Connecticut western news., 1900-11-01
MANYLIVES ARELOST
GREAT FIRE AND EXPLOSION IN NEW
 YORK CITY.

on Warren Street Cause the Terri
 ble Dissster-Cannot Be Ascertained
 How Many Person. Were Killed.
 Shattered by a series of explosions and then swept by flames, all of the buildings on both sides of Warren street between Washington and Greenwich streets were brought to utter ruin on Monday after noon. Included in the wreck were those buildings on the east side of Washington street for at least half a block each side of Warren and those on the west side of Greenwich for the same distance each way.
 Hundreds of persons were more or less seriously injured, and while the early es- inmates of loss of life were greatly exag- gerated it is still considered that the death list will prove to be appalling. No exact estimate of the property loss can yet be made, but it is known that it will reach far into the millions.
 The revised reports place the list of missing persons at 45. At z o'clock last evening workmen found three bodies in the ruins of the Tarrant building, War ren and Greenwich streets. These were the first human remains found. The bod ies were huddled together, partially sub merged in the water filling he-cellar. It took two hours to dig the three bodies out.
 This disaster found it's origin in the building at the northwest corner of War ren and Greenwich streets, a structure of seven stories with a basement, occupied by Tarrant X O., wholesale and retail druggists and manufacturers of drug spe- cialties. The exact origin of the fire Is not known, and those who should be able to tell have failed to indicate what man. ner of oils or chemicals were stored there in sufficient quantity to have caused the terrific explosions which were responsible for the greater part of the damage. From eyewitnesses who were near
 enough at hand to watch the progress of the flames 1t was learned that the fire be
 gan shortly after noon. The hour was probably a fortunate one, for otherwise
 scores of persons would have been al
 work in the building. As it was many of these had gone out for their midday meal
 By the record of the fire department the first alarm was turned In at just 16 min utes after 12 o'clock. Smoke had been pouring from the building, however, for several minutes before that time.
 Havoc Follows Explosions. Chemicals probably entered into tn, origin of the fire. The first smoke that was seen was dense and very black. This changed into what appeared to be light vapor greatly increased in quantity. Thef began a series of minor explosions not heavy enough to disturb persons In tn, street further than to warn them from too near an approach. Suddenly an ex plosion of much greater force drove tn, glass from the windows, showering 1t up on the fremen and policemen and tn, thousands of spectators who had gather ed in the streets. This was followed al most immediately by another explosion oi far greater intensity that worked muct disaster.
 There was perhaps an interval of two minutes, when there came a third explo sion that exceeded those that had pre-
 ceded it and which brought the building, on both sides of Warren street in that block tumbling to the ground as though | they were built of pasteboard.
 | All was immediately panic for blocks | In every direction. Those who were wei acquainted in the neighborhood looked | upon Tarrant X Co.'s establishment al one of great danger. They had seen chem | | great quantity for weeks and were In | measure prepared for the explosions k which occurred. Filled with fear the, | fled with those thousands of idle specta tors who were running in every direction
 to escape a danger the exact nature o
 which they did not know.
 One of the prescription clerks employ
 ed by Tarrant X Co. is authority for th' assertion that the great danger was earl,
 recognized by those in authority in tn, establishment. This man said that jus as soon as the fire was discovered an or der was issued to the employees to hurr, | the explosives that were stored in the up | per floors down into the basement. H, | added that one elevator load had beer
 taken to the basement and that in his be
 lief it was second load stored on tn,
 elevator that finally came into contac | with the flames and caused the first O.
 the great explosions. He said that he un
 derstood that the fire had begun on tn, | third floor, though another employee o | Tarrant X Co. said later that the flames
 were first seen on the sixth floor.