquaintance. He got home late
at night to find that he had been reported
missing
NJ. Spielkauf had been reported missing,
but he got home all right late last night.
List of the Missing.
At 8 o'clock this morning about 1000 men
were playing streams of water into the
half-burned buildings on Washington street
below Warren. Seven fire engines were still
on the ground. The list of missing up to 8
al follows:
F. S. Armstrong, employe of ]. 8. Coward;
Mary Bradley, employed in printing office
of Joseph Carroll; Joseph Besso; Ira c.
Barnes egg dealer; Francis Barnes, egg
dealer; John Cruger, egg packer; Kate Cal
laghan, employed on fourth floor of Tar
rant Co; Isaac Cohen, truck driver;
Stella Chrystie employed by Tarrant & Co.;
George Donnelly, truckman; Ernest Fiat
man, employed by Acker, Merran & Condit;
Mollie Golden, employed by Tarrant & Co.;
Miss Griffin, address unknown; Thomas
Harriet employed by Tarrant & Co.; Will
liam Halsey, employed in egg store; Pat
rick Hennessy, employed in commission
store; Morris Kwaver. address unknown;
James Lodolee, address unknown; Joseph
Multier, address unknown; Benz. Moore
house, Montclair, N. j., clerk in Tarrant &
Co.; Julia Murphy, employed in Warren
street; Henry Muh, employed in Washing
ton street; Hamilton Matthews, truck driv
er; Victor Hugo Mathushek of the Mathu-
known to have been in the vicinity few
minutes before the explosion took place.;
Jules Oppenheim, employed in Warren
street; Fredk Peters, employed at Green
wfch street and Park place; George Pot
finger, gateman, elevated railway station,
Warren street; Mary Rusch, employed by
Tarrant & Co.; Frank Schoeter, employed
in Greenwich street; E. Smith, employed
in Chambers street; George w. Sulker, egg
dealer in Chambers street; August Schmidt
employed near Tarrant's; Abraham Stein
and George Schuck, employed in the Tar
rant laboratory; Mary Smith, employed by
Tarrant & Co.; Lizzie Smith, employed by
Tarrant & Co.; Jennie Smith, employed by
Tarrant & Co.: Lawrence Tanse; James
Wilkinson, employe street cleaning depart
ment.
Prominent Man Missing.
Prominent among those apparently MISS
ing is Victor Hugo Mathushek, a piano
manufacturer Edward Fisher, his foster
father, told the police that Mr.. Mathushek
had had an appointment with lawyer, j.
Dearborn, In Warren street. and had left
him at noon. agreeing to come back at
o'clock. He had not kept the latter ap-
pointrnent and nothing had been seen of
him since. Mr. Fisher greatly feared he
had been killed in the explosion
Scores of anxious persons thronged the
Leonard street police station all night in
quiring for lost friends and relatives Many
women came weeping, only to learn that
the names of their loved ones were not in
the list of dead and injured prepared by
the clerks from reports sent in by hospi-
tails and the police.
At the hospital there was a continuous
stream of people coming in with blood
tr1ckling from their wounds, and they were
met at the door by another line of people
with bandaged faces, hands and arms.
Three hundred men were at work on the
ruins all night. Superintendent of Build.
ings Dooner had 1000 men at work as soon
as daylight appeared. He said he intended
to get the debris cleared away SO that
bodies might be reached before the after
noon. He declared that a dozen buildings
would have to be torn down.
Sanitary Superintendent Roberts said that
between 16O and 200 tons of fruit and vege-
tables were in the ruins. He said much of
this had spoiled. and some of the offensive
odor ascribed to dead bodies was really
caused by decaying vegetable matter.
Many Buildings Damaged.
Explaining his statement that a dozen
buildings would have to be torn down.