Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-10-30

Sutitttlig iAA6 Aht NtIHih III lA08l VI
the building al at once.
The wreelsage was thrown across
through the windows Of the building
in which the Trying National bank IS,
on the northeast corner Of the streets.
The Offices of the Irving bank and of
Mecklen Bros. bankers and brokers,
were nearly wrecked The bank Off
cials escaped
When Captain McClusky. of the de.
tective bureau, and his men went into
the bank they found about $4,000
scattered in confusion over the coun.
thrown into the vault and the door
locked.
Nearly Asphyxiated by Smoke.
The first explosion filled MeckIen
Bros offices with sulphurous smoke
that nearly asphvxiated everybody
The second explosion blew in the win
dows and cut the two MeclIlens seri-
ously A boy named Heckenberry
found Ellen Van Deem and Mary
Dunkelman lying in Il heap, tainted
away. He carried them out to place
of safety The others when they
came to their senses gathered about
500 900 from the floors, put 1t IN cigar
boxes, and carried it to WaddeIl &
Co.
A barber shop in the same building
was demolished. the BARRIERS and two
customers that were being shaved be-
ing driven to the street The other
tenants of the building. number of
lawyers and brokers. all escaped in.
jury, as did the janitor, James Ru-
bini, who lived OH the top floor with
his wife and two children
The immense building of ]. Fl. Mohl-
man 4 Co, fronting on Washington
street. simply collapsed a deluge of
barrels and boxes, filed with fruit.
rolling out and forming o pile that
stretched half way across the street.
At the time Of the explosion blazing
barrels were hurled clear across Wash
ington street and set fires in the
buildings to the west. threatening an
extension of the conflagration in that
direction, but the firemen deluged
these buildings and saved them.
The first reports of the fire that
went out were that the Tarrant build
ing in it's fall had crushed down upon
two crowded restaurants and buried
hundred or more in each. Suisse
quent examination showed that II
any persons We're caught in these
places it was the kitchen help and
very few outsiders If anybody.
Outside of few who were injured
in the streets the loss of life by the
fire and explosion must have occurred
in the Tarrant buildings mainly and
possibly in the other buildings de-
stroyed by the fire.
The number of persons in the Tar
rant building was estimated to be in
the neighborhood of 80. Secretary
Allen, of the company. said that there
were Is employees, and he thought all
got out with the exception of one.
People who saw the fire declared, how
ever, that more lives must have been
lost
How Many Escaped Not Known.
How many of girls and other EN-
ployes of firms in the building escaped
could not be guessed, although Il
large number of missing persons indi-
Gated that there We're some. 1t was
said that half the employees We're out
getting lunch. A rumor went around
that Il boy had been seen at one of the
nearby restaurants getting lunches for
10 girls who were waiting in the build
ing.
A man named Sexton is said to have
seen two men and a woman at one
of the top floor windows, just before
the building collapsed. Another wit
ness said he saw four girls being car
ried down the rear fire escapes by
men of truck 10. As no tiremen are
supposed to have been lost these girls
Were probably saved. Another witness
said that he saw a large number of
girls on fire escape just before the
explosion and that none could have
escaped.
Other witnesses saw crowd of
about 20 girls come out of the Tar
rant building and run away, one girl,
Lena Spirit. of East Fifth street. be-
ing reported killed by flying debris
when she turned to go back for some,
thing
one young woman named Pelton.
employed at Breitenbachs. is said to
have jumped out of a window and
been taken to a hospital with both
legs broken
The only person known to have been
killed was a man who died In one of
the hospitals from the result of an
injury received in the street.
Policemen Quirk and Cohen were
carrying wounded fireman away
from the building after the first ex-
plosion across Greenwich street. The
second explosion came and threw the
three down a cellar entrance across
the street, where they were picked up.
number of firemen were on a lad
der placed against the building from
the elevated structure when the Sec
ond explosion came. They managed
to escape.
Indignant at Tarrant g. Co.
There was great indignation among
the business men in the vicinity when
they heard what part of the explosion
had played in the general catastrophe.
An explosion from the drug house
was not unexpected. as it was gener-
ally believed in the neighborhood that
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