Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-30
Belief That it was the Cause Of New York
Exp|osion---unIawfu| Storage
Of Explosives.
LIST OF KILLED GROWS LESS
MANY WHO WERE MISSING HAVE BEEN FoUND-BUT LOSS OF
LIFE AND PROPERTY is STILL APPALLING
STILL MUG DANGER

New York, Oct. so.-All night long
gang of several hundred laborers were
at work among the ruins caused by the
explosion yesterday at the Tarrant
building. No bodies were recovered. and
it is believed that none Will be recovered
for another 12 hours at least. 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. One hundred
and twelve persons were received at the
hospitals, and of this number, score
were discharged after their wounds had
been dressed. The list of missing was
large at first, but many Of those sup
posed to have been buried in the ruins
have been accounted for, and as far as
known not more than 25 persons are
missing this morning. The property loss is
variously estimated at from 81, SOC, 900 to
100000.
Chemicals probably entered into the
origin of the fire. The first smoke that
was seen was dense and very black. This
light vapor. Then began a series of
disturb persons in the street further
than to warn them from too near ap-
proach. Suddenly an explosion of much
greater force drove the glass from the
windows, showering it upon the firemen
and policemen and the thousands of
spectators who had gathered in the
streets. This was followed almost inn
mediately by another explosion of far
greater intensity that worked much de-
struction. There We're perhaps an in
terval of two minutes, when there came
third explosion more violent than that
which had preceded, and which brought
the buildings on both sides of Warren
street in that block tumbling down as
though they were built of paste board.
All was Immediately in a panic for
blocks in every direction.
Those who We're well acquainted in the
neighborhood looked upon the Tarrant
company's establishment as menace.
They saw chemicals carried into the
building in great quantity for weeks.
Filled with fear, they fled with those
thousands of idle spectators who We're
running in every direction to escape a
danger, the exact nature of which they
did not know. Fire Commissioner John
G. Scannell said this morning:
II have no doubt that chemicals and
oils far in excess of the quantity sanc-
toned by the law were stored in that
building. I suppose that keen watch was
kept over the official movement of in
spectors and when it became evident
that a visit might be made, the quantity
Of explosives was depleted. Anyone who
has seen the result Of the explosions that
have occurred here need not be told that
the law had been violated. I cannot tell
what action will be taken, but you may
be sure that a rigid investigation will be
made and full punishment meted out to
the guilty ones, If such thing is pos
yible. Tarrant & Co. have not been the
snly offenders. There are similar con-
Germs that pay no heed to the law.
have in mind one company who carries
a greater quantity of explosives that that
which was stored here. We are con-
stantly in fear of trouble from that quar-
ter, and instructions have been given to
take the greatest precautions in care of
fire occurring in the neighborhood of
hte building occupied by the firm to
whom I refer. No, don't care to give
the name Of that firm now. I shall have
the matter looked after Immediately"
Superintendent of Buildings Dooner
said last night that it would be necessary
to make a thorough inspection of the
heighborhood of the explosion and fire,
as soon as possible, and that the result
will be that some Of the buildings will
have to come down. There was little
doubt, he said. that the foundations Of
many Of the buildings had been damaged
and that they are now in dangerous
condition.