Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-30


ished in the flames. all his men hav-
ing been accounted for.
New York. Oct. 29.-The long list OF
fire horrors that have occurred in and
around the city Of New York. a list
that includes the Royal Hotel fire. the
Park Place dis lster and the Windsor
hotel and Hoboken fires. was added 10.
today. by a fire explosion that shook
the lower end Of Manhattan like an
earthquake. hurled. seven story build
ing into tile air and set fire To two
blocks Of buildings. with a loss Of life
that only the efforts Of the hundreds
Of men who were rushed To the work
of digging away the ruins as soon as
the fire was extinguished will reveal
IT Viii never be known how many
persons were injured. AT the Hudson
street hospital all formality was done
away with. Many persons had their
Injuries cared for without leaving their
names.
The big building Of Tarrant &; Co.
makers of medicinal specialties. stand
ing at the northwest corner of Green
Wich and Warren street. and filled with
chemicals, took fire in some way that
may never be known, at about 12.lJ
O'Clock this afternoon. II was Is min
utes after noon. when a citizen rush
ed into the house Of fire engine % on
Chambers street. near Greenwich ard
shouted that Tarrant's drug house was
or fire. He had seen volume of black
smoke coming from the third story
window An alarm was turned in and
soon afterwards a second and third
alarm.
One fire company from station 81 had
just arrived when a terrific explosion
occurred and threw the entire engine
crew down the stairway The firemen.
realizing the danger Of their position.
rushed out Of the building 10 the street.
The explosion had filled the street in
front with a shower Of falling glass
and small debris. which sent the crowd
which was already gathering on the
opposite sidewalks. fleeing for safety,
and threw the engine horses into a
panic.
Engineer Rocksberry was unfasten-
ing the horses and Fireman Brown OF
the company. was turning the safety
valve of the engine when the explo-
sum anu COVERED IUsIn WIN
the shower Of glass. Both were injur-
ed. as was another fireman belonging
to the company.
Capt. Devanny Of the company from
station 81. ordered his crew back into
the building again. They were nearing
the doorway for the second time when
there came another explosion more ter
rible than the first. and the whole crew
was hurled across Greenwich street.
Devanny being so badly injured that he
was sent TO the Hudson street hospital
In the meantime the other engines
that responded to the alarm had coll
lected and the firemen were busy rescu-
ing people from surrounding buildings.
They took many girls down the only
fire escape upon the building and more
persons had been carried down the es-
capes Of the restaurant next door and
the buildings adjoining on Warren
street
The second explosion occurred about
five minutes after the first. From the
accounts Of witnesses the building
seemed to leap into the air, and in a
moment masses Of brick wall. timbers
and stone were falling into the street
The force Of the explosion tore away
the walls Of the big commission store
houses fronting on Washington street
and caused them to collapse in a mass
Of timbers. boxes and barrels. from
- hich the flames which burst out from
the Tarrant building like the beIessag
Of a cannon. at once broke forth.
Across Warren street to the opposite
the flames leaped. setting
them all afire at once. the force OF the
explosion demolishing windows and all
wooden structure about the house. In
1 moment Warren street was choked
ID with mass Of debris and the whole
place Was afiame. The great explosion
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