The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-29
The Property Destroyed Includes Nearly an Entire
Block.

New York. Oct. 2s.-About half past Z
today lower New York was startled by
a booming sound which it developed
was an explosion in the building occu-
pied by Tarrant & Co. wholesale drug
gists. The fire department Immediately
responded to q. call had not reached the
scene when three additional explosions
occurred, more violent than the first
A column Of debris and smoke and
flame was shot upward 800 feet Per
sons in the vicinity say they saw human
bodies thrown up in the column of de-
bris when the explosion occurred.
Four explosions occurred in rapid sue
cession- The Sixth avenue elevated
structure which passes the building is
demolished at that point. Windows III
the vicinity and for blocks around were
demolished by the concussion. and
houses across the street were probably
damaged Calls were sent for arnbu-
lances-
Five alarms of fire were turned in
At l o'clock it was said that there
were fully $50 persons in the building at
if any Of them had time to escape A
young man who gave his name as Har-
~ Ross, said that he was standing on
the corner when the explosion occurred.
He was blown ten feet. When he picked
himself up he said he saw bodies flying
through the air and landing in the
flames Three fire horses were so cut by
to be shot one fire engine was almost
completely demolished by falling walls.
100 GIRLS IN BUILDING.
It was said that 100 of the employees
in the building were girls. They were
on different floors when the fire broke
out and the explosion occurred. It is
hard to see how these girls could have
escaped In a restaurant next door to
the drug store there were about 200 peo-
pie eating their luncheon OF these many
were injured and it is reported that 4
score or more of them lost their lives
Up to 12.45 p. m. eleven injured per-
sons had been taken to the New York
hospital The police reserves from Old
slip, Church street. Oak street and Eliz-
abeth street stations were called out.
The first explosion occurred at 1912 D.
m, and took the roof of the building.
The explosions sent debris flying
through the air and into the street
where dozens OF persons were injured.
All the ambulances from hospitals
south OF Fifty-ninth street were finally
called to the scene.
A EthogTaphing establishment close to
Tarrants place caught FIRE and the
flames spread to the Irving bank and 10
two buildings across the street
The Warren street station Of the Ninth
avenue elevated railroad directly in
front of the drug establishment was
completely demolished and a. number of
persons who were standing upon it
waiting for a train was blown to the
street and received serious injury. A
number OF women escaped from the sta
ton, however, by walking along tfe
plank platform at the edge of the track
BUILDING BLOWN DOWN.
Several buildings at the rear of the
drug store were blown down. The flames
spread with wonderful rapidity until
the two blocks from Chambers to War
ren and from Washington 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 Sc West Broadway, a block and a
half away from the explosion. He says
the force OF the first explosion was di-
4ectly upwards for a matter OF 80 feet,
sEben the column OF debris spread and